US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2465

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002465 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS, PHUM, PREL, IZ, UN, Detainees, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: POST REQUESTS GUIDANCE ON UNAMI INTENT TO VISIT 
COALITION DETENTION FACILITIES 
 
 
1. (U) THIS CABLE CONTAINS AN ACTION REQUEST. PLEASE SEE 
PARAGRAPH 4-5. 
 
2. (SBU) Post has learned through informal channels that 
UNAMI has proposed to the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights that 
UNAMI send a two-person delegation (John Pale, Chief Human 
Rights Officer, and Rasha al-Kasy, Human Rights Officer) to 
visit Coalition detention facilities at Camp Bucca on June 
14.  MNF-I has not received official notification from UNAMI 
of UNAMI's intent to visit, and has indicated to MoHR that it 
considers the request deferred. 
 
3. (SBU) We do not know what authority UNAMI intends to cite 
for its proposed inspection of Coalition detention 
facilities, although the identity of the inspectors suggests 
that UNAMI may seek this visit under the terms of UNSCR 1546, 
operative paragraph 7(b)(iii), which decides that UNAMI shall 
"promote the protection of human rights, national 
reconciliation, and judicial and legal reform in order to 
strengthen the rule of law in Iraq". 
 
4. (SBU) ACTION REQUEST: It is not clear to Post or MNF-I 
that we are in a position to grant entities other than ICRC 
and the ITG access to detention facilities (as opposed to 
visits to individual detainees). It is also not clear to us 
that the ITG is in a position to arrange such access for 
third parties without MNF-I concurrence. We therefore request 
specific guidance from Washington as to how to proceed, and 
ask that this guidance come not later than COB Baghdad time 
Monday, June 13, 2005. 
 
5. (SBU) Should Washington advise that UNAMI access be 
granted, we also seek clarification as to the terms on which 
the UNAMI visit will be conducted (i.e., whether UNAMI will 
adopt ICRC's standards of confidentiality and impartiality, 
whether "fair warning" of press statements will be given, as 
is the case with ICRC, and so on). 
 
6. (U) Minimize considered for REOs Basrah, Hillah, Kirkuk, 
and Mosul. 
Jeffrey