US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2896

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002896 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/11/2025 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PINR, IZ, Sunni Arab 
SUBJECT: MOI PRESS CONFERENCE MISSES HUMAN RIGHTS MARK  AND 
RAPPROCHEMENT WITH ARAB SUNNIS 
 
REF: A. BAGHDAD 2120 
 
     B. BAGHDAD 2194 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL COUNSELOR ROBERT S. FORD. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY. Senior SCIRI official and Minister of 
Interior Baqr Jabr lost an opportunity to reach out to 
the Sunni Arab community by demonstrating that the MOI 
is serious about protecting human rights during his 
July 7 press conference.  Jabr said the Ministry's 
three top priorities are providing security, fighting 
corruption, and protecting the human rights of Iraqis. 
However, neither Jabr nor Interior Ministry IG Nori 
al-Nouri offered specific details of investigations 
into allegations of abuse or prosecution of 
perpetrators of such abuse.  Rather, Jabr called 
reports of torture and abuse in the press 
'misrepresentations' and claimed that NGOs and human 
rights organizations have access to MOI facilities. 
Sunni Arab reaction to the press conference has ranged 
from negative to scathing, with a Sunni Endowment 
member calling Jabr 'a liar.'  To be fair to the 
Interior Minister, he is working to stop a terror 
campaign and insurgency that is killing Iraqi 
civilians daily.  Many Sunni Arabs will condemn 
terrorism but also believe innocent Sunni Arabs are 
being targeted unfairly by Jabr's security forces. 
This belief impedes Sunni Arab leaders from engaging 
politically with the Shi'a and accepting that 
political compromises will add to, not diminish, their 
community's safety.  For Jabr to really make a 
positive impact on the Sunni Arab community, he must 
show credible and tangible efforts to stop alleged 
abuses, not promises.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) In a July 7 press conference, senior SCIRI 
official and Minister of Interior Baqr Jabr outlined 
the Ministry's three top priorities of providing 
security, fighting corruption, and protecting the 
human rights of Iraqis.  Jabr distributed the 
'manifesto' he said MOI had disseminated to police, 
commandos, special forces, and border patrol agents 
across Iraq.  Even though criminals are killing and 
perpetrating violence against innocent Iraqis, said 
Jabr, they must be treated in accordance with human 
rights standards.  (COMMENT: In the document, Jabr 
wrote "we will not allow any violations of human 
rights, torture, or any other form of abuse." 
Further, the document notes that Jabr himself will 
conduct spot visits to police facilities and 
personally follow these issues.  END COMMENT.) 
 
3.  (U) Jabr's press conference focused more on 
Operation Lightning successes, the reduction of crime 
in Baghdad, and successes in capturing insurgent 
elements than on human rights issues.  Jabr did not 
refer to either specific allegations of abuse or 
progress in ongoing investigations.  The only specific 
example of culpability he cited was the recent arrest 
of the Tikrit police chief for unspecified crimes 
(these we understand relate to the chief's time as 
Police Chief in Maysan province during the Saddam 
regime).  Jabr said that he did not approve of the 
arrest because the police chief had done a good job. 
However, as the criminal court had issued an arrest 
warrant, he had no choice. 
 
4.  (U) MOI Inspector General Nori al-Nouri then 
provided statistics about corruption and human rights 
cases, focusing primarily on cases dealing with 
corruption.  He noted that 323 investigative 
committees were established in the last two months, 
resulting in 81 cases.  Of these cases, 36 have been 
referred to the courts, most of which deal with 
contracting irregularities, forgery, and fraud.  Nouri 
referred to human rights cases as the "most important 
topic" but failed to say anything substantive about 
any of them.  He merely noted that subcommittees had 
been formed to assess detainee issues, saying these 
committees are following through on allegations and 
concluding "that is all I will say on this." 
 
5.  (U) Several members of the press questioned Jabr 
about allegations of torture and abuse in MOI 
detention facilities.  Jabr claimed only one newspaper 
had printed such allegations and that the reports were 
a "misrepresentation."  Further, when a reporter 
complained about the press' lack of access to MOI 
officials, Jabr countered that operational security 
concerns often preclude such access.  Additionally, he 
insisted that non-governmental (NGO) and human rights 
organizations have access to MOI.  He claimed that 
representatives of any such organizations should feel 
free to contact him. (COMMENT: We have heard from 
numerous sources, including the Ministries of Human 
Rights and Justice, human rights NGOs, and 
international human rights organizations, that access 
continues to be a problem -- particularly in Baghdad 
and, specifically, within MOI Headquarters.  END 
COMMENT.) 
 
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SUNNI REACTION 
-------------- 
 
6.  (C) Private Sunni Arab reaction to Jabr's press 
conference has ranged from negative to scathing.  The 
National Dialogue's Saleh Mutlek on July 8 told Poloff 
that he doubted Jabr's veracity, particularly 
regarding his statements about the misrepresentation 
of reports of torture and abuse by police.  Likewise, 
the Sunni Endowment's Naji Ithawi told Poloff July 8 
that Jabr is "a liar."  The Sunni community, he 
complained, does not see Jabr as credible.  "You saw 
the pictures," stated Ithawi, referring to photographs 
of dead bodies the Sunni Endowment has provided that 
clearly show evidence of torture.  "How can he say 
there is no torture?" 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
7.  (C) This press conference was touted as a forum to 
discuss human rights, but in fact the Ministry of 
Interior officials did not go into much detail about 
their efforts to protect human rights.  Jabr offered 
little substantive information about human rights 
abuses by police forces or concrete steps taken to 
address them.  Contrary to Jabr's claim that reports 
of abuse and torture are a misrepresentation, there 
have been numerous, often credible, allegations -- by 
the media, human rights NGOs, private citizens, prison 
officials, and witnesses -- that police are 
perpetrating human rights abuses.  Post has discussed 
many of these reports with Jabr, who has repeatedly 
promised to investigate the allegations. 
Additionally, the perception -- especially within the 
Sunni Arab community -- is that police forces enjoy 
impunity when it comes to allegations of abuse against 
Sunni Arabs (reftels).  Jabr had a prime opportunity 
to report tangible results showing that, in fact, MOI 
is committed to protecting the rights of all Iraqis -- 
regardless of religious or ethnic orientation. 
Instead, he fell short of the mark, coming across as 
vague and defensive.  To be fair to the Interior 
Minister, he is trying to stop a terror campaign and 
insurgency that is killing Iraqi civilians daily. 
Many Sunni Arabs will condemn terrorism but also 
believe innocent Sunni Arabs are being targeted 
unfairly in the security campaign.  This belief 
impedes Sunni Arab leaders from engaging politically 
with the Shi'a and accepting that political 
compromises will add to, not diminish, their 
community's safety.  For Jabr to really make a 
positive impact, especially on the Sunni Arab 
community, he needs to show that there have been 
serious investigations of alleged abuses, that these 
investigations have determined a set of facts and, if 
the facts so speak, then specific, named officials 
responsible for abuses have been punished.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
8.  (U) REO HILLA, REO BASRA, REO MOSUL, and REO 
KIRKUK, minimize considered. 
 
 
Satterfield