US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD4450

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 004450 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
CA/OCS/ACS/NESA, NEA/I, CT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC, PTER, PHUM, MOPS, IZ, Detainees 
SUBJECT: WELFARE AND WHEREABOUTS VISIT TO AMCIT DETAINEE 
SHAWKI OMAR 
 
REF: A. THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE ALBEIT UNCLASSIFIED 
     B. AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION. 
 
1.  (SBU) In coordination with the Consular Section 
and CA/OCS, Pol-MilOff met on October 27th with 
detained American citizen Shawki Omar (aka "al- 
Ameriki") at the Baghdad Central Correctional Facility 
at Abu Ghraib. Mr. Omar, who had requested the visit, 
was in good health. Pol-MilOff passed a list of Iraqi 
lawyers, as he is likely to face criminal charges in 
Iraqi court. MNF-I will facilitate access to counsel 
when and if Mr. Omar is charged. 
 
2.  (SBU) Mr. Omar signed a privacy waiver authorizing 
the Department to release information regarding his 
situation to members of his family, congress, the 
press, and the general public; this authorization has 
been passed to the Consul General at Post. He had no 
messages to pass at the time of interview. 
 
3.  (SBU) Mr. Omar had no complaints about his current 
treatment; he did, however allege unspecified abuse at 
the point of capture and during initial interrogation 
by MNF-I and the FBI. Pol-MilOff passed this fact to 
MNF-I, which has previously investigated the same 
allegations and concluded that they are unfounded. 
 
4.  (SBU) NOTE: American security internees in Iraq 
are not, in MNF-I's understanding, subject to consular 
visitation, as all are held by US forces. However MNF- 
I has offered Post assistance in making welfare-and- 
whereabouts visits to American citizens, and we will 
continue to do so whenever possible. END NOTE. 
Satterfield