MAY 4 JORDAN-IRAQ REPORT: ABU GHREIB PRISON,

C O N F I D E N T I A L AMMAN 003405 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/03/2014 TAGS: PREL PHUM IZ JO SUBJECT: MAY 4 JORDAN-IRAQ REPORT: ABU GHREIB PRISON, JORDAN'S IRAQI POPULATION, AND NIA TRAINING Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE FOR REASONS 1.5(b),(d). ¶1. (U) This is another of post's periodic wrap up cables on Iraqi items as seen from Amman followers. -------------- UNAMI and Abu Ghreib -------------- ¶2. (C) A United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq's (UNAMI) Political Officer, Alan Fellows, suggested to PolOff on May 4 the establishment of an international committee to investigate the recent evidence and allegations of abuse at Abu Ghreib prison as the best way for the U.S. to deal with the current crisis. He also suggested that the investigation include allegations of looting and theft of property by Coalition forces. Fellows asserted that such an investigation would have to be established in such a way to convince the Iraqi public of its independence for it to have any credibility. Fellows opined that the detention system in Iraq is "a complete mess" and UNAMI is not surprised with the recent revelations of prison abuse in Abu Ghreib. He claimed that UNAMI has received several unconfirmed reports over the past year from contacts and released prisoners of physical and mental abuse of male prisoners and even allegations of rape with subsequent pregnancy of some women prisoners. (Comment: We report these views without assessing their validity. In Amman, we have heard no other allegations of rape and pregnancy of female prisoners from a credible source, although these allegations have been carried in local media. End comment.) -------------- Jordan's illegal Iraqis -------------- ¶3. (C) Businessman Salah Al-Samarai, an Iraqi legally residing in Jordan, told PolOff April 21 that the vast majority of Jordan's illegal Iraqis will not return to Iraq until the security situation improves and job opportunities increase. This conviction is based on the excessive fines that Iraqis must pay if they try to reenter Jordan after having previously lived there illegally. He said this uncertainty and levying of fines only serve to encourage Iraqis living in Jordan to stay put. -------------- New Iraq Army officers to train in U.S. -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The first three New Iraq Army (NIA) officers are scheduled to attend training in the U.S. this summer. One officer will attend the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, KS starting in June, and the other two officers will attend the Infantry Captains' Career Course at Fort Benning, GA in August. ¶5. (U) Baghdad minimize considered. Visit Embassy Amman's classified website at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/amman/ or access the site through the State Department's SIPRNET home page. HALE