UPDATE ON PALESTINIAN DETAINEES IN COALITION

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002388

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MOPS PHUM PINS PTER XF
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON PALESTINIAN DETAINEES IN COALITION
CUSTODY

REF: A. BAGHDAD 246


B. JERUSALEM 196

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) In this cable, Post provides an update to Reftel
A, which was sent in January 2005 in response to AmConsul
Jerusalem's request in Reftel B for information on the
status of Palestinian security internees held by Coalition
Forces inside Iraq. As of May 31, 2005, Multi-National
Force - Iraq held eight identified Palestinians; their
individual status is detailed below. Unless otherwise
indicated, all information may be passed to Palestinian
Authority officials.


2. (U) The files of security internees are subject to
review every 90-180 days by the Combined Review and Release
Board, an Iraqi-majority panel staffed by representatives
from the Iraqi Ministries of Justice, Interior, and Human
Rights, as well as MNF-I. The CRRB currently approves
40% of the cases it reviews for release, with the remaining
60% recommended for continued detention on the assessment
that release would pose an imperative threat to Iraqi
security. All detainees remain subject to criminal
prosecution by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq.

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CASE DETAILS
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3. (SBU) Mohammed Saleh Hassan (ISN No. 150447) was
detained by MNF-I on September 4, 2003; Mr. Hassan was in
possession of explosives at the time of his apprehension,
and is believed to have been involved in attacks on
Coalition Forces. (Do not pass this sentence: the FBI has
placed a hold on this detainee due to active
interrogation.)


4. (SBU) Marwan Helmi Saeed Dabhof (ISN No. 162141) was
detained by MNF-I on July 16, 2004 due to his involvement
in a terrorist cell manufacturing Vehicle-Borne Improvised
Explosive Devices (VBIEDs) and linked to al-Qaeda. On
February 9, 2005, the Board (see para (2) recommended Mr.
Dabhof for continued internment as an ongoing security
threat.


5. (SBU) Awad Ahmed Awad Sahknini (ISN No. 166831) was
detained by MNF-I on November 24, 2005 based on information
suggesting that he was a high-level terrorist cell
organizer associated with Tawheet al-Jihad. He was
recommended for continued internment by the Board on April
5, 2005.


6. (SBU) Jayyab Mahmoud Hasan Ehmedat (ISN No. 106593) has
been recommended for release. His file has been sent to
CENTCOM for approval, a process which normally takes four-
to-six weeks; should CENTCOM concur, he will be free to
depart Iraq voluntarily, or to seek the permission of the
Iraqi government for his release inside Iraq.


7. (SBU) Ahmed Hussain Yousif (ISN No. 107298) was
detained on April 23, 2003 for illegal entry into Iraq and
engagement in anti-Coalition activities. He was recommended
for continued internment by the Board on January 5, 2005,
and is currently facing trial at the Central Criminal
Court.


8. (SBU) Ibraheem Mahmood Mohammed (ISN No. 154750) was
detained on December 5, 2003 in possession of blank
passports and bomb-making equipment. He was recommended by
the Board for continued internment on April 15, 2005, and
is currently being considered for prosecution by the
Central Criminal Court.


9. (SBU) Mohammed Awad Ahmed (ISN No. 166826) was detained
with seven others (five wounded) during fighting in
Fallujah on November 25, 2004. He was found near a weapons
stockpile, and his hands tested positive for gunpowder. The
Board voted for continued internment on March 15, 2005.


10. (SBU) Osama Feysa Mohammed (ISN No. 172700) was
detained on May 2, 2005 during a targeted raid on his
cousin's house. His file has been sent to the Commanding
General of Task Force 134 for consideration for expedited
release.


11. (SBU) Coalition Forces have no record of holding a
Palestinian detainee with a name similar to "Ahmad Badran
Fares Abueid". The identification number provided by the
Palestinian Authority for this detainee, 106319, belongs
to an Iraqi national named Abbas Mahmud al-Azawi, resident
in Diyala Province, detained April 14, 2003 and released
thirteen days later.
Satterfield