POST REQUESTS GUIDANCE ON UNAMI INTENT TO VISIT

UNCLAS BAGHDAD 002465 SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PHUM PREL IZ UN 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