DECEMBER 17 VISIT TO THE BUNKER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 005074

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/19/2015
TAGS: PHUM MOPS KJUS PINS PGOV IZ
SUBJECT: DECEMBER 17 VISIT TO THE BUNKER

REF: A. A. BAGHDAD 5024

B. B. BAGHDAD 5020

Classified By: RULE OF LAW COORDINATOR JAMES YELLIN FOR REASON 1.4 (D)

SUMMARY
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1. (C) On December 17, U.S. officials accompanied First
Deputy Prime Minister Shaways and Deputy Minister of Interior
for Intelligence Kamal on a visit to the MOI detention
facility known as the Bunker. As expected, no detainees were
found. Two MOI employees at the Bunker told Shaways that
detainees U.S. forces had discovered on November 13 with
signs of torture had been abused before their arrival at the
Bunker.


2. (C) Shaways told the press that Coalition forces have a
legitimate role to play in investigating detainee abuses
under international agreements and human rights law.


3. (C) Shaways told us that Prime Minister Jaafari and the
investigative committee appointed by Jaafari hope to cover up
evidence of wrongdoing at the Bunker. END SUMMARY.

VISIT TO THE BUNKER
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4. (C) On December 17, Embassy ROL Coordinator and Deputy to
the MNF-I Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence accompanied
First Deputy Prime Minister Rowsh Shaways and Deputy Minister
of Interior for Intelligence Hussein Ali Kamal on a visit to
an MOI detention facility known as the Bunker--at Shaways'
request.


5. (C) Shaways and Kamal inspected the facility thoroughly.
As expected, no detainees were found.


6. (C) At the Bunker, Shaways interviewed two MOI employees:
Ali al-Haidary, who identified himself as an intelligence
"advisor," and Brigadier General Abbas Wannas, the General
Director for Interrogation and Investigation at the Bunker.
They told Shaways that:

-- Detainees U.S. forces had discovered on November 13 with
signs of torture had been abused prior to their arrival at
the Bunker, either while being arrested or during detention
at other facilities.

-- Some of the Bunker detainees had been abused at a Ministry
of Defense detention facility at the former al-Muthanna
airport in Baghdad.

-- Most of the detainees at the Bunker had already confessed
to their crimes. Thus, Bunker personnel would not have had
to use torture to extract confessions.

-- Many of the pictures showing signs of torture were taken
by Bunker employees to substantiate claims by detainees that
they were tortured at the point of capture or at another
detention facility.


5. (C) Shaways told us that both al-Haidary and Abbas were
still employed by the MOI. (Both men were present at the
Bunker when U.S. forces discovered abused detainees there on
November 13.) Hussein Ali Kamal said that both men answer to
Bashir Nasser al-Wandi, known as Engineer Ahmad, who runs the
Bunker. Kamal said Minister of Interior Baqir Jabr appointed
Engineer Ahmad to run a parallel intelligence organization
and funneled information directly to Engineer Ahmad,
deliberately bypassing Kamal.

REMARKS TO THE PRESS BY SHAWAYS
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6. (C) After touring the Bunker, Shaways told the press that
the goals of his investigative committee are to determine if
human rights abuses occurred at the Bunker and, if so, who
was responsible.


7. (C) When asked if U.S. forces were "interfering" in the
investigation, Shaways told the press that Coalition forces
have a legitimate role to play in investigating detainee
abuses under international agreements and human rights law.

AFTER THE BUNKER VISIT
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8. (C) During coffee at Shaways' residence after the Bunker
visit, Shaways told us that Prime Minister Jaafari and the
committee he appointed to investigate what happened at the
Bunker, as well as Minister of Interior Jabr, want to cover
up evidence of wrongdoing.


9. (C) Shaways also asked ROL Coordinator for his opinion on
the investigative committee's first report. ROL Coordinator
replied that the report said very little. Shaways said he
agreed and asked ROL Coordinator to provide him with a list
of questions the investigative committee should answer. He
said such guidance would help him prod the committee to write
an accurate report. We agreed to provide Shaways with such
questions.

COMMENTS
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8. (C) Our impression is that Shaways and Kamal want to
expose evidence of wrongdoing at the Bunker. Their motives
are at least in part political. Shaways and Kamal are
members of the secular Kurdistan Democratic Party, while PM
Jaafari and Minister of Interior Jabr are members of Shi'a
Islamist parties (Da'wa and SCIRI respectively) that are part
of the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA). Shaways repeatedly told
us that a strong UIA performance in the December 15 elections
would undermine prospects for democracy and stability in Iraq.
KHALILZAD