BRITISH MP CLWYD SATISFIED WITH SADDAM TRIAL,

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001868 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/02/2016 TAGS: PGOV PNET KDEM PREL IZ UK SUBJECT: BRITISH MP CLWYD SATISFIED WITH SADDAM TRIAL, CONCERNED WITH NUMBER OF MNF-I DETENTIONS Classified By: Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) In a May 30 meeting with the Ambassador, UK Labour Member of Parliament and Prime Minister Blair's Special Envoy to Iraq for Human Rights Ann Clwyd said she was impressed with the dignity and fairness of the proceedings in the Saddam Hussein trial. She said that, contrary to the impression she had received from media coverage, after witnessing the proceedings she believes holding the trial has been well worth it and that justice was being done. Clwyd told the Ambassador that the U.S. and UK must not let the violence on television drive the agenda and that we must not adjust our Iraq policy because of political pressures and agendas at home. ¶2. (C) Clwyd expressed concern that the Ministry of Interior has been heavily infiltrated by sectarian militias and could fall under political/sectarian agenda control. The Ambassador told Clwyd that we will do everything possible to prevent this from happening, since the international community cannot support a Minister who is sectarian or has been tied to militia. Clwyd also expressed concern over the large number of Iraqis being held in MNF-I detention facilities and urged the release of as many as possible in the near future. The Ambassador told Clwyd that MNF-I plans to release a large group of detainees, perhaps as early as June, in a gesture toward national reconciliation. Clwyd applauded this news and urged the Ambassador to make sure such a release was as large as possible, suggesting as many as 5,000 detainees as an appropriate target. KHALILZAD