IRAQI DEPUTY MOI SAYS INVESTIGATIONS COMPLETE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 003986 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS KJUS IZ SUBJECT: IRAQI DEPUTY MOI SAYS INVESTIGATIONS COMPLETE REF: A. BAGHDAD 3965 ¶B. BAGHDAD 3891 Classified By: Rule of Law Coordinator James Yellin for reason 1.4 (d). ¶1. (C) On October 21 Deputy Minister of Interior for Security Ayden told us that the three committees formed by Minister of Interior Bolani to investigate Site 4 had finished their work and had recommended that most of the arrest warrants issued by an Iraqi investigative judge be issued. (As reported ref A, however, it was recommended that Major General Mahdi receive only administrative punishment.) Ayden added that most of the people for whom arrest warrants had been issued had fled. ¶2. (C) Ayden also said that Bolani had approved the recommendations of the three committees. But the investigative judge who issued the arrest warrants told Deputy Legatt on October 23 that Bolani had not yet approved execution of the warrants. END SUMMARY. AYDEN SAYS COMMITTES WORK COMPLETED ¶3. (SBU) On October 21 outgoing Rule of Law Coordinator introduced incoming Rule of Law Coordinator Robert Murphy and incoming Senior MOI Consultant Don Grady to Major General Ayden Qudir, Deputy Minister of Interior for Security (i.e., police). ¶4. (C) We asked Ayden about the status of the investigation by the three committees formed by Minister of Interior Jawad Bolani to investigate the cases of over 50 policemen for whom arrest warrants had been issued in connection with the abuses at the former detention facility known as Site 4. ¶5. (C) Ayden told us that the three committees had all completed their work. (As reported ref B, Bolani told us on October 16 that only two of the three investigative committees had finished their work, and that as a consequence he had not yet decided whether to authorize the execution of any arrest warrants. FINDINGS OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE ¶6. (C) Ayden said that the first committee, chaired by Deputy Minister for Intelligence Hussein Ali Kamal, was responsible for investigating the cases of policemen with a rank of lieutenant or higher. ¶7. (C) As reported ref A, Kamal told us on October 19 that his committee had reviewed the cases of 21 policemen, including Major General Mahdi. He said it had recommended that arrest warrants be executed for 15 people, but that Mahdi receive only administrative punishment. Ayden told us that after being relieved of command of the Second National Police Division, Major General Mahdi had been placed under his supervision and would be given a job with insignificant responsibility. FINDINGS OF THE SECOND AND THIRD COMMITTEES ¶8. (C) Ayden said that: -- The second committee, headed by him, was responsible for investigating the cases of policemen with a rank of warrant officer. The committee had reviewed the cases of 19 policemen and had recommended that the arrest warrants for all of them be executed. (Ayden told Poloff on October 17 that only three of the 20 could both be located and fully identified.) -- According to Ayden, the third committee, chaired by Brigadier General Ahmed Taha Mosawi, chief of the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, had reviewed the cases of 19 policemen below the rank of warrant officer. It had recommended that arrest warrants be issued for all of the cases it had reviewed. AYDEN SAYS BOLANI APPROVED RECOMMENDATIONS ¶9. (C) Ayden said that on October 18 Bolani had approved the recommendations of the three committees. But the investigative judge who issued the arrest warrants told us on October 23 that Bolani had not yet approved execution of the warrants. ¶10. (C) Ayden said that a total of 59 arrest warrants had been issued, but the investigative judge who issued the warrants has told us that only 52 were issued. ¶11. (C) Ayden noted that most of the people for whom arrest BAGHDAD 00003986 002 OF 002 warrants had been issued had fled, but that the police would find them. FOURTH COMMITTEE ¶12. (C) On October 19 Major Haydar, an aide to Bolani, told us that Bolani had also formed a fourth committee to deal with Site 4: a legal committee charged with reviewing and coordinating the work of the three investigative committees. KHALILZAD