PRT DIYALA: SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 004295 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2016 TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL PHUM IZ SUBJECT: PRT DIYALA: SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF REPORTED DETAINEE ABUSE CASES BY IRAQI SECURITY FORCES Classified By: Charge d'Affairs Dan Speckhard for Reasons 1.4 (b) and ( d) ¶1. (S) SUMMARY. There has been a noticeable increase in the number of Iraqi Police (IP) and Iraqi Army (IA) detainee abuse cases reported to Coalition Forces (CF) in Diyala Province since Major General Hulal Husain Shakir, a Shi'a Arab, was appointed commander of the 5th IA Division in July ¶2006. From January through June 2006, less than 50 detainee abuse cases were reported to CF in Diyala; in the July-October period, almost 100 cases have been reported. In the vast majority of the cases, the Shi'a-dominated IA and IP are accused of abusing Sunni detainees. Reports include allegations of beatings, electrocution, stress positions and burns. PRT and MNF-I are pressing the GOI to address the problem, including through the potential replacement of General Shakir. END SUMMARY -------------- -------------- SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF DETAINEE ABUSE -------------- -------------- ¶2. (S) Detainees have reported abuse to CF through Military Training Teams (MTTs) and Police Training Teams (PTTs) working closely with IA and IP units Allegations of detainee abuse in Diyala have risen dramatically following Major General Hulal Husain Shakir's July 2006 appointment as the Fifth IA Division commander. Between July and mid-October 2006, there were approximately 100 cases of detainee abuse reported to or by CF, compared to less than 50 instances of reported abuse between January and June 2006. The abused detainees are almost exclusively Sunni while the IA or IP perpetrators are predominately Shi'a. ¶3. (S) In addition to a significant increase in the number of reported cases, the severity of the reported crimes has increased. Between January and June 2006, the most common reported abuse was beatings, although there were occasional incidents of whippings and prolonged time in stress positions. In the cases reported between July and mid-October, however, prisoners report they have been beaten, whipped, placed in stress positions for longer periods of time, burned, and electrocuted. -------------- SPECIFIC PRISONER STORIES -------------- ¶4. (S) Prisoner abuse cases are documented in individual case files by the CF reporting officer One detainee, a Sunni taken into custody at an Iraqi checkpoint in early July, stated that he was transported from one jail to another facility where he was handcuffed and ankle-cuffed and left in a dark room. An electrical current was then applied to his toes. He claimed he was beaten with wire or electrical cable and hung by his knees. CF has photographs which show signs of abuse consistent with his claims. (Note. Based on the detainee's description, CF believe this detainee was transported to Camp Khamees in Baqubah). ¶5. (S) In mid-August, the MTT attached to the IA's 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Division ( IA 3/1/5) took photos showing bruises, cuts and what looked like cattle prod marks on the backs, limbs and buttocks of 21 detainees. Some marks and bruised areas looked as if they were made with a length of coated wire which had been used as a whip. Other marks appeared to be burns made with a cigar or cigarette. The detainees had originally been held at the IA 3/1/5 detention facility. According to the detainees, they were later moved by a different battalion within the 5th division to an unknown facility for further questioning. The reported abuse occurred at this second facility. When the detainees were returned to the original 3/1/5 detention center, the MTT documented the abuse through sworn statements and photos. ¶6. (S) In July, a detainee reported being routinely abused over a period of 10 days at the IA 5th Division, 4th Brigade headquarters. He was reportedly put in various stress positions on the ground while 2-3 personnel either sat on his back or beat the bottom of his feet with an unknown object. The detainee stated he was burned with an unknown device and beaten across the back, legs and feet. After being beaten he was forced to walk over the interrogation room floor which was covered with water. Photos taken by CF showed burns on both his left arm and left ankle. The detainee also reported that his abusers (who were always masked) took pains to hide him from CF. At the same time that they collected this report, CF documented statements from 14 other detainees who complained that the same IA group abused them as well. BAGHDAD 00004295 002 OF 002 -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (S) PRToffs believe that General Shakir, perhaps in cooperation with Diyala's Shi'a IP Chief Ghassan al-Bawi, has been actively promoting an anti-Sunni policy in the IA and IP. There has been a significant increase in the number of people detained, most of whom are Sunni, due to the early October Operation Quick Reaction conducted by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) in response to increased insurgent activity within Diyala's Sunni communities. General Shakir's arrival, combined with the severity of reported detainee abuse cases and the increased number of Sunni detainees, has exacerbated the already high-level of tension between Diyala's Sunni and Shi'a communities. ¶8. (S) Diyala's MTTs, PTTs, and the Correctional Advisory Team who work closely with Iraqi security forces have continuously tracked these detainee abuse cases and reported the information, including both statements and pictures, through MNF-I channels. In each of these cases, CF personnel have either directly seen some sign of abuse or collect detainee reports which met a minimum standard for consideration. PRToffs meet regularly with Diyala's Shi'a governor, Ra'ad al-Tamimi, and have pressed him to raise these abuse cases with senior GOI officials and to work with the Ministries of Interior and Defense and Diyala's provincial council to replace General Shakir. Post has also raised this issue to MoD's IG office, specifically the IG's human rights lead Eman Naji in separate conversations November. Naji has agreed to open up an investigation on detainee abuse and MG Shakir. MNF-I CG will similarly raise the issue with the Minister of Defense in coming days. Post will provide a readout of that meeting septel. SPECKHARD