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

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SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF DETAINEE
ABUSE
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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.

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SPECIFIC PRISONER STORIES
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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



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COMMENT
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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