MURDER INVESTIGATION OF BASRAH REO LOCAL EMPLOYEE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 BASRAH 000146

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/NEA, DS/IP/ITA, DS/ICI/PII

E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/11/2016
TAGS: PGOV ASEC IZ
SUBJECT: MURDER INVESTIGATION OF BASRAH REO LOCAL EMPLOYEE

REF: U.S. EMBASSY BAHGDAD SPOT REPORT: 08/26/06

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CLASSIFIED BY: Bryan T. Bachmann, RSO, REO Basrah, Department of
State.
REASON: 1.4 (d)



1. (C) Summary: On August 26, 2006, a local Triple Canopy
contract employee who worked as a translator at Basrah's
Regional Embassy Office (REO) was murdered and her sister
seriously injured as they returned home from work. RSO and ARSO
interviewed the employee's two brothers, one of whom works as a
police officer with the Iraqi Police Service (IPS) and the other
is a KBR contractor. On September 9, 2006, RSO and ARSO met
with Raof Habib Hussyn and Nassr Habib Hussyn, the brothers of
Wassan and Intisar Hussyn. They provided an account of the
crime, the subsequent investigation, and the corruption within
the Basrah Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU). Interview results
indicate the possibility of police involvement in the deadly
attack and reinforce the dangerous work environment for the
REO's local employees. End Summary.

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ATTACK LEFT ONE DEAD, ONE SERIOUSLY INJURED
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2. (SBU) On September 9, Raof Hussyn, a KBR contractor and
brother of the victims, recounted to the RSO his surviving
sister's story of the attack. According to his sister Intisar,
she and her sister Wassan departed the Basrah Palace Compound
from the American gate at approximately 1230 local time. As was
their custom, Wassan and Intisar avoided hiring the first taxi
that approached and continued to walk along the street until
another taxi offered a fare. The taxi was described as an old,
yellow Mazda 4-door sedan. The taxi driver (described as having
a long face with pitted scar markings, green eyes, long thick
curly hair combed to the side, and a clean shaven face) offered
a lower than normal fare which was agreed upon by both sisters.
Upon entering the taxi, the driver rolled down all four windows
of the sedan. Wassan and Intisar complained about the windows
being rolled down because of the wind, but were compelled by the
driver to leave them down.


3. (SBU) While driving through the Al Ashar area, the sisters
both noticed the taxi driver constantly looking at his rearview
mirror. Wassan and Intisar looked behind them and saw a
motorcycle following them. Upon informing the taxi driver of
their suspicions, Wassan noticed an Iraqi Police Checkpoint
nearby and instructed the taxi driver to pull over at the
checkpoint to drop them off. However, the taxi driver deviated
from his original route and went on to another side road before
arriving at the Iraqi Police Checkpoint.


4. (SBU) As the taxi neared the Al Qanina intersection in the
Al Jubila area, the taxi driver stated he was having motor
vehicle problems and began to pull over to the right shoulder of
the road. The taxi driver exited the vehicle and lifted up the
hood to fix the problem. At this point, an olive color, newer
model, Chinese production motorcycle with two occupants pulled
along side the taxi's left rear passenger door. The motorcycle
driver was unidentifiable, but the passenger was described as
having a bald spot on top of his head, with a grey and black
semi-circle of hair on the sides, and wearing a full beard.
Intisar saw the motorcycle passenger pull a pistol from his hip
and point it directly at Wassan who was sitting in the left rear
seat. Intisar threw her arms around Wassan to shield her
sister. The motorcycle passenger fired multiple shots, wounding
Intisar in the upper left arm while mortally striking Wassan in
the upper left chest, lower left hand, and lower right abdomen.
The motorcycle passenger then got off the motorcycle to see if
the passengers were dead. No further shots were fired and both
motorcycle occupants fled the crime scene.


5. (SBU) Wassan and Intisar both survived the initial attack
and screamed for the taxi driver to take them to a hospital.
The taxi driver refused, stating that his vehicle was
inoperable. At this point, day laborers and other pedestrians
began to surround the crime scene. A passing car pulled over
and offered assistance and took both sisters to the Al Rahma
Hospital. Upon arriving at the Al Rahma Hospital the physician
refused to provide medical attention, stating he was "not on
duty" and not available to provide treatment. Wassan and
Intisar were then immediately transported to the "Training
Hospital" but Wassan died en route. Intisar was shot once in
left upper arm and the bullet was removed. She is currently at
home resting, but has developed an infection around the wound.

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A BROTHER'S INVESTIGATION

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6. (C) Nassr Habib Hussyn Al Musawi is the brother of Wassan
and Intisar and an Iraqi police officer in the Car Hijacking
Unit. He began conducting a personal investigation into his
sister's death soon after the attack. Nassr provided a sketch
artist for Intisar to describe the taxi driver and motorcycle
attackers. The sketches were then distributed to Nassr's
personal friends to assist with finding those responsible.
Nassr visited the Al Qanina crime scene and talked with day
laborers who witnessed the attack. The day laborers claimed
that after the attack, and after the sisters were transported to
the hospital, the taxi cab driver lowered his car hood and drove
away from the crime scene.

7. (C) During Nassr's investigation, information was provided
that a passerby witnessed the attack and followed the motorcycle
as it fled away. According to the witness, the motorcycle was
followed to Makateb Street in Al Jumhuriyah. On Makateb Street
the motorcycle darted into a small ally too narrow for a car to
follow. Nassr and personal friends continue to search for the
motorcycle.

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THE POLICE INVESTIGATION
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8. (C) Nassr said that on September 6, 2006, Abu Abdullah, a
municipal civil employee, was murdered in the Ar Rabbat
neighborhood by two individuals on a motorcycle. The Ar Rabbat
police arrested two suspects. The suspects were in possession
of a Glock pistol and AK-47 rifle. Nassr learned from other
officers present at the questioning that the two suspects were
believed have been the same individuals who perpetrated the
attack on his sisters.


9. (C) Nassr said that Lt. Col Radhi and Lt. Col Hassen Khanjer
brought the criminals before Brigadier General Kadhim, the
police chief of Al-Ashar police center. He added that one of
the suspects was identified as Abu Muhamad AKA Muhssen Al-Shiei.
Nassr said that Al-Shiei is the brother of a police major named
Ali Muhssen Al-Shiei. According to Nassr, the police major
reportedly works in the logistics division of the police.


10. (C) Nassr stated that after having been brought in to see
BG Khadim, the two suspects were released from police custody
into the custody of Major Al-Shiei at 0100 on the morning of
September 7, from BG Kadhim's office. The two suspects were not
charged, the crime scene was not processed, and the weapons were
not checked.


11. (C) Nassr Hussyn's investigation yielded the following
results: He has acquired a photograph of the motorcycle driver
in the murder of the municipal employee, identified as POLICE
INVOLVEMENT - POLICE CORRUPTION
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12. (C) Nassr Hussyn described that the Criminal Intelligence
Unit, the unit he feels directly responsible for the attack, as
a platoon that was officially disbanded but, unofficially, still
drives police cars, has credentials, weapons, radios, and even
police resources. Nassr stated that this platoon was
responsible for the majority of killings, attacks, and crime
attributed to the Iraqi police in Basrah. (Note. This has been
echoed by other contacts. End note.) He added that every
police officer had to pay 10,000 Iraqi Dinar per month to
support this unit since its members are no longer on an official
payroll. Nassr cited the CIU's involvement in a mortar
attacks, saying that he once heard a transmission on the police
radio telling police officers to leave the area around the Shatt
al Arab hotel directly before an attack took place. Nassr
emphasized that this unit was for hire by one of three political
groups, Fadillah, Sadr, and Shabban 15, whenever a murder or
attack needed to be completed. (Note: Nassr Hussyn, as a
police officer, expressed grave concern that British funds for
police training were getting into the hands of this rogue unit.
He also shared his frustration that the police units were
uncooperative and self serving. He asserted that his own unit,
the car hijacking unit, had recovered so many stolen autos that
the unit was ordered disbanded by the Ministry of Interior. End
note.)


13. (C) COMMENT. Wissam and Intisar's brothers expressed their
hope that the United States could help find justice for their
sister's killer. The continued threat and intimidation of
locally employed staff has made the work environment
increasingly difficult. The British military has also lost
staff to murder and assassination and is trying to find ways to
redress the issueKalef, who lives behind Sayed Ali Al-Ablah
Mosque as an illegal squatter. Kalef is also reportedly an

BASRAH 00000146 003.2 OF 003


ex-convict of Abu Ghraib prison. Nassr is actively looking for
the taxi driver and car and believes he can find them within a
week. (Note. Nassr expressed disappointment when he found out
that the REO does not have camera coverage or recording at the
REO Front Gate. End note.)

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. Currently, the REO has only one local employed staff and she
is under threat for working with the REO. The fear of being
associated with the REO and put at risk for assassination is
high. The REO's RSO office will follow up on the status of the
murder investigation with the Basrah Chief of Police. REO
Basrah will stress our grave concerns regarding this particular
police investigation and the security and safety of all Basrah
Palace compound employees.
GROSS