CHALABI AIDE DISCUSSES DETAINEES, VIEWS ON GOI

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 001526 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2017 TAGS: PGOV PINS PINR IZ SUBJECT: CHALABI AIDE DISCUSSES DETAINEES, VIEWS ON GOI Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Charles Blaha for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: An aide to Ahmad Chalabi, chairman of popular mobilization for the Baghdad Security Plan (BSP),told PRToff May 7 that Chalabi has received permission from the Ministry of Defense (MOD) to place four lawyers each in three MOD detention facilities in the greater Baghdad area. He also said that Chalabi,s office has heard that Prime Minister Maliki has fallen out of favor with Iran and that Iran would like Deputy Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mehdi (SCIRI) to replace him. End summary. Chalabi to Post Lawyers in Three Baghdad Detention Facilities -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) An aide to Ahmad Chalabi, chairman of popular mobilization for the Baghdad Security Plan (BSP),told PRToff May 7 that Chalabi has received permission from the Minister of Defense to post four lawyers each in three MOD detention facilities in the greater Baghdad area. The aide, Wameed Al-Mekhlibe, said the lawyers will start working next week at the Rostumiya facility in Mada,in, the Adala facility in Kadhimiya, and a third facility in Mahmoudiya. Al-Mekhlibe added that Chalabi,s staff has received complaints that MOD staff at these facilities are committing human rights abuses and holding detainees for ransom. ¶3. (C) Al-Mekhlibe said Chalabi is trying to secure permission to post lawyers in Ministry of Interior (MOI) detention facilities but that the MOI is not cooperating. ¶4. (C) Comment: The Minister of Human Rights has expressed her displeasure to Embassy PolOff concerning Chalabi,s BSP popular mobilization strand prison inspections, which she views as political grandstanding. However, in her last meeting with PolOff on April 24, she said that there would soon be a new committee to address detentions center overcrowding, and this effort would include MoHR, MoJ, the Higher Juridical Council -- and Chalabi would be included, while MoI would be consulted. Chalabi,s scheme for posting lawyers in MoD detention facilities could be a legitimate part of this effort; however, Embassy will ask our rule of law and and MoD experts to verify. Aide Claims Iraqi Commandos Executed Sunnis in Amel -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Al-Mekhlibe said Chalabi,s office has received &credible8 reports that Iraqi commandos from the Wolf Brigade executed eight Sunni civilians after a raid in the Amel neighborhood of the Rashid district May 4. He said that the commandos falsified an order to carry out a raid in the area and entered the neighborhood with American forces, who apparently believed the order was legitimate. Al-Mekhlibe said Kurdish Army units operating in the area believed the order to be legitimate due to the presence of U.S. forces. He said the joint force arrested 12 Iraqis and the U.S. soldiers left the area with the 12 in the commandos' custody. He said the commandos took the 12 to a mosque; shortly thereafter, gunshots were heard. Neighbors later found eight of the 12 dead in the mosque. The other four were nowhere to be found. Chalabi Aide Discusses GOI Leaders -------------- ¶6. (C) Al-Mekhlibe claimed Chalabi,s staff has heard that Prime Minister Maliki has lost favor with Iran and that Iran may try to force Maliki to step down and allow SCIRI Deputy Prime Minister Adel Abdel Mehdi to become Prime Minister. Al-Mekhlibe said Iran,s preference for Abdel Mehdi has caused a rift between the Prime Minister and his deputy. ¶7. (C) When asked what he thinks about the GOI lifting parliamentary immunity for Tawafuq member Adnan Al-Dulaymi, Al-Mekhlibe said he welcomed the development because Al-Dulaymi &has links to Sunni insurgents.8 Al-Mekhlibe said Chalabi,s office has received complaints that Al-Dulaymi,s guards have carried out dozens of kidnappings and killings in the Adel neighborhood. ¶8. (C) Al-Mekhlibe said he expects that the GOI will eventually lift parliamentary immunity for another Tawafuq member, Mohammad Al-Dayani. He said Al-Dayani is believed to have links to Al-Qaeda in Iraq. SPECKHARD