NINE IRANIAN DETAINEES RELEASED NOVEMBER 9

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003703 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/11/2017 TAGS: IR IZ PGOV PHUM PREF PREL PTER SUBJECT: NINE IRANIAN DETAINEES RELEASED NOVEMBER 9 REF: A. A) BAGHDAD 00150 ¶B. B) BAGHDAD 03638 Classified By: Pol-Mil Minister-Counselor Marcie B. Ries for reasons 1. 5 b and d ¶1. (SBU) BAGHDAD ) Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) released nine Iranian detainees at approximately 0900 (local) Friday, November 9 to the custody of the Government of Iraq (GOI). Two of the nine were part of the five suspected Qods force members detained January 11 by Coalition Forces in Erbil, AKA "The Erbil Five" (Ref. A). The GOI then turned over the nine to the Iranian Ambassador to Iraq. MNF-I will publish a routine press statement noting the release. ¶2. (U) The detainees released today are: -Adil Wusayn Shamarad Muhammad, -Azzam Hasan Karam Abd, -Habib Muhammad Ghuribani Kurdi, -Ibrahim Mahmud Ahmed AKA al-Kubady al-Ubaydi, -Jafan Allah, -Mohammad Ali Abbas al-Buzuda, -Raed Abdurehman Hussain al-Kobadi, -Hamid Reza Asgari Shukuh, and -Brujerd Chegini. These last two were from the so-called Erbil Five. ¶3. (C) MNF-I provided further information on each of the nine, including the reason for original detention: -Adil Wusayn Shamarad Muhammad; Date Captured: Feb. 20, 2006; Coalition Forces captured Wusayn during a raid to disrupt al-Qaeda operations in Iraq. He was believed to be involved in providing support for Foreign Fighter attacks against Coalition Forces and to have associations with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in al-Tash. -Azzam Hasan Karam Abd; Date Captured: Feb. 20, 2006; Hasan was captured by Coalition Forces during a raid to disrupt al-Qaeda operations in Iraq. Evidence seized at the capture site and Hasan,s statements indicated he had knowledge of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi terrorist operations in al-Tash. -Habib Muhammad Ghuribani Kurdi; Date Captured: not indicated; Muhammad was captured during an intelligence-driven raid aimed at capturing a senior insurgent. He was found at the location of this known insurgent group and he later acknowledged having information about foreign fighters. -Ibrahim Mahmud Ahmed AKA al-Kubady al-Ubaydi; Date Captured: Apr. 8, 2005; Mahmud was captured by Coalition Forces during a raid in Ramadi. -Jafan Allah; Date Captured: not indicated; Allah turned himself in to a border checkpoint and stated that he had information about the activities of Iranian intelligence. -Mohammad Ali Abbas al-Buzuda; Date Captured: May 6, 2007; Iraqi Police arrested him in al-Qadisiyah for illegal entry into Iraq from Iran, based on his possession of an allegedly expired passport. -Raed Abdurehman Hussain al-Kobadi; Date Captured: Nov. 2004; Abdurehman was captured by Coalition Forces in Fallujah while attempting to flee the scene of a mortar attack. -Hamid Reza Asgari Shukuh; Date Captured: Jan. 11, 2007 in Irbil; A suspected associate of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force, Asgari was captured in Erbil. -Brujerd Chegini; Date Captured: Jan. 11, 2007; Chegini was captured in Erbil. He was a suspected associate of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force. ¶4. (C) Prime Minister Maliki had been informed of MNF-I's intention to release these nine (Ref. B) and had directed staff to arrange their subsequent turnover to the Iranian Ambassador. Maliki's Chief of Staff, Dr. Tariq Abdullah, was present at the release. CROCKER