REFUGEE ADMISSIONS REFERRAL: Ehab Refat Ahmed Al Kuttub

UNCLAS CAIRO 000935 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE DEPT FOR PRM/A LIZ HARRIS; DHS FOR BCIS HEADQUARTERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PHUM EG IZ SUBJECT: REFUGEE ADMISSIONS REFERRAL: Ehab Refat Ahmed Al Kuttub REF: State 326248 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY ¶1. (SBU) Embassy Cairo would like to refer the following Iraqi with strong ties to the USG to the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP): Principal Applicant (PA): Name: Ehab Refat Ahmed Al Kuttub (a.k.a. Ehab Refat Mohamed Ahmed Al Kuttab) DOB: Aug. 02, 1975 POB: Karkok, Iraq Gender: Male Marital Status: Single Religion: Moslem/Sunni Passport Number: He entered Egypt on a fraudulent Swedish passport, #45154515, using the name: Sirwan Kaki, PDOB: Baghdad, 01 March, ¶1970. Dependents: None ¶2. (SBU) Description of persecution claim, as reported by Ehab: Ehab Al Kuttub has worked for the US government or for USG-funded organizations since August 2003. He worked first as the head of the Procurement Unit at USAID, a position he held for almost two years. During this period, as his association with the USG became better know, Ehab said he was insulted by his neighbors and accused of being a spy for the Americans. Ehab said he was also verbally threatened and was once attacked by the local police. Ehab said that he was increasingly afraid for his own life, especially since it well known that he worked for the US, both within his own neighborhood and in the areas around the Green Zone, because his procurement work required him to interact with local shop keepers and vendors. ¶3. (SBU) Ehab quit his job at USAID after one of his colleagues was shot to death because of his employment with USAID. He then worked for approximately one month with Babylon Gates, a USG contractor in the Green Zone. However Ehab become increasingly fearful because of his high visibility moving in and out of the Green Zone, and asked for a different job outside of the Green Zone. Around July 2006, he began working at the International Relief Development (IRD), another contractor to USAID. He worked there for almost four months until he received a threatening letter, attached to his house door. The letter accused him of being a spy for the Americans, saying he was "working for the masters." It called him a traitor and said he was a spy targeting the Shia people. Ehab believes that the letter came from the El Mahadi militias; Because of this letter, Ehab and his family feared that he would be abducted or killed. He contacted relatives in Sweden to ask for their help. They introduced him to a smuggler in Iraq who provided him with travel documents and helped him leave the country. ¶4. (SBU) In October 2006, Ehab fled Iraq using a fraudulent Iraqi passport. He went first to India via Dubai. He spent in India 10 days and then traveled to Syria where he stayed for one month. He got a fraudulent Swedish passport with the help of a smuggler and arrived in Egypt on Jan. 22, 2007. ¶5. (SBU) Justification for resettlement: Ehab is known to USAID, where he worked for approximately two years, and was an employee in good standing. Refcoord met with Ehab and believes that he has a genuine fear of persecution because of his work with the US government. He showed Refcoord a copy of an "On the Spot Cash Awards Program" letter from his supervisor at USAID. It was signed by Fernando Cossich, S/EXO, and dated 3/27/05, nominating him for an award because of his excellent service. ¶6. (SBU) Note: Ehab may have a possible serious medical condition that could require urgent treatment. We are encouraging him to seek medical care in Egypt as quickly as possible. RICCIARDONE