MOHR CAUTIONS GOI WILL MOVE SLOWLY ON MEK AND

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 002914 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2018 TAGS: PHUM KJUS PREL PTER IZ SUBJECT: MOHR CAUTIONS GOI WILL MOVE SLOWLY ON MEK AND GITMO DETAINEES REF: A. BAGHDAD 2773 ¶B. BAGHDAD 2348 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Patricia A. Butenis for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (S) SUMMARY: Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim recognizes the need for the GOI to formulate a comprehensive plan for the transfer of security authority for Camp Ashraf and the post-transfer stage, but said the GOI has not yet reached consensus on modalities for the transfer and how the camp will be operated once the GOI takes over. She expressed interest in having a Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) team visit Iraqi detainees at Guantanamo Bay, but predicted lack of interest in the GOI would stall efforts to repatriate them. Minister Wijdan noted that her ministry has recently been receiving better GOI interagency cooperation, an improvement she accounted partly to the passage of time since her critical report on detention facilities was published and partly to the emphasis DPM Barham Saleh has placed on improving detention facilities. END SUMMARY. -------------- GOI PLANS FOR MEK -------------- ¶2. (S) The DCM met with Minister of Human Rights Wijdan Salim at her residence on September 7. Regarding plans to transfer security authority for the Mujahedin e-Khalq (MEK) from the GOI to the USG, Minister Wijdan said the GOI has not reached a consensus on the plans for the transfer or the period after the transfer. She said the Prime Minister has not yet offered guidance or ordered the relevant ministries to meet. She said that the GOI needs to formulate a comprehensive plan for how to run Camp Ashraf, including how to handle any new refugees, once the USG transfers security authority of the MEK. She emphasized that the GOI cannot just plan for security of the outside of the camp but must think about how to run and control the camp. ¶3. (S) Minister Wijdan is prepared to visit Ashraf for a second time once the necessary actors have met (Ministries of Interior, Defense, Foreign Affairs, and Human Rights) and agreed on a concrete strategy. (Note: The Minister visited Camp Ashraf on August 18, ref A). She said a trip would not be useful without specific plans to discuss, and she added that she asked the PM for permission to release the GOI's assurances to the public but has not yet received confirmation. -------------- IRAQI GITMO DETAINEES -------------- ¶4. (S) The DCM informed Minister Wijdan that the USG wants to repatriate four Iraqi detainees at Guantanamo to Iraq and will present a formal dip note to the GOI for its consideration. The Minister said that her ministry is interested in visiting the Iraqi detainees at Guantanamo Bay. If this is not possible, she hoped at least the Iraqi Embassy in Washington would be able to visit. On the issue of repatriation, the Ministry of Justice is currently heading a committee that is working to bring back Iraqi detainees in Greece and said they may be able to expand their focus. However, she predicted that the GOI will not accept repatriation of the Guantanamo detainees due to a lack of interest in repatriating the Iraqi detainees. (Note: In early 2008, Post approached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) about returning one Iraqi Guantanamo detainee, but there was no action by the GOI to provide the security and humanitarian assurances necessary to transfer the detainee. End Note.) -------------- GOI AND HUMAN RIGHTS -------------- ¶5. (C) Minister Wijdan said she has been receiving better cooperation on human rights from other government officials since her last meeting with the Ambassador in July (ref B). She attributed the previous hostility to her ministry's desire to publish its 2007 annual report on prisons and detention facilities. The other ministers were unhappy about being criticized for the conditions of the facilities and the prevalence of abuse and torture, especially in Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense facilities. However, now that some time has passed, those two ministers are now cooperating and have agreed to take a more active approach in investigating allegations in their facilities. (Note: This increased willingness to investigate allegations of abuse and other issues may be partly due to the recent emphasis that BAGHDAD 00002914 002 OF 002 DPM Barham Saleh has placed on improving the state of detention facilities in Iraq. End Note.) The Minister added that the Minister of Interior asked her to join his new political party with the Minister of Defense but she said would remain independent, however, as this gave her more freedom in her work. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (S) Post will raise with the Prime Minister,s office the importance of long-term planning for the post-transfer stage once the GOI has security authority for MEK at Camp Ashraf. We will stress that there should be meetings between all the relevant GOI ministries on how the camp will be run, especially on the issue of refugees, once the Iraqi Army takes control of security. Post will continue efforts to catalyze MFA action in the transfer of the Iraqi Guantanamo detainees. CROCKER