JORDANIAN HIGH-VALUE DETAINEE DIES OF NATURAL

S E C R E T BAGHDAD 003257

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/07/2018
TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV IZ JO
SUBJECT: JORDANIAN HIGH-VALUE DETAINEE DIES OF NATURAL
CAUSES IN MNF-I CUSTODY

Classified By: Political Military Minister Counselor Michael C.
Corbin for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (S) SUMMARY. A High-Value Detainee (HVD) died in MNF-I
custody of natural causes October 6 in Iraq. Despite calls
for his compassionate release to live his last days in
freedom with his family in Jordan, the Government of Iraq
(GOI) did not grant his release because of pending criminal
charges. Embassy Baghdad is coordinating with the deceased's
family, MNF-I, and the Jordanian Mission in Baghdad to
repatriate his remains to Jordan. END SUMMARY.


2. (S) A Jordanian High-Value Detainee, Khalil Khadir
Mohammad Al-Salhat (ISN 200018, DIA Black List Number MP 18),
died at the Combat Support Hospital (CSH) at Camp Cropper,
Iraq, October 6 of natural causes. The cause of death has
been determined to be related to advanced stage cancer of the
lower bowel. Notification of death has been made to both the
Governments of Iraq and Jordan, as well as to the Departments
of State and Defense. By regulation, the body must be
transported to Dover, Delaware for autopsy, but upon request
of the detainee's spouse and the Government of Jordan, MNF-I
is attempting to waive the autopsy requirement in order to
transfer the remains as soon as possible to family members in
Amman.


3. (S) According to his case file, Khalil was a liaison for
the Abu Nidal group, Fatah, who traveled to meet with foreign
intelligence services from 1994-2001. He was suspected of
involvement in the murder of the PLO official Abu Lyad;
however, evidence did not support the commission of any crime
falling under the jurisdiction of the Iraqi High Tribunal
(IHT). The IHT had not expressed interest until February
2008, when they issued a warrant for his alledged complicity
in an upcoming IHT trial.


4. (S) After becoming ill with cancer, several appeals were
made for the compassionate release of Khalil by both Embassy
Baghdad and the ICRC. All were refused by the GOI because he
was still under IHT warrant in the Marsh Arab Trial. Appeals
by the Embassy's Regime Crime's Liaison Office to the
President of the IHT to drop the warrant were also unheeded.
As his condition worsened, Khalil was transported to the Camp
Cropper CSH, where he died at 12:04 Baghdad time October 6.
His Iraqi wife and children were with him at the CSH when he
died, and his wife has requested that his remains be
transported to Amman to be received by his Jordanian mother
and siblings and be buried in Jordan. The Jordanian Mission
in Baghdad has concurred with her request and has offered
their assistance.
CROCKER