BABIL POLICE INTELLIGENCE HIT SQUADS: AN IRANIAN HAND?

S E C R E T HILLAH 000083 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 9/24/2028 TAGS: PINR PINS IZ IR SUBJECT: BABIL POLICE INTELLIGENCE HIT SQUADS: AN IRANIAN HAND? REF: CORRECTED COPY OF BABIL 00082 CLASSIFIED BY: Kenneth M. hillas, PRT Leader, Babil PRT, Dept of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) This message is a corrected copy of Babil 00082 ¶1. (S) Babil Department of the Iraqi National Intelligence Service (INIS) and the Babil SWAT (Anti-Terrorist National Police) personnel are being surveiled for targetting and elimination by a secret Police Intelligence unit supervised by Col. Majid Wawe'e Al Kafaji (aka Abu Ahmed Al-Shabani), according to a INIS memo dated September 21. 2008 provided to the PRT. ¶2. (S) This "secret unit" is led by LTC Loa'uy, formerly with the Babil, and now Najaf, Police Intelligence Department. It consists of 15 persons recruited from the Babil and Najaf Police Intelligence Departments, all of whom are reportedly "trained in weapons, assassination, physical elimination and the manufacturing of IEDs.' The memo asserts that Babil Intelligence and SWAT (Scorpion) personnel are being targetted because these agencies are not penetrated/influenced by Iranian Intelligence. The INIS report says the unit is supervised by Najaf Deputy Governor Abd al-Hassan Abtan, who is accused of being a "member of Iranian Intelligence," with the assistance of Col Majid Wawe'e al Khafaji, (aka Abu Ahmed Al-Shaybani),Chief of the Babil Police Intelligence Department. ¶3. (S) A copy of the memo, which has vehicle identifications has been provided to SISMO and RSO. ¶4. (S) Comment: The existence of a Police Intelligence surveillance team has been known to the REO/PRT for several months. Given the close ties that INIS and SWAT have with the CF/U.S., it is not surprising that Col Majid would be having surveillance conducted against them. Col. Majid is widely known in Babil to have close ties to Iranian Intelligence, and it is certainly plausible that the purpose of such surveillance is to target INIS and SWAT members for possible assassination. It also cannot be excluded that in sharing this information Gen. Abbas is seeking to prompt the USG into taking some action against Col. Majid and/or others. HILLAS