URGING RUSSIA TO LIFT HOLDS IN THE UN 1518

UNCLAS STATE 083244 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN KTFN PREL PTER UNSC SUBJECT: URGING RUSSIA TO LIFT HOLDS IN THE UN 1518 COMMITTEE ON 6 FORMER REGIME ELEMENTS LINKED TO SADDAM HUSSEIN REF: 2007 STATE 138972 ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see para 4. -------------- BACKGROUND -------------- ¶2. (SBU) On October 22, 2007, pursuant to UNSCR 1483, we proposed for listing by the UN 1518 Committee 6 former regime elements (FRE) linked to Saddam Hussein. All 6 individuals (see para 3 for additional details) are well known, 5 of the 6 were known to be residing in Syria, and the Central Criminal Court of Iraq has issued arrest warrants for 3 of these individuals. Russia placed a hold on the listing request, which was co-sponsored by the Government of Iraq (and the UK). We have been told repeatedly by Russian officials that their hold was purely "technical." As the criteria for listing under 1483 is very straight-forward and these six individuals are very well known, we do not know why Russia maintains its hold on our listing request unless: 1) Russia does not wish to support the continued use of the UNSC 1518 sanctions regime (Note: The Russian Mission to the UN had previously raised the possibility of winding-down the UN 1518 sanctions committee); or, 2) Russia placed the hold based on political sensitivity to the connection of several of these individuals to Syria. ¶3. (SBU) The following individuals were proposed for listing by the UN 1518 Committee: (1) HASAN HASHIM KHALAF AL DULAYMI AKA: WISSAM, Abu DOB: 1942 POB: Baghdad, Iraq Nationality: Iraqi Address: 30th Street, Al-Yarmuk Area of Jadat Al-Jaysh District of Damascus, Syria Alternate Address: House #43, Lane #17, Subdivision #808, Al-Dawrah, Baghdad, Iraq (2) AHMED WATBAN IBRAHIM HASAN AL-TIKRITI AKA: AL-TIKRITI, Ahmad Watban Ibrahim Hasan AKA: MUHAWDAR, 'Imad 'Udi DOB: 1975 ALT DOB: 1979 POB: Baghdad, Iraq Nationality: Iraqi Address: Al-Ra'is building, Mina Street, Tartus City, Tartus Province, Syria Address: Jirmanah neighborhood, Damascus, Syria Address: Al-Hadda Hotel, Sana'a, Yemen (3) AHMAD MUHAMMAD YUNIS AL-AHMAD AKA: AL-BADANI, Ahmad Muhammad Mahmud 'Abdallah AKA: AL-BARRANI, Ahmad Muhammad Al-Abdullah Nationality: Iraqi DOB: September 19, 1978 POB: Al-Anbar, Iraq Passport number: 347417, expiration February 19, 2011 Passport number: H0347417, expiration February 19, 2011 Date of Issue: February 20, 2003 Place of Issue: Al-Anbar, Iraq Address: Al-Mazzah Al-Jabal District, 6 Subdistrict, 3 area, Al-Iskan complex 40/2, Fifth floor Damascus, Syria (4) SA'AD MUHAMMAD YUNIS AL-AHMAD DOB: Jan 1, 1981 POB: Baghdad Nationality: Iraqi Iraq National ID: 159014 Address: Damascus, Syria (5) THABET AL-DURI DOB: 1943 or 1944 POB: Dur, Iraq Address: Karkh District, Baghdad, Iraq Address: Rukan al-Din, Syria (6) HATEM HAMDAN AL-AZAWI DOB: circa 1937 Address: Diyali, Al-Khalis Sector, Iraq Address: Deli Abbas, Iraq END LIST -------------- ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Embassy Moscow and USUN are requested to approach Russian counterparts at the appropriate level to inquire why the GOR maintains its holds on our October 2007 listing request to the UN 1518 Committee. Action addressees should underscore that the criteria for listing under UNSCR 1483 are very clear-cut and these 6 individuals clearly meet the criteria. Action addressees should make clear that if Russia continues to maintain its holds, we would like to know the reason and should inquire whether it is related to sensitivity over Syria links, or whether the GOR does not support continued use of the 1518 regime to sanction former regime elements linked to Saddam Hussein. -------------- REPORTING DEADLINE -------------- ¶4. (U) Action addressees should report substantive responses to this demarche by August 9, 2008. -------------- POINT OF CONTACT -------------- ¶5. (U) Questions may be directed to IO/PSC (Erin Crowe, 202-736-7847). RICE