SWEDISH CONSULAR REQUEST ON DEATH OF MOHAMMED

C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000703 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2018 TAGS: PREL PTER CASC IQ SW SUBJECT: SWEDISH CONSULAR REQUEST ON DEATH OF MOHAMMED MOUMOU Classified By: DCM ROBERT SILVERMAN FOR REASONS 1.4 (B AND D) ¶1. (C) On October 16, Swedish MFA State Secretary Frank Belfrage asked DCM about the killing by U.S. troops of Mohammed Moumou, a Moroccan-born Swedish national who was second-in-command in Al-Qaeda in Iraq. DCM drew on the MNF-I press release of October 15 to describe the circumstances surrounding his death. Belfrage stressed that Sweden's interest in raising the case was solely as a consular issue. In that context, he asked for three things: the transport of his remains and belongings (DCM explained this is unlikely given Muslim burial practices); a death certificate; and a writen report of the event. ¶2. (C) Comment: We would appreciate some information from MNF-I to pass to the Swedes on the disposition of Moumou. We believe the Swedish request is grounded in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations though Belfrage did not invoke it. WOOD