U.S. FORCES DETAINEE UPDATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 003256 SIPDIS NSC FOR MPHEE, PVROOMAN; STATE FOR MCORBIN, PDELLY E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2019 TAGS: MOPS PHUM PINS PTER CASC IZ XF SUBJECT: U.S. FORCES DETAINEE UPDATE REF: BAGHDAD 3142 Classified By: Ambassador Cameron P. Munter for reasons 1.4 (b&d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. At the Joint Subcommittee on Detainee Affairs (JSC-DA) meeting held Saturday, December 12, TF-134 commander BG Dave Quantock stated there are 6,358 detainees currently in U.S. custody. Since January 2009, the U.S. has released 7,570 detainees and transferred 1,481 detainees to the GOI, pursuant to the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement. BG Quantock asked the GOI and the committee to focus on the remaining detainees without warrants. BG Quantock stated that the U.S. should have arrest warrants, detention orders or convictions on all detainees in U.S. custody by February ¶2010. The JSC also focused on the timing of the transfers of Taji and Cropper Theater Internment Facilities (TIFs) after the elections and updated the JSC members on progress of the Blue Cell detainee review process. END SUMMARY -------------- Warrants Still An Issue -------------- ¶2. (C) Of the detainees in U.S. custody, 3,700 detainees are transfer eligible, meaning the U.S. has a detention order, arrest warrant or conviction paperwork on the detainee. Therefore, approximately 2,700 of the detainees are release eligible, meaning the U.S. does not have an arrest warrant, etc. In the next few days, the GOI will provide about 500 arrest warrants, which will bring the release eligible list to about 2,200. Further reducing this number is the fact that approximately 600 cases are being brought before the Iraqi investigative judge and there are about 150 warrants that are coming up from the provinces. BG Quantock asked the committee to therefore focus on the remaining 1,500 release-eligible detainees to get arrest warrants or detention orders. Due to the progress being made on the warrant return rate, the U.S. will lower the number of detainees being released each month to 300 for both the months of December and January. BG Quantock stated that the U.S. should have arrest warrants, detention orders or convictions on all detainees in U.S. custody by February ¶2010. Consequently, BG Quantock envisions there will be no need to release any detainees after this date. -------------- Taji/Cropper Facility Transfers -------------- ¶3. (C) The Minister of Justice has requested the U.S. delay the transfer of the Taji TIF until after the elections. The U.S. intends to honor this request and will turn over the facility in March, with a full contingent of transfer-eligible detainees. BG Quantock warned the GOI that the transfer date of the Cropper TIF cannot be delayed. It will be transferred to the GOI, with all remaining transfer-eligible detainees by September 1, 2010. At that time, if there are any detainees that are not transfer eligible, they will be released. -------------- Blue Cell Update -------------- ¶4. (C) BG Raheem, chief of the Iraqi Detainee Review Committee (IDRC),noted that IDRC,s work is progressing well. TF-134's Legal and Blue Cell Chief, Kenneth O'Rourke, provided an update on his team,s efforts to review evidence packets on detainees already transferred to the GOI. 1,481 detainees have already been transferred to the GOI and the Central Criminal Court of Iraq (CCC-I) has nearly 900 cases in the judicial process, some already convicted. Of the remaining 600, the Blue Cell has prepared additional evidence packets on 400 cases and is prepared to turnover these packets to the Iraqi side. One Iraqi committee member asked Qpackets to the Iraqi side. One Iraqi committee member asked about forensic evidence databases. O,Rourke responded that all available evidence is turned over the GOI when a detainee is transferred. HILL