Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BAGHDAD536
2009-03-02 11:54:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:  

MOD HOSTS INAUGURAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE

Tags:  PGOV PHUM IZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 021154Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1940
INFO IRAQ COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000536 


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: MOD HOSTS INAUGURAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Steve Walker for reasons
1.4(b) and (d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 000536


E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM IZ
SUBJECT: MOD HOSTS INAUGURAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE

Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Steve Walker for reasons
1.4(b) and (d).


1. (U) Summary: The Ministry of Defense's (MOD) first-ever
conference on human rights on February 10 highlighted the
actions the Ministry has undertaken to promote respect for
human rights, including: education and training programs for
soldiers; establishment of internal procedures to handle
complaints and allegations of human rights abuses within the
Ministry; and regular visits to MOD detention centers to
ensure the humane treatment of detainees. In addition, MOD
officials stressed the importance of having a civilian
minister of defense in control of the nation's armed forces
and emphasized the importance accorded to human rights by the
military establishment and its code of conduct. In a
follow-up meeting on February 23, the Ministry's Director of
Human Rights expressed frustration with the low attendance at
the conference but was hopeful that the MOD was moving in the
right direction. End Summary.


2. (C) The Ministry of Defense's (MOD) inaugural human
rights conference was held at MOD headquarters in Baghdad on
February 10. Approximately 75 people attended the event,
including Iraqi Army (IA) personnel, MOD employees,
representatives from the British Embassy, the United Nations
Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI),Multi National Security
Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I) and PolOffs. The
conference was intended both to draw local and international
attention to the Ministry's accomplishments in the field of
human rights and to convey to IA commanders the importance
the Ministry places on the subject. However, in a subsequent
meeting on February 23, Iman Naji, head of the MOD's Human
Rights Directorate lamented the low turnout and the absence
of the Minister of Defense, who was originally slated to
speak at the event and backed out at the last minute. Noting
that this was "indicative" of many MOD employees' views
towards human rights, she nevertheless remains optimistic
that the Ministry is paying more attention to the subject and
that awareness of the importance of human rights is
increasing, if slowly.


3. (U) At the conference, Naji discussed various steps
taken by the Ministry to ensure adherence to accepted
international human rights standards. She noted her
Directorate's focus on education and training to instill

respect for human rights in soldiers and other Ministry
employees. She predicted that as more soldiers adopt these
values and visibly demonstrate greater sensitivity to human
rights issues, the reputation of the IA as being respectful
of Iraqi citizens, rights will improve. In addition, the
MOD has established a hotline whereby complaints can be
lodged and investigated. To date, 436 allegations have been
received and are being looked into by the Ministry.


4. (C) Naji also discussed the role played by the Ministry
in ensuring that all MOD detainees be treated humanely and in
a manner consistent with applicable international human
rights laws. The Ministry ensures that such detainees
receive sufficient food, clean and sanitary accommodations,
and regular access to family members and facilitates their
release if and when it receives proper release orders.
(Note: In a follow-up meeting on February 23, Naji told
PolOff that in some MOD facilities, close to 50% of the
detainees have received properly executed release orders yet
remain in MOD custody. "Only an order from Prime Minister
Maliki would force the commanders to release them," she
stated. End note.) In closing, Naji touched on the
importance of cooperation by and among the MOD and the other
Qimportance of cooperation by and among the MOD and the other
GOI agencies and institutions working in the field of human
rights, among them the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR),the
Council of Representatives, Committee on Human rights and
the High Judicial Council. In her estimation, this group has
worked well together for the past four years, and Naji was
hopeful that such interagency collaboration would continue in
the future.


5. (U) Following this speech, the head of the Directorate's
complaints and hotline department elaborated on the role of
human rights within a properly functioning democracy. He
noted four distinct elements that are central to the
promotion of human rights in Iraq: the Constitution, which
memorializes the country's separation of powers and contains
various human rights guarantees for Iraqi citizens; state
institutions such as the parliament, the Presidency Council,
and the MoHR, which operate independent of one another;
freedom of the press, which plays a key role in exposing
human rights violations; and the MOD, which is under civilian
control and constitutionally prohibited from having any role
in a transfer of power from one government to the next. In
addition, the director noted that a soldier may disobey a
superior if ordered to commit an act contrary to the law
(e.g., to kill a prisoner). In such a case, the offense
would be reported to the Ministry for a full investigation
into the incident, and if the commanding officer was found to
be at fault, he/she would be prosecuted.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) In a surprising display of candor, MOD officials at
the conference criticized the lack of attention paid to human
rights within the Ministry and its organs. It is not often
that we hear public self-criticism from MOD officials;
conference attendees even discussed, in a negative light, the
role played by the IA in the various coups d,tat which have
marked almost every transfer of power in Iraq for the past
century. Nor do we often see Ministry officials discussing
the importance of maintaining civilian control over the
military establishment. Yet regardless of the lip-service
paid to human rights in public, Ministry officials tell a
different story in private. The MOD's Director of Human
Rights complained of ambivalence, disinterest and outright
hostility by IA officials and others toward her Directorate.
Additionally, despite constant engagement by USG officials
and international organizations, hundreds of individuals with
valid release orders remain in MOI custody at various
detention facilities. While the conference was definitely a
step in the right direction, the Ministry has a long way to
go before it can be viewed as a defender of human rights.


BUTENIS