ATTACKS STRIKE LOCAL ANBAR COUNTERRORISM UNIT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 000094 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/13/2020 TAGS: PTER PGOV ASEC PREL EAID KJUS KCRM KDEM IZ SUBJECT: ATTACKS STRIKE LOCAL ANBAR COUNTERRORISM UNIT Classified By: OPA Director Greta Holtz for reasons 1.4 (b,d) ¶1. (U) This is a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) Anbar (Ramadi) reporting cable. ¶2. (S) SUMMARY AND COMMENT: On January 7, a series of coordinated IED attacks targeted key members of the Counterterrorism Unit (CTU),Iraqi Police (IP),and judicial system in the central Anbar province city of Hit, resulting in five killed and ten wounded. These attacks appear to be an attempt by the Jaish Rijal al Tariq Naqshabandi (JATN),a militant Baathist organization, to retaliate against the Hit CTU for its apparently effective security operations against the organization. The attacks were unsuccessful, in that no key members of ISF leadership were killed, and that there was no breakdown in ISF leadership during the emergency. The Hit IP responded quickly and competently. END SUMMARY AND COMMENT. BAATHISTS HIT BACK AT SUCCESSFUL CTU COMMANDER ============================================= = ¶3. (S) On the morning of January 7, the central Anbar city of Hit was rocked by four large blasts. The attack consisted of IEDs set at the residences of LTC Waleed Sulemain (the Anbar province's CTU Commander)and his father, as well as those of IP officer LT Madeen Hardan, and former JRTN defense attorney Hamodi Abdul Whab. After the blasts, Hit Deputy Police Chief LTC Rahim rushed to the scene of the blast at LTC Waleed's house. ¶4. (S) In addition to the four IEDs, two more IEDs were reportedly placed on the two roads leading from LTC Waleed's house to the hospital, indicating that those devices were intended for first responders. As LTC Rahim traveled from LTC Waleed's house to the Hit Hospital with casualties, one of the IEDs was detonated on LTC Rahim's security vehicle, wounding him. The second IED, also located at a key intersection near Waleed's house, was discovered by the Iraqi Army (IA) before going off. (COMMENT. The four devices at the houses were apparently placed within close proximity to the bedrooms, indicating an advanced level of intelligence collection on each of the four targets. The blasts resulted in significant structural damage and structural failures to each of the homes. END COMMENT) ¶5. (S) A lawyer in Hit named Homodi Abdul Whab was also targeted. An IED was placed at his residence and detonated at the same time. Mr. Homodi was a former JRTN defense lawyer and had recently decided not to represent members of the JRTN in court. Reporting from Al Asad ePRT staff in Hit indicated that the JRTN circulated, via word of mouth, allegations of corruption against LTC Waleed and Mr. Homodi in an attempt to legitimize the attacks. JRTN has claimed that the men were engaged in an extortion scheme, squeezing detainees and their families for money in return for their defense and subsequent release. JRTN PUTTING PRESSURE ON ISF TO RELEASE DETAINEES ============================================= ==== ¶6. (S) This attack appears to be part of a series of attacks that started on December 2, when the Hit IP discovered a box containing explosives placed outside of LTC Waleed's house. Three days later, a local Iraqi observed a man placing an IED in front of LTC Rahim's house. The individual responsible for the attempted attack on LTC Rahim, one Yaser Abd Al Madeka, was captured. ¶7. (S) On December 29, an IED struck a Hit CTU clerk's silver Chevrolet Trailblazer as he was driving home from work. The clerk escaped unharmed. It is believed that this was a case of mistaken identity and that the IED was intended for LTC Waleed's brother, who drives a similar vehicle. LTC Waleed QWaleed's brother, who drives a similar vehicle. LTC Waleed has since been actively pursuing the execution of the warrants for those suspected of being involved in the attack. It is likely that these individuals are part of JRTN in Hit and connected to the attacks on January 7. COMMENT: JRTN ATTACKS FAIL WHILE CTU IS GETTING RESULTS ============================================= ========== ¶8. (S) The violent extremist group known as the JTRN is most likely responsible for the coordinated attacks in Hit on January 7. The detailed level of coordination and information on each of the target locations may also be an indicator of collaboration between members of the JRTN and the Hit IP. These attacks appear to be retaliation against LTC Waleed for his campaign against the JRTN in Hit. ¶9. (SBU) Although the attacks resulted in the significant loss of life and injury, including the killing of four of LTC Waleed's family members, there was no loss of life to any of BAGHDAD 00000094 002 OF 002 the key ISF leadership in Hit, and there appears to have been no loss of command and control of police forces, as emergency and police personnel responded quickly to the event and promptly enforced a city-wide curfew. HILL