Cablegate: Welfare and Whereabouts Visit to Amcit Detainee
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS BAGHDAD 004450
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
CA/OCS/ACS/NESA, NEA/I, CT
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC PTER PHUM MOPS IZ
SUBJECT: WELFARE AND WHEREABOUTS VISIT TO AMCIT DETAINEE
SHAWKI OMAR
REF: A. THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE ALBEIT UNCLASSIFIED
B. AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) In coordination with the Consular Section
and CA/OCS, Pol-MilOff met on October 27th with
detained American citizen Shawki Omar (aka "al-
Ameriki") at the Baghdad Central Correctional Facility
at Abu Ghraib. Mr. Omar, who had requested the visit,
was in good health. Pol-MilOff passed a list of Iraqi
lawyers, as he is likely to face criminal charges in
Iraqi court. MNF-I will facilitate access to counsel
when and if Mr. Omar is charged.
2. (SBU) Mr. Omar signed a privacy waiver authorizing
the Department to release information regarding his
situation to members of his family, congress, the
press, and the general public; this authorization has
been passed to the Consul General at Post. He had no
messages to pass at the time of interview.
3. (SBU) Mr. Omar had no complaints about his current
treatment; he did, however allege unspecified abuse at
the point of capture and during initial interrogation
by MNF-I and the FBI. Pol-MilOff passed this fact to
MNF-I, which has previously investigated the same
allegations and concluded that they are unfounded.
4. (SBU) NOTE: American security internees in Iraq
are not, in MNF-I's understanding, subject to consular
visitation, as all are held by US forces. However MNF-
I has offered Post assistance in making welfare-and-
whereabouts visits to American citizens, and we will
continue to do so whenever possible. END NOTE.
Satterfield