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Viewing cable 08BAGHDAD623, PRT KIRKUK: MAJOR CRIMES COURT RESUMES TRYING

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08BAGHDAD623 2008-03-03 09:48 2011-08-24 16:30 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy Baghdad
VZCZCXYZ0384
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #0623/01 0630948
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030948Z MAR 08
FM SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC
TO RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6016
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS BAGHDAD 000623 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM SOCI IZ
SUBJECT: PRT KIRKUK: MAJOR CRIMES COURT RESUMES TRYING 
TERRORIST AND OTHER FELONY CASES 
 
1.  (U) THIS IS A PRT KIRKUK REPORTING CABLE. 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
2.  (U) THE KIRKUK MAJOR CRIMES COURT (MCC) RESUMED 
OPERATIONS FEBRUARY 28 HEARING A SECOND DOCKET OF 42 CASES. 
CREATED IN OCTOBER 2007, THE MCC HAS TRIED 26 CASES AND 
CLEARED A TWO-YEAR BACKLOG OF MAJOR CRIMES CASES, INCLUDING 
TERRORIST RELATED CASES.  PREVIOUSLY, CASES WERE TRIED BY A 
GROUP OF THREE TRAVELING JUDGES OUT OF THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL 
COURT OF IRAQ (CCC-I) IN BAGHDAD.  FOR THE SECOND SESSION, 
THE KIRKUK MCC IS FULLY STAFFED BY THREE LOCAL JUDGES, ONE 
PROSECUTOR, AND ONE PUBLIC DEFENDER.  END SUMMARY. 
 
MCC RESUMES OPERATIONS 
---------------------- 
 
3.  (U) ON FEBRUARY 28, THE KIRKUK MAJOR CRIMES COURT (MCC) 
RESUMED ITS PROCEEDINGS WITH A DOCKET OF 42 CASES INVOLVING 
54 DEFENDANTS.  UNLIKE ITS FIRST SESSION WHICH BEGAN IN 
OCTOBER 2007, THIS SECOND SESSION WILL BE TRIED EXCLUSIVELY 
BY LOCAL JUDGES.  ON FEBRUARY 28, THE COURT, COMPRISED OF A 
LOCAL PANEL OF THREE JUDGES AND THE LOCAL PROSECUTOR, BEGAN 
BY HEARING EIGHT INSURGENCY, TERRORISM AND MAJOR FELONY 
CASES.  JUDGES FOUND THE DEFENDANTS NOT GUILTY IN FIVE 
TERRORISM CASES DUE TO INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE.  IN TWO CASES, 
THE DEFENDANTS WERE FOUND GUILTY WITH ONE DEFENDANT RECEIVING 
A 15-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR A WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVES OFFENSES 
CONVICTION AND THE OTHER A 20-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR EXTORTION. 
 ONE CASE WAS POSTPONED AND REFERRED FOR FURTHER 
INVESTIGATION. 
 
COURT'S SHORT HISTORY IS IMPRESSIVE 
----------------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) FOLLOWING NINE MONTHS OF CLOSE COORDINATION BETWEEN 
PRT KIRKUK RULE OF LAW TEAM MEMBERS AND NATIONAL AND 
PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS, THE KIRKUK MCC OPENED IT DOORS ON 
OCTOBER 4, 2007.  ITS MISSION:  TO TRY CASES RELATED TO 
TERRORISM, INSURGENCY, AND MAJOR FELONIES, INCLUDING 
CORRUPTION RELATED CASES.   DURING THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS OF 
OPERATION, A GROUP OF THREE JUDGES FROM THE BAGHDAD CENTRAL 
CRIMINAL COURT OF IRAQ (CCC-I) TRIED 26 CASES (36 
DEFENDANTS), RESULTING IN 23 CONVICTIONS AND ELEVEN 
ACQUITTALS.  AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE FIRST SESSION, THE MCC 
MANAGED TO CLEAR A TWO-YEAR BACKLOG OF CASES IN THE KIRKUK 
PROVINCE, WHERE NO TERRORIST OR INSURGENT CASES HAD BEEN 
TRIED BETWEEN APRIL 2003 AND OCTOBER 2007. 
 
5.  (U) THE KIRKUK MCC IS ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF COURTS 
ALLOWED TO TRY MAJOR CRIMES CASES OUTSIDE OF BAGHDAD. 
PREVIOUSLY, THE CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT OF IRAQ IN BAGHDAD 
HEARD ALL TERRORIST AND INSURGENT CASES, RESULTING IN A MAJOR 
BACKLOG OF CASES AND LENGTHY DELAYS IN CASE PROCESSING TIMES, 
WITH DEFENDANTS SOMETIMES WAITING FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS FOR 
THEIR CASES TO BE HEARD.  SINCE THE MCC'S INCEPTION, TOP 
PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS HAVE REPEATEDLY CONVEYED HOW MUCH THEY 
VALUE THE MCC AS AN IMPORTANT INSTRUMENT TO COMBAT TERRORISM, 
INSURGENCY AND CORRUPTION WITHIN THE IRAQI LEGAL SYSTEM.  THE 
COURT IS FULLY STAFFED AND OPERATED BY IRAQIS AND FOLLOWS 
IRAQI JURISPRUDENCE. 
 
MCC JURISDICTION 
---------------- 
 
6.  (U) THE MCC FALLS UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE BAGHDAD 
CCC-I - THE NATIONAL IRAQI COURT THAT HANDLES THE MOST 
SERIOUS TERRORISM, INSURGENCY AND CORRUPTION CASES.  THE MCC 
HAS JURISDICTION TO TRY TERRORIST, INSURGENCY AND CORRUPTION 
CASES THAT ORIGINATE IN KIRKUK PROVINCE.  THE MCC WAS 
ESTABLISHED BY A WRITTEN ORDER OF THE CHIEF JUDGE MEDHAT AL 
MAHMOOD, THE PRESIDENT OF IRAQ'S HIGHER JUDICIAL COUNCIL 
(HJC).  THE HJC IS A SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT BRANCH OF THE 
GOI THAT ADMINISTERS ALL IRAQ'S COURTS AND JUDGES. 
 
ADVANTAGES OF MCC OPERATIONS 
---------------------------- 
 
7.  (U) PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS TELL US THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL 
ADVANTAGES TO HOLDING MCC PROCEEDINGS IN KIRKUK VERSUS 
BAGHDAD INCLUDING A VAST REDUCTION IN THE EXPENSE AND THE 
LEVEL OF DANGER OF TRANSPORTING PRISONERS TO BAGHDAD TO HAVE 
THEIR CASES HEARD BEFORE THE CCC-I.  PREVIOUSLY DUE TO 
SECURITY CONCERNS, IRAQI POLICE RENTED UNMARKED VEHICLES FOR 
THE LONG DRIVE FROM KIRKUK TO BAGHDAD.  THE LENGTHY JOURNEY 
ALSO PROVIDED GREATER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRISONERS TO ESCAPE. 
IN COMPARISON, THE MCC IS NOW LOCATED ON THE SECURE K-1 IRAQI 
ARMY BASE, A FIFTEEN MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE CENTER OF THE CITY 
OF KIRKUK. 
 
IMPROVED COMMUNICATIONS ENCOURAGE CIVIC EDUCATION 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
8.  (U) PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS ALSO SAY THAT PREVIOUS POOR 
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CCC-I AND KIRKUK'S COURTS AND IRAQI 
POLICE CAUSED CONFUSION ABOUT TRIAL RESULTS, AND FRUSTRATED 
KIRKUK RESIDENTS WHO WANTED TO KNOW THE OUTCOMES OF THE MOST 
SERIOUS CASES.  ALL PROCEEDINGS AT THE MCC ARE OPEN TO THE 
PUBLIC WHO ARE NOW ABLE TO WITNESS FIRST-HAND THE WORKINGS OF 
PROVINCIAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.  ADDITIONALLY, KIRKUK 
MEDIA NOW HAVE READY ACCESS TO MCC TRIAL RESULTS AND PUBLIC 
HEARINGS, AND PUBLISH THE SENTENCES AND PUNISHMENTS FOR THE 
RESIDENTS OF KIRKUK PROVINCE. 
 
QUICKER PROCESSING HELPS SOLVES LENGTHY DETENTIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
9.  (U) THE ARAB BLOC OF THE KIRKUK PROVINCIAL COUNCIL HAS 
LONG COMPLAINED ABOUT LENGTHY DETENTIONS CAUSED BY THE 
BACKLOG OF CASES IN THE CCC-I.  THE MCC'S ABILITY TO PROCESS 
CASES MORE RAPIDLY AND PROVIDE ACCURATE INFORMATION ON CASES 
HAS BEEN WELL RECEIVED BY THE ARAB COMMUNITY. 
 
STAFFING AND FACILITIES PROMOTE SECURITY 
AND GREATER EFFICIENCY 
---------------------------------------- 
 
10.  (U) THE ORIGINAL TRAVELING MCC CONSISTED OF THREE 
PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL PERSONNEL. 
THE MCC HAS A LOCAL PROSECUTOR, PUBLIC DEFENDER AND THREE 
JUDGES.  DURING SESSIONS, STAFF RESIDE ON THE COMPOUND IN 
NEWLY BUILT LIVING QUARTERS.  THE FOUR BUILDING COMPLEX 
CONSISTS OF A FORMAL COURTROOM WITH FOUR ADJOINING OFFICES; 
A SECURITY STATION SUFFICIENT FOR THE HOUSING AND OPERATIONS 
OF THE JUDICIAL GUARD FORCE;  A NEW DETENTION FACILITY WITH 
EIGHT LARGE CELLS, CAPABLE OF SECURELY AND COMFORTABLY 
HOLDING OVER FIFTY DETAINEES.  THE FACILITY ALSO HAS TWO 
ATTORNEY CONSULTATION ROOMS, WHERE DEFENSE COUNSEL CAN MEET 
WITH THEIR CLIENTS; AND A FOUR-BEDROOM, SINGLE-STORY 
DORMITORY-STYLE BUILDING WITH AN AMPLE LIVING ROOM AND DINING 
ROOM.  IRAQ'S CHIEF JUSTICE MEDHAT AL MAHMOOD RECENTLY TOLD 
PRT OFFICIALS THAT HE HAD CHOSEN A PANEL OF LOCAL JUDGES FOR 
KIRKUK'S MAJOR CRIMES COURT (MCC) BECAUSE THE SYSTEM OF 
STAFFING IT WITH TRAVELING CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT OF IRAQ 
(CCCI) JUDGES WAS NOT SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN DESPITE ITS 
INITIAL SUCCESS IN KIRKUK. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
11.  (U) THE KIRKUK MCC HAS GREATLY ADVANCED THE RULE OF LAW 
IN KIRKUK PROVINCE BY ELIMINATING A TWO-YEAR BACKLOG OF 
TERRORIST, INSURGENCY, AND CORRUPTION CASES.  ANECDOTAL 
EVIDENCE WE HAVE HEARD FROM PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS, 
SECURITY FORCES PERSONNEL, AND ORDINARY CITIZENS SUGGEST ITS 
EFFECTIVENESS AND THAT IT HAS BEEN WELL-RECEIVED. 
ADDITIONALLY, THE PRT HAS OBSERVED AN UNPRECEDENTED DEGREE OF 
COOPERATION BETWEEN THE JUDICIARY, IRAQI POLICE, AND IRAQI 
ARMY TO SUSTAIN MCC OPERATIONS.  WHILE THE INITIAL NUMBERS OF 
CASES TRIED BY PROVINCIAL JUDGES ON FEBRUARY 28 MAY APPEAR 
MODEST, IT IS THE FIRST TIME LOCAL JUDGES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY 
TRIED CASES AT THE MCC IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH THE IRAQI 
POLICE, IRAQI ARMY, CORRECTIONS AND THE DEFENSE BAR.  U.S. 
OPERATIONAL INVOLVEMENT WAS MINIMAL CONSISTING ONLY OF THE 
PRT PROVIDING ADVICE AND MENTORSHIP. END COMMENT. 
CROCKER