DATE=7/6/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40863
TITLE=IRAQIS IN U-S DETENTION
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: SIX IRAQIS WHO WERE AMONG THE 65-HUNDRED REFUGEES THE
UNITED STATES EVACUATED FROM NORTHERN IRAQ IN LATE 1996 ARE IN
DETENTION IN THE UNITED STATES. THEY ARE FACING POSSIBLE
DEPORTATION BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSIDERED A THREAT TO NATIONAL
SECURITY. V-O-A'S ED WARNER REPORTS THE IRAQI'S AND THEIR
ATTORNEY, A FORMER CIA DIRECTOR, VEHEMENTLY DENY THIS CHARGE.
TEXT: WHEN HE SERVED AS DIRECTOR OF THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
AGENCY, JAMES WOOLSEY HAD ACCESS TO ANY SECRET INFORMATION HE
WANTED. NOW, AS A PRIVATE ATTORNEY REPRESENTING A GROUP OF
DETAINED IRAQIS, HE IS DENIED CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS.
THESE ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION
SERVICE, WHICH IN A SECRET HEARING DETERMINED THE IRAQIS ARE A
DANGER TO THE UNITED STATES AND SHOULD BE DEPORTED -- POSSIBLY TO
IRAQ. THE I-N-S REFUSES TO LET MR. WOOLSEY SEE THE INCRIMINATING
MATERIAL, ON THE GROUNDS CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES MIGHT BE REVEALED
AND COMPROMISED.
BUT MR. WOOLSEY IS APPEALING THE I-N-S RULING AND SAYS THE IRAQIS
HAVE BEEN DENIED BASIC RIGHTS. HE SAYS IF THEY ARE RETURNED TO
IRAQ AND ARE GENUINE OPPONENTS OF IRAQI LEADER SADDAM HUSSEIN, AS
THEY SAY, THEY WOULD FACE CERTAIN EXECUTION.
MR. WOOLSEY IS IN TOUCH WITH ZAKAI HAQI, THE MOTHER OF ONE OF THE
DETAINEES:
// WOOLSEY ACT //
MRS. HAQUI WAS HERE IN MY OFFICE A FEW WEEKS AGO, CRYING
ON MY SHOULDER, SAYING THAT IF THEY ARE GOING TO KILL MY
SON, PLEASE HAVE HIM KILLED HERE SO I CAN BE NEAR HIS
GRAVE. DO NOT SEND HIM BACK TO SADDAM HUSSEIN.
// END ACT //
MR. WOOLSEY SAYS HER SON, ALI YASSIN MOHAMMED-KARIM, HARDLY FITS
THE PICTURE OF A DOUBLE AGENT. HE IS A KURDISH PHYSICIAN WHO
BECAME AN EXPERT ON TREATING VICTIMS OF THALLIUM POISONING, WHICH
HAS BEEN USED BY SADDAM HUSSEIN FOR ASSASSINATIONS. AS A MEMBER
OF THE IRAQI NATIONAL CONGRESS, A LEADING OPPOSITION GROUP, DR.
ALI HAS MADE NUMEROUS BROADCASTS ATTACKING SADDAM HUSSEIN AND HAS
SURVIVED TWO ATTEMPTS ON HIS LIFE.
FORMER C-I-A DIRECTOR WOOLSEY SAYS HIS CLIENTS RAN INTO TROUBLE
DURING INTERROGATIONS BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION.
MR. WOOLSEY SAYS F-B-I AGENTS MADE SERIOUS MISTAKES BECAUSE OF
THEIR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE MIDDLE EAST:
// WOOLSEY ACT //
ONE OF THEM WAS VERY SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE A KURDISH
REFUGEE CLAIMED HE HAD VISITED KURDISH RELATIVES IN
BAGHDAD, AND THE F-B-I AGENT WROTE DOWN THAT THIS MUST
BE FALSE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE KURDS LIVE IN NORTHERN
IRAQ, NOT IN BAGHDAD. THAT IS GENERALLY TRUE, BUT THERE
ARE SOME KURDS WHO LIVE IN BAGHDAD, SO A LITTLE LEARNING
IS A DANGEROUS THING.
// END ACT //
MR. WOOLSEY SAYS THE C-I-A HAS NO DEROGATORY INFORMATION ON THE
IRAQIS, AND THE C-I-A OFFICER IN NORTHERN IRAQ WHO KNEW THEM
BELIEVES THEY ARE NOT DOUBLE AGENTS.
GENERAL COUNCIL OF THE IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION SERVICE,
PAUL VIRTUE, POINTS TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF IRAQIS WHO WERE
SCREENED AND GIVEN ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES. HE SAYS ONLY A
SMALL NUMBER WERE HELD UP:
// VIRTUE ACT //
IF WE HAD HAD THE LUXURY OF SCREENING THE PEOPLE WHILE
THEY WERE IN TURKEY, THEN WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE
BROUGHT THE SIX, WHO ARE IN PROCEEDINGS IN LOS ANGELES
NOW, TO THE UNITED STATES. BUT WE SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE
THAT OPPORTUNITY. TURKEY WAS CLOSING UP SHOP ON US. W E
NEEDED TO GET OUT WITHIN HOURS. SO WE HAD TO DO THAT
SCREENING IN THE UNITED STATES.
// END ACT //
MR. VIRTUE SAYS THE IRAQIS, WHILE CONFINED, ARE IN NO IMMEDIATE
DANGER OF BEING DEPORTED, AND BECAUSE THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT
HAVE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH IRAQ, THEY CANNOT BE SENT THERE.
THEIR APPEALS ARE UNDER WAY, AND THE I-N-S SAYS IT PLANS TO
RELEASE SOME CLASSIFIED INFORMATION THAT MAY LEAD TO FURTHER
HEARINGS. (SIGNED)
NEB/RAE
06-Jul-98 11:20 AM EDT (1520 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
