COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT IRAQ 12 JANUARY 2009 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 12 JANUARY 2009 IRAQ Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAQ FROM 29 NOVEMBER 2008 TO 5 JANUARY 2009 REPORTS ON IRAQ PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED SINCE 29 NOVEMBER AND 5 JANUARY 2009 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ..........................................................................................1.01 Maps.............................................................................................. 1.07 Iraq and neighbouring countries.................................... ............1.07 Kurdish Regional Government area..................... .....................1.08 Ethnic distribution............................................................. .........1.10 2. ECONOMY .............................................................................................2.01 3. HISTORY ...............................................................................................3.01 Post-Saddam Iraq.................................................. ......................3.02 Elections, January 2005............................................... .............3.06 Referendum on the Constitution, October 2005........................3.10 Election, December 2005............................................ ..............3.12 Government of National Unity............................ .......................3.18 Baghdad Security Plan & National Reconciliation Plan.............3.26 Death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.............................. ..................3.27 The execution of Saddam Hussein.......................................... ..3.31 Recent History.......................................................................... .3.33 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ...........................................................................4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ........................................................................................5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ..................................................................................6.01 Political system in the KRG area.................................. ..............6.13 7. NATIONAL HOLIDAYS ................................................................................7.01 Human Rights 8. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................8.01 9. SECURITY SITUATION ................................................................................9.01 Order for safeguarding national security.................................. .9.10 Civilian deaths and casualties........................................ ............9.11 Security on central and western Iraq.................. .......................9.18 Baghdad................................................................................. ...9.22 Baghdad – Green Zone (International Zone)..................... ........9.27 Al-Anbar..................................................................... ...............9.30 Diyala.......................................................................... ..............9.32 Salah-Al-Din.................................................................. ............9.37 Security in southern Iraq........................................................... ..9.40 Basrah..................................................................................... ..9.43 Babil (Babylon)................................................................... .......9.51 Wasit........................................................................ .................9.54 Qadissiya............................................................ ......................9.57 Kerbala and Najaf...................................................................... 9.59 This country of origin information report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 5 January 2009. Older 1 source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. IRAQ 12 JANUARY 2009 Security in Kirkuk and Mosul................................................. .....9.62 Kirkurk............................................................................... ........9.62 Mosul......................................................................................... 9.68 Security in the KRG area..................................................... ........9.76 Perceived collaborators and ‘soft targets’............................... ..9.85 10. CRIME ..................................................................................................10.01 Criminal gangs..................................................................... ........10.02 Kidnapping/hostage taking.............................................. ...........10.05 11. SECURITY FORCES ...................................................................................11.01 Iraqi Security Forces........................................... ........................11.05 Infiltration................................................................................... 11.12 Iraqi police............................................................................. ....11.19 National Police (NP)..................................... ........................11.27 Border enforcement................................................................... 11.23 Facilities Protection Service (FPS)............................. ...............11.36 Iraqi armed forces............................................... ......................11.38 Iraqi National Guard.............................................................. 11.44 Iraqi National Counter-Terrorism Forces (INCTF).................11.45 Awakening councils (Sons of Iraq)...................... ......................11.46 Security agencies............................................................. .........11.53 ISF as targets for insurgents............................... ......................11.55 Torture by the security forces............................. .......................11.58 Extra-judicial killings by the security forces................................ 11.67 Security forces in the KRG area............................. ....................11.69 Torture by security forces in the KRG area......................... .......11.73 Multi-National Forces (MNF)............................... ........................11.75 Torture by the MNF.................................................................... 11.79 Extra-judicial killings by the MNF.............................................. .11.82 Private security companies......................................................... 11.85 12. MILITARY SERVICE ...................................................................................12.01 13. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES .............................................. 13.01 Sunni Arab insurgents................................................................. 13.10 Torture by Sunni Arab insurgents............................................... 13.20 Shi’a militia.............................................................................. .....13.24 Torture by Shi’a militia............................................. ..................13.32 Kurdish militia....................................................................... .......13.40 Torture by Kurdish militia............................................. ..............13.43 14. JUDICIARY .............................................................................................14.01 Organisation................................................................................. 14.07 Judiciary in the KRG area.......................................................... 14.10 Religious and tribal law....................................................... ........14.15 Judges and lawyers................................................................ .....14.22 Iraq High Tribunal (IHT)........................................... ....................14.28 Central Criminal Court of Iraq............................................... ......14.34 15. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .....................................................15.01 Arrest and detention in the KRG area...................... ..................15.10 Arrest and detention by the MNF.............................................. ..15.16 15. PRISON CONDITIONS .................................................................................16.01 Iraqi-run prisons and detention facilities........................... ........16.09 Prisons and detention facilities in the KRG area........................ 16.17 MNF-run prisons and detention facilities................................. ..16.25 17. DEATH PENALTY ......................................................................................17.01 Death penalty in the KRG area.................................................... 17.07 18. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ..............................................................................18.01 Freedom of political expression................................... ..............18.01 2 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 5 January 2009. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 12 JANUARY 2009 IRAQ Freedom of political expression in the KRG area......................18.04 Freedom of association and assembly.................... ..................18.06