COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT IRAQ 15 AUGUST 2008 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 15 AUGUST 2008 IRAQ Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN IRAQ FROM TO 1 AUGUST TO 15 AUGUST 2008 REPORTS ON IRAQ PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED SINCE 2 AUGUST 2008 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 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS .................................................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION ................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM............................................................................. 6.01 Political system in the KRG area ................................................ 6.12 7. NATIONAL HOLIDAYS.......................................................................... 7.01 Human Rights 8. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................... 8.01 9. SECURITY SITUATION.......................................................................... 9.01 Order for safeguarding national security................................... 9.12 Civilian deaths and casualties .................................................... 9.13 Security on central and western Iraq.......................................... 9.21 Baghdad .................................................................................... 9.25 Baghdad – Green Zone (International Zone)............................. 9.32 Al-Anbar..................................................................................... 9.37 Diyala......................................................................................... 9.40 Salah-Al-Din............................................................................... 9.44 Security in southern Iraq ............................................................. 9.46 Basrah ....................................................................................... 9.48 Babil........................................................................................... 9.59 Wasit.......................................................................................... 9.61 Qadissiya ................................................................................... 9.63 This country of origin information report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 15 August 2008. Older 1 source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. IRAQ 15 AUGUST 2008 Kerbala and Najaf ...................................................................... 9.65 Security in Kirkuk and Mosul ...................................................... 9.67 Kirkurk........................................................................................ 9.69 Mosul ......................................................................................... 9.74 Security in the KRG area ............................................................. 9.81 Perceived collaborators and ‘soft targets’................................. 9.90 10. CRIME................................................................................................ 10.01 Criminal gangs ............................................................................. 10.02 Kidnapping/hostage taking ......................................................... 10.05 11. SECURITY FORCES ............................................................................. 11.01 Iraqi Security Forces.................................................................... 11.05 Infiltration ................................................................................... 11.10 Iraqi police ................................................................................. 11.17 National Police (NP).............................................................. 11.24 Border enforcement ................................................................... 11.29 Facilities Protection Service (FPS) ............................................ 11.32 Iraqi armed forces...................................................................... 11.35 Iraqi National Guard .............................................................. 11.41 Iraqi National Counter-Terrorism Forces (INCTF)................. 11.42 Awakening councils ................................................................... 11.43 Security agencies ...................................................................... 11.50 ISF as targets for insurgents...................................................... 11.52 Torture by the security forces .................................................... 11.54 Extra-judicial killings by the security forces................................ 11.63 Avenues of complaint............................................................ 11.65 Security forces in the KRG area ................................................. 11.67 Torture by security forces in the KRG area ............................... 11.71 Multi-National Forces (MNF)........................................................ 11.73 Torture by the MNF.................................................................... 11.77 Extra-judicial killings by the MNF............................................... 11.80 Private security companies......................................................... 11.83 12. MILITARY SERVICE.............................................................................. 12.01 13. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES.................................. 13.01 Sunni Arab insurgents................................................................. 13.09 Torture by Sunni Arab insurgents .............................................. 13.19 Shi’a militia ................................................................................... 13.23 Torture by Shi’a militia ............................................................... 13.31 Kurdish militia .............................................................................. 13.39 Torture by Kurdish militia ........................................................... 13.41 14. JUDICIARY.......................................................................................... 14.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 14.08 Judiciary in the KRG area.......................................................... 14.11 Religious and tribal law ............................................................... 14.17 Judges and lawyers ..................................................................... 14.24 Iraq High Tribunal (IHT) ............................................................... 14.30 Central Criminal Court of Iraq ..................................................... 14.36 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................................... 16.08 Prisons and detention facilities in the KRG area ....................... 16.16 MNF-run prisons and detention facilities................................... 16.24 17. DEATH PENALTY................................................................................. 17.01 2 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 2 August 2008. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 15 AUGUST 2008 IRAQ Death penalty in the KRG area.................................................... 17.07 18. POLITICAL AFFILIATION....................................................................... 18.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 18.01 Freedom of political expression in the KRG area ...................... 18.04 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 18.06 Freedom of association and assembly