Insurgents Found Guilty of Illegal Border
Crossing and Possession of Illegal Weapons

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CENTCOM) — The Central Criminal Court of Iraq convicted 16 security detainees for various crimes including possession of illegal weapons and illegal border crossing.

In the first case, Coalition Security Forces apprehended four insurgents near Ramadi for possession of illegal weapons on Sep. 26, 2005. Coalition security forces apprehended the individuals after finding an IED detonator in the vehicle they were driving in. At trial the defendants were charged with violating Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Order No. 3, Section 6, Paragraph 2/B. The trial court found all four defendants guilty of the charge and sentenced them to 6 years imprisonment each.

In the second case, on or about 24 March 2005, Coalition Security Forces (CF) were on a routine cordon and search mission when they received specific information regarding a suspicious vehicle that had been stopped at a checkpoint. At the checkpoint, the defendant’s vehicle had been stopped and searched. Insurgent propaganda was discovered under the floor mat and suspicions were raised when the defendant claimed not to speak English, but was listening to a British radio station at the time of his apprehension. Further search of his vehicle revealed a machine gun (which had been broken down into its parts), a silencer, and an American M-67 hand grenade under the seat cushion.

The defendant is a former Brigadier General in Saddam Hussein’s Army from 1966 to 1991 in the transportation and supply corps. At trial, the defendant was found guilty of possession of illegal weapons in violation of Iraqi Weapons Order No. 3, Section 6, Paragraph 2A. He was sentenced to one year imprisonment.

In the third case, the defendant is a known anti-Iraqi forces (AIF) operator in the ad Duluihah area and is suspected of participating in numerous attacks on Coalition Security Forces (CSF) including detonating an IED on Aug. 9, 2005 that destroyed a U.S. military vehicle. Based on this information, CSF conducted a joint raid on the defendant’s house on Sept. 4, 2005. Upon searching the defendant’s house, CF found two sticks of PE-4 and one blasting cap in the back left corner of his garage. The defendant was charged with a violation of Coalition Provisional Authority Order 3 Section 6, Paragraph 2/A. The trial court found the defendant guilty of possessing illegal weapons and sentenced him to one year imprisonment.

In the fourth second case, CSF detained the defendant on May 16, 2005 on the basis of his status as a foreign fighter. The Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and the CSF interrogated him together and he confessed that he entered Iraq illegally from Syria to participate in Jihad. The defendant was charged under Article 10/1 of the Iraqi passport laws. The court found the defendant guilty of violating Iraqi penal code 10 part one from the Iraqi passport laws and sentenced him to six years imprisonment.

In the fifth case, on July 19, 2005, near Tall Afar, CSF apprehended three defendants for illegal possession of weapons. As CSF walked through the town, they approached the home of Saud Dali. Saud, and his two sons, Sadun Dali and Bashir Dali were found to have in their possession: eight AK-47s, one bolt-action rifle, one sniper rifle, one pistol, two long-rifles, an RPG scope, a sniper scope, about 2,000 rounds of 7.62 ammunition, and 1,000 rounds of armor-piercing 7.62mm ammunition. The three men were charged with possession of illegal weapons, under Order 3/2003, Section 6/ Paragraph 2/A. The court found Sadun guilty. Sadun was sentenced to two years imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 Iraqi Dinar.

In the sixth case, CSF received the defendants on June 5, 2005 from the Iraqi National Guard (ING). The ING caught the two defendants with fake passports. The defendants are from Syria, in Iraq for Jihad. The defendants were charged with violating Article 10/1 of the Iraqi passport laws. The judges found the defendants guilty of violating Article 10 of the Iraqi penal code. The defendants were sentenced to 6 years imprisonment each.

In the seventh case, on Oct. 28, 2005, near the village of Abu Ghraib, CSF apprehended the defendant for possession of illegal weapons. CF conducted a random search of the defendant’s home. The search included using mine detectors on the property near the defendant’s home, barn, and field. CSF found a 105mm rocket casing immediately adjacent to the defendant’s home. Along another wall of the defendant’s home, CSF found the barrel to a 12.47mm weapon. CSF found two RPG warheads next to the defendant’s barn. During the rest of the search, CSF found one RPG site, one RPG launcher, one AK-47, and eight AK-47 magazines. The RPG warheads and launcher were wrapped in paper found on the defendant’s property. The defendant admitted to CSF that he is a farmer and that he had farmed the land for more than two years. Finally, CSF found a picture of the defendant wearing a Saddam Republican Guard uniform in the defendant’s house. The defendant was charged with possession of illegal special weapons in violation of Order 3, Section 6, Paragraph 2/B. The court found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to six years imprisonment.

In the eighth case, a defendant, along with two other suspects, were reported by a local national as driving around in the area of Route Steelers shooting at people from a blue van on July 23, 2006. CSF spotted the van and observed males in the van pointing an AK-47 at the CSF on patrol. CSF attempted to barricade Route Steelers in an effort to stop the van. The van fired on CSF and ran the road block. One defendant was captured after CF rammed the van. The other two fled the scene and were captured soon after. After capture, no weapons were found. On March 8, 2006, the court found the defendant guilty of Article 430 for threatening another person with committing a felony against his person or property, or by supporting issues that affect his honor and dignity. The defendant was sentenced to six months imprisonment.

In the ninth case, four defendants were observed by Coalition Forces criminal investigators on Dec. 20, 2003 placing merchandise in a trash container located at the Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) Army/Air Force Exchange Service warehouse yard. These items were confirmed to be stolen from the exchange service. The estimated value of the items recovered is $15,000.00 USD. On March 6, 2006, the court found each defendant guilty of violating Iraqi penal code 316 and sentenced each of them to two years confinement, which amounted to credit for time served.

Upon conviction, all defendants are turned over to the Iraqi Corrections Service to serve their sentences.

To date, the CCCI has held 954 trials of insurgents suspected of anti-Iraqi and anti-Coalition activities threatening the security of Iraq and targeting MNF-I. These proceedings have resulted in 858 individual convictions with sentences ranging up to 30 years imprisonment.