Cablegate: Bundestag Sends Request for Videos of Questioning

VZCZCXRO0313
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHLZ
DE RUEHRL #3555 3541739
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201739Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6486
RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS BERLIN 003555

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KJUS PTER KLIG PGOV GM
SUBJECT: BUNDESTAG SENDS REQUEST FOR VIDEOS OF QUESTIONING
OF GUANTANAMO DETAINEE

1. (U) This cable contains an Action Request. Please see
para 4.

2. (SBU) On December 19, Post received the following letter
addressed to Ambassador Timken from Siegfried Kauder,
Chairman of the Bundestag Investigating Committee looking
into allegations of renditions and the activities of the
German intelligence services related to the war in Iraq. The
letter is in German with an English translation supplied by
the Bundestag.

3. (SBU) Begin Text of the Bundestag's Courtesy English
Translation:

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

On 7 April 2006, the German Bundestag adopted a resolution
establishing the 1st Committee of Inquiry of the 16th
electoral term. Under the mandate established by Parliament,
the Committee is to clarify still unresolved questions, make
assessments and draw the necessary conclusions in connection
with a report presented by the German Federal Government "on
events relating to the Iraq War and combating international
terrorism".

Please refer to enclosure 1 for details of the Committee of
Inquiry's mandate.

At its meeting on 14 December 2006, the Committee of Inquiry
decided to cordially request the Government of the United
States of America to support the parliamentary work of the
Committee.

On behalf of the members of the Committee, I would like to
express the hope that you will find yourself able to provide
information of importance for the Committee of Inquiry
fulfilling its mandate.

In line with the Committee's Decision to take Evidence, which
I also enclose for your information (Decision to take
Evidence 16-219, enclosure 2), we request your assistance
regarding the questioning of Murat Kurnaz by German officials
in Guantanamo.

The Committee would be grateful if the Government of the
United States of America were prepared to send the specified
video recordings.

I would like to thank you for your readiness to receive and
examine the requests of the German Bundestag.

Sincerely,

Siegfried Kauder
Chairman of the 1st Committee of Inquiry

End Text of the Bundestag's Courtesy English Translation.

4. (U) Action Request: Post requests guidance on how to
respond to the letter. Note: Embassy's Econ/Global affairs
section is emailing the enclosures regarding the committee's
mandate and the decision to take evidence to L/LEI and
EUR/AGS. End Note.
KOENIG

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