CPTnet
18 July 2005

IRAQ ACTION ALERT: Continued action needed on the
killing of Mohammed Al- Sumaid'ie, cousin of Iraq's Ambassador to the
United Nations

As of 17 July 2005 neither the family nor Ambassador Sumaid'ie has received
any information regarding the death of Mohammed Sumaid'ie. The U.S. Marines
in charge of the unit involved in the house raid promised the family
preliminary investigation results within ten days. That deadline was over a
week ago. Please email the United States Embassy in Baghdad, demanding
that the Marines follow through on their promise. Below is a sample letter
we would suggest you send. Please consider sending a carbon copy email to
your senator and representative as well. If you did not receive the first
action request please go to the CPT website Iraq page
http://www.cpt.org/iraq/iraq.php for the testimony of Ambassador Sumaid'ie,
along with additional information.

The email address for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is:
BaghdadPressOffice@state.gov

Sample Letter to the embassy:

Dear Ambassador Khalilzad,

I am writing today about a disturbing event that occurred in the western
part of Iraq on 25 June 2005. U.S. Marines were conducting a house-to house
search in the village of Al-Shakh Hadid. They entered the home of
Abdul-Hadi Al-Sumaida. His son, Mohammed, let them in and when the Marines
asked if there were any weapons in the house Mohammed took them upstairs to
show them the family rifle. That was the last the family ever saw of him.
They were not allowed upstairs and then forced to go outside. After the
Marines left, the family found Mohammed lying dead with a single bullet
wound in his neck. This matter would never have received any international
attention except for the fact that Mohammed is the cousin of the current
Iraqi Ambassador to the United Nations, Samir Sumaid'ie. Military officers
at Fallujah Camp (where the troops were stationed) promised the Ambassador
and the family they would deliver a preliminary report to them within ten
days. That deadline has passed and no contact or information has been
forthcoming from the Marines. The U.S. Embassy must insist the U.S. Marines
follow through on their promise to deliver a preliminary report to
Mohammed's family and Ambassador Sumaid'ie before the end of the month.

We cannot say we are bringing freedom and democracy to Iraq if our military
is violating the basic human rights of the Iraqi people. Only by having an
open, transparent investigation of this allegation will it be possible to
prove to the Iraqi people that our actions regarding democracy match our
words.

I would appreciate a reply to this message within five working days.

Sincerely,