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DE RUEHRL #0865/01 1171815
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 271815Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY BERLIN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8115
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
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RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0193

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BERLIN 000865 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KJUS KLIG PTER GM
SUBJECT: GERMAN PROSECUTOR DROPS LEGAL COMPLAINT AGAINST 
SENIOR USG OFFICIALS 
 
REF: A. 06 BERLIN 3296 
 
     ¶B. 06 BERLIN 3424 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1. (U) Summary.  German Federal Prosecutor decided April 27 
not to pursue a full investigation into senior U.S. officials 
for alleged "war crimes" at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.  As 
first reported in ref A, the New York-based Center for 
Constitutional Rights, acting through German attorney 
Wolfgang Kaleck, filed a legal complaint November 14, 2006 
against former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, Attorney General 
Gonzales, former DCI Tenet, and other senior U.S. civilian 
and military officials.  The Prosecutor, according to his 
press release, based his decision on legal provisions that 
grant the Prosecutor discretion to decide not to investigate 
those with no connection to Germany.  In addition, the 
Prosecutor said it would be virtually impossible to conduct a 
thorough investigation and said Germany did not want to 
encourage "forum shopping" by complainants bringing criminal 
charges wherever local law allows.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) According to the Prosecutor's press release, the legal 
basis for not continuing the investigation is Section 153(f) 
of the Federal Criminal Procedure Code.  Section 153(f) 
provides the Prosecutor with discretion to refrain from an 
investigation and to limit cases under the universal 
jurisdiction of the German Code of Crimes against 
International Law (CCAIL).  According to Section 153 
(f)(I)(1) the Prosecutor may refrain from investigating an 
alleged crime under the CCAIL if the alleged crime was 
committed outside of Germany and if the suspect neither 
resides in nor is expected to reside in Germany in the 
future.  The Prosecutor stated in his press release that no 
crime was committed in Germany.  None of the named 
individuals resided in Germany or were expected to reside in 
Germany in the future, the Prosecutor wrote.  The mere 
theoretical possibility of an entry of persons into Germany 
did not indicate that an individual "expected to reside in 
Germany in the future," according to the Prosecutor. 
 
¶3. (U) The Prosecutor continued there was no way for German 
law enforcement authorities to investigate the case.  While 
on one hand international crimes should be investigated 
worldwide, the Prosecutor wrote, complainants should not 
engage in "forum shopping" by picking states, namely Germany, 
that have no connection whatsoever to the alleged crime, 
simply because its laws permit the filing of such complaints. 
 The Prosecutor wrote that German authorities should not need 
to conduct time-consuming but fruitless investigations. 
Furthermore, for the complaint to continue, German 
authorities would have to conduct investigations in the 
countries where the alleged crimes took place.  Since Germany 
has no executive power in these countries, the Prosecutor 
wrote, German authorities would be obliged to use legal 
assistance channels.  The Prosecutor continued that the legal 
and security situation in Iraq meant that such efforts would 
be futile.  Therefore German authorities would not be able 
fully to investigate, leaving the prospect of only a symbolic 
effort.  The Prosecutor wrote that the CCAIL did not intend 
to engender mere symbolic investigations.  In conclusion, the 
Prosecutor wrote that the investigation of any alleged 
violations of law in Guantanamo or in connection with the 
Iraq war falls within U.S. responsibility. 
 
- - - - - 
NEXT STEPS 
- - - - - 
 
¶4. (U) The Prosecutor referred to a previous legal complaint 
filed in 2004 against senior U.S. officials, also alleging 
misconduct in connection with Abu Ghraib.  In that instance, 
the Prosecutor also decided against an investigation, a 
decision which the complainant appealed in an effort to force 
the Prosecutor to conduct an investigation.  In the press 
release, the Prosecutor referred to this previous court 
decision and wrote that his efforts focused on new 
information the complainant provided that was not in the 
previous complaint.  By referring to the previous decision 
and his willingness to consider new information, the 
Prosecutor acknowledged the complainant's ability again to 
try to sue the Prosecutor to overturn today's decision not to 
investigate the alleged crimes. 
 
BERLIN 00000865  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶5. (U) Embassy is seeking the full text of the decision and 
will forward its analysis septel. 
KOENIG