Fort Suse

Fort Suse is the name of an Iraqi military barracks and training facility built in 1977 by Russian engineers. Fort Suse is located in Kurdish northern Iraq in the vicinity of Al-Sulamaniya.

Use as a detention facility

In 2005, the fort was converted from a once United Nations demining facility to a detention facility capable of holding 1,700–2,000 security detainees at a cost of $8 million dollars. The conversion was done using civilian contractors under the supervision of the [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/20eng-bde.htm 20th Engineer Brigade] , 82nd Airborne Division Military Police, and Task Force 134. Task Force 134 is in charge of all Multi-National Force Iraq (MNFI) detention operations in Iraq. Conversion of the fort to a detention facility, coupled with the expansion of existing facilities at Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper was part of a plan to alleviate over crowding at existing facilities, close the detention facility at Abu Ghraib and to eventually transition detention operations to the Iraqi government.

Construction began on August 3, 2005 and the facility received its first 50 detainees on October 24, 2005.

The facility was initially manned by [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/1-504pir.htm 1st Battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Battalion] , 82nd Airborne Division with detainee operations supervised by members of the [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/82mp.htm 82nd Military Police] . Facility detainee operations were conducted in conjunction with Kurdish prison guards which obtained extensive training via the 1/504 PIR. Later, in February 2006, members of the Navy Provisional Detainee Battalion (NPDB) replaced the 504th and began detainee operations.

On December 12, 2005, Nearly 90 percent of all eligible security detainees in Multi-National Forces-Iraq Theater Internment Facilities, including those at Fort Suse, participated in the democratic vote on the Iraqi National Ballot.

On May 8, 2006, the U.S. Military announced that five security detainees had escaped from Fort Suse, the first escape from that facility. Reports blamed the escape on negligence on the part of Kurdish guards. All five detainees were later recaptured by in a joint operation by Kurdish security forces and peshmerga militiamen.

In August 2006, it was reported that all security detainees from Fort Suse would be transferred to Camp Cropper and Camp Bucca and the facility turned over to the Iraqi government on September 22, 2006.

Iraqi run prison

After its handover in September 2006, Fort Suse became an Iraqi run prison with a maximum capacity of 1,500 inmates. It received its first inmates on November 19, 2006 and now holds convicted criminals, serving their sentence after being convicted in Iraqi courts.

In October 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) conducted a visit of Fort Suse, the first visit for that organization of an Iraqi run prison facility.

References

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coauthors = Ashraf Khalil and Patrick J. McDonnell
title = U.S. plans to expand prison space in Iraq
publisher = Los Angeles Times
date = 2005-06-27
url = http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002349263_iraqprison27.html
accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
title = Battalion to Secure Iraq Prison
publisher = Associated Press via Military.com
date = 2005-08-15
url = http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_prison_081805,00.html?ESRC=eb.nl
accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
title = New Theater Internment Facility opens in northern Iraq
publisher = MNFI Press Release
date = 2005-10-30
url = http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3246&Itemid=21
accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
coauthors = Joseph Giordono
title = One Replacement Prison Finished in Iraq
publisher = Stars and Stripes via Military.com
date = 2005-11-01
url = http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,79666,00.html?ESRC=dodnews.RSS
accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
title = Detainee Voter Turn Out Overwhelming
publisher = MNFI Press Release
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accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
coauthors = U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs
title = Fort Suse Welcomes MCPON
publisher = U.S. Navy Web Site
date = 2006-03-09
url = http://www.cusnc.navy.mil/Media/Release%20pages/Releases/044-06.htm
accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
title = 250 Kurds graduate from correction officers course
publisher = MNFI Press Release
date = 2005-05-08
url = http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=903&Itemid=21
accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
title = 5 escape from U.S. prison in Iraq
publisher = Associated Press via The Boston Globe
date = 2006-05-10
url = http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/05/10/5_escape_from_us_prison_in_iraq/
accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
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*cite web
title = Abu Ghraib Prison Totally Empty
publisher = The Associated Press via CBS News
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accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
title = Navy Provisional Detainee Battalion 1 Returns Home
publisher = The Navy Newsstand via GlobalSecurity.Org
date = 2006-09-27
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accessdate = 2006-12-06
*cite web
url=http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8784&Itemid=128
title=Fort with long history now successful Iraqi prison
date=2007-01-03
publisher=Multi-National Corps – Iraq Public Affairs Office
accessdate=2007-06-20
*cite web
url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071206/ap_on_re_eu/red_cross_iraqi_detainees_2
title= Red Cross visits Iraq gov't detainees |date=2007-12-06 |publisher=Associated Press via Yahoo News | author=Alexander G. Higgins | accessdate=2007-12-07