JIEDDO: Complex Attack, Karbala, Iraq, 20JAN07 (MDR)

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request for a Mandatory Declassification Review ("MDR") per Section 3.5 of Executive Order ("E.O.") 13526, "Classified National Security Information," 75 FR 707 (January 5, 2010); and is submitted to the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization ("JIEDDO") of the United Stated Department of Defense ("DoD"). I hereby request the following agency records (including, but not limited to, electronic records):

1) All documents, reports, data-base records, electronic mail messages, imagery, data, and meta-data related to the January 20, 2007, complex attack on the Provincial Joint Coordination Center ("PJCC"), Karbala, Iraq, by members of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq ("AAH") that resulted in the deaths of United States Army Captain ("CPT") Brian S. Freeman, First Lieutenant (1LT") Jacob N. Fritz, Specialist ("SPC") Jonathan B. Chism, Private First Class ("PFC") Shawn P. Falter, and Private ("PVT") PVT Jonathon M. Millican.

1.1) CPT Brian S. Freeman was assigned to the 412th Civil Affairs Battalion (Airborne), 360th Civil Affairs Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps, Whitehall, Ohio.

1.2) 1LT Jacob N. Fritz was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

1.3) SPC Jonathan B. Chism was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

1.4) PFC Shawn P. Falter was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

1.5) PVT Jonathon M. Millican was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 377th Parachute Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.

2) All documents, reports, data-base records, electronic mail messages, imagery, data, and meta-data related to the Improvised Explosive Device ("IED") and Explosively Formed Penetrator ("EFP") activities of the following individuals and entities:

2.1) Individuals

2.1.1) Qais al-Khazali
2.1.2) Laith al-Khazali
2.1.3) Azhar al-Dulaymi
2.1.4) Ali Musa Daqduq

2.2) Entities

2.2.1) Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq ("AAH")
2.2.2) Sheibani Network ("SN")
2.2.3) Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps ("IRGC")
2.2.4) Iranian Quds Force ("IRGC-QF")
2.2.5) Hezbollah

2.3) The United States Government has alleged these individuals and entities were involved with the January 20, 2007, attack.

2.3.1) For example, during a April 26, 2007, press briefing, then Multi National Force-Iraq ("MNF-I") Commander, General ("GEN") David H. Petraeus, stated:

"The Iranian involvement has really become much clearer to us and brought into much more focus during the interrogation of the members -- the heads of the Qazali network and some of the key members of that network that have been in detention now for a month or more. This is the head of the secret cell network, the extremist secret cells. They were provided substantial funding, training on Iranian soil, advanced explosive munitions and technologies as well as run of the mill arms and ammunition, in some cases advice and in some cases even a degree of direction. When we captured these individuals -- the initial capture, and then there have been a number of others since then -- we discovered, for example, a 22-page memorandum on a computer that detailed the planning, preparation, approval process and conduct of the operation that resulted in five of our soldiers being killed in Karbala. It also detailed -- there are numerous documents which detailed a number of different attacks on coalition forces, and our sense is that these records were kept so that they could be handed in to whoever it is that is financing them. And there's no question, again, that Iranian financing is taking place through the Quds force of the Iranian Republican Guards Corps. As you know, there are seven Quds Force members in detention as well. This involvement, again, we learned more about with the detention of an individual named Sheibani, who is one of the heads of the Sheibani network, which brings explosively formed projectiles into Iraq from Iran. His brother is the Iranian connection. He is -- was in Iraq. And that has been the conduit that then distributes these among the extremist elements again of these secret cells and so forth."

2.3.2) A transcript of GEN Petraeus's April 26, 2007, press briefing is available on the DoD web-site at: http://www.defense.gov/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=3951

I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.

In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days.

Sincerely,

David Scantling

Dear Mr. Marye,

Please withdraw case number 15-F-0601 with the OSD/Joint Staff FOI office. Based on the attached the attached response I received on 15JAN15 from Mr. Porter, I have re-submitted this MDR request to the Department of the Army.

Regards,

David Scantling

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Dear Mr. Scantling,

This is in response to your Mandatory Declassification Review (MDR) DEPT MR 15581 FOIA request, dated January 12, 2015, which was sent to the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Joint Staff (OSD/JS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) office.

Please be aware that this office only processes FOIA requests for the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JS) and is not part of the MDR program. There is not a central FOIA processing point for the entire Department of Defense (DoD) records management, but is, instead, delegated to those officials of the military services and various DoD components that generate and/or maintain the records being sought.

Please also note that for MDR purposes, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) is under the purview of the Army. The Army, who operates its own MDR program, would have cognizance over the information you have requested. If you have not already done so, you should submit your request directly to the Army Declassification Activity at the following address:

Army Declassification Activity
7701 Telegraph Road
Room 201, Casey Building
Alexandria, VA 22315-3860

This action closes your request with this office. There are no assessable fees associated with this response in this instance.

v/r

Sean Porter, FOIA Specialist
for Aaron Graves on behalf of
Paul Jacobsmeyer, Chief,
Freedom of Information Act Division
OSD/JS FOIA Office