A ft erexami ni ng t he br i efs and appe l l at e r ecor d, t hi s panel has det erm i ned * unani m ous l yt o gr antt he part i es ’ r eques tfora dec i s i on on the br i efs w i thoutor al a rg u m e n t. See F ed . R . A p p . P . 3 4 (f); 10 th C ir . R . 3 4 . 1 (G ). T h e c ase is th ere fo re or der ed s ubm i t t ed w i t houtor al ar gum ent . T hi s or derand j udgm enti s notbi ndi ng pr ece dent , exce ptundert he doctr i nes of l aw of the ca s e, r es j udi cat a, and col l at er al es t oppel . T he courtgener al l ydi s favor s t he ci t at i on of or der s and j udgm ent s ; nevert hel es s , an or derand j udgm entm aybe ci t ed undert he t erm s and condi t i ons of 10th C i r . R . 36. 3. T he H onor abl e J ohn L . K ane, Seni orD i s tr i ctJ udge, U ni t ed St at es D i s tr i ct ** C our tfort he D i s t r i ctof C ol or ado, s i t t i ng bydes i gnat i on. 

## F I LED United States C ourt of Appeals Tenth Circuit 

### August 15,200 6 Elisab eth A. Shumaker C l erk of C ourt UNI TED S TATES CO URT O F AP PEALS F O R T H E T E N T H C IR C U IT I M AD AB DUL M UNI M DAOUD ,

P eti ti o n er, v. A LB ER TO R. G O N ZA LES, A tto rn e yG e n e ra l,

R e sp o n d e n t. N o. 05- 9586 ( N o. A 96- 195- 764) ( P e t i t i o n fo rRe v i e w)

ORDE R AND J UDGM EN T * B efor e BR ORBY and EBEL, C i r cui tJ udges , and KANE , D i s tr i ctJ udge. **- 2-

Pet i t i onerI m ad A bdul m uni m D aoud s eeks r evi ew of the B oar d of Im m i grat i on A pp eal s’ (B IA ’s ) deci si on affirm i ng an Im m i grat i on Judg e’s (I J’ s) rem ov al order. W e grantt he p et i t i on and rem and for further proceedings. B AC KGROU ND D aoud i s a Sunni M us l i m fr om B aghdad, I r aq. I n 1982, att he age of ei gh t een, he w as adm i t t ed to the U nit ed S t at es on a n on i m m i grantstud ent vi sa w i t h author i zat i on t o r emai n fors i x m onths . D aoud over s t ay ed hi s vi s a, fea r i ng m i l i t arycons cr i pt i on and the governm entof Sadaa m H us s ei n, w hi ch he ha d c r i t i c i z e d i n t h i s c o u n t r y. I n 2002, t he form erI m m i gr at i on and N atur al i zat i on Ser vi ce or der ed D aoud to sh o w ca u se w h yh e sh o u ld n o t be re m o v ed to Iraq fo r st ay ing in this co u n try w i t houtauthor i zat i on. O n M ar ch 6, 2003, D aoud appe ar ed befor e an I J and appl i ed foras y l um and r es t r i ct i on on r emoval , cl ai m i ng thatbeca us e he ha d l i ved i n t he U ni t ed St at es fors o l ong, he w oul d be vi ew ed byt he H us s ei n governm ent as a sp y , an d w o u ld b e torture d , im p ri so n ed , an d p o ssiblyk il led if re m o v ed . In A p ri l 20 0 3 , U n it ed S tat es a n d co ali ti o n fo rce s m il it aril yo v erthrew H u ssein ’s r egi m e. In N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 4 , a n IJ h e ld a h e a ri n g o n D a o u d ’s a s y lu m a p p lic a tio n . D a o u d tes tifie d th a t h e n o w fe a re d re tu rn in g to Ira q b e c a u se ter ro rists w o u ld t ar gethi m “forbei ng an out s i derand bei ng a s ni t ch t o the U . S. ” A dm i n. R . at- 3-

17 5. D a ou d a l s o t e s t i fi e d tha thi s c l os e fr i e nd , A ba n El i a s , a n I r a qi - bo rn U. S. ci t i zen, r etur ned t o I r aq i n 2003 t o hel p r ebui l d the countryand w as ki dnapped by t err or i s t s . O ne of D aoud’ s U . S. - bor n fr i ends t es t i fi ed aboutE l i as bei ng s how n on t el evi s i on byhi s ki dnapper s and aboutD aoud’ s fea rthathe t oo m i ghtbe ki dnapped i n I r aq forbei ng “A m er i cani zed. ” Id. a t 2 0 3 . O n e o f D a o u d ’s I ra q ibor n fr i ends , T ami r , t es t i fi ed thatbas ed on new s r eport s he had s een a nd cont act w i t h r el at i ves s t i l l i n I r aq, “comi ng fr om the U . S. , y ou’ r e as s um ed t o be l oaded w i t h mone y , s o tha t ’ s on e r e a s on [forki dn a pp i ng s ] ; or. . . y ou maybe a U . S. agent , and y ou getki dnapped. ” Id. at 21 3 . T am iralso test ifi ed that D ao u d ’s leng thyreside n ce in the U . S . w o u ld b ec o m e k n o w n alm o st i m m ed iat elyif h e w ere to re tu rn a n d w o u ld b e v ie w e d s u s p ic io u s ly. Id. at214. In addit i on t o o ral t est i m on y , D aou d sub m i t t ed v ari ou s docu m ents , i ncl udi ng: ( 1) di r e tr avel w arni ngs fr om the U . S. St at e D epart m ent , i ndi cat i ng t hat“[t ] he r i s k of t err or i s m di r ect ed aga i ns tU . S. ci t i zens and i nt er es t s i n I r aq r emai ns extr emel yhi gh, ” i d. a t 3 5 6 ; s ee als o i d. at363; ( 2) new s paperart i cl es r epor t i ng t hatan I r aqi w ho had l i ved i n I t al yhad bee n ki dnapped a s a s us pect ed s pyand ki l l ed w hi l e on bus i nes s i n I r aq, and thatI r aqi s w or ki ng forthe U . S. have been ki l l ed and ki dnapped; and ( 3) gui del i nes pr om ul gat ed bythe Europe an C ounci l on R efuge es and Exi l es , s t at i ng that“U S ar m or ed patr ol s [i n B aghdad] ar e . . . i neffect i ve” a thandl i ng t he “s ecur i tyand human r i ght s s i tuat i on, ” i d. atT he countr yr epor tfort he per i od i m m edi at el yfol l ow i ng the demi s e of the 1 H us s ei n r egi m e di d notbecome avai l abl e unt i l February2005.

- 4- 369, and that“i ns ur gent s ar e t ar get i ng thos e w or ki ng forors us pect ed of be i ng as s oci at ed w i t h C oal i t i on for ces , ” i d. at370. T h e IJ d e n ied D a o u d ’s a p p lica tio n , sta tin g th a t h e h a d c o n sid e re d th e S tate D ep artm en t’ s 2 0 0 3 co u n tryrep o rto n Iraq , w h ich c o v ere d the h u m an ri g h ts r ec o rd of onl y t he H us s ei n r egi m e. T he I J r eas oned thatD aoud w as notel i gi bl e for 1 as y l um beca us e hi s appl i cat i on w as unt i m el yand ther e w er e no exc ept i onal or c h a n g e d c irc u m sta n c e s to e x c u se th e late fili n g . A s fo r re stric tio n o n re m o v a l, t he I J r ecogni zed a s a bas i c i s s ue w hetherD aoud’ s “A m er i cani zed” s t atus q u a lifie d a s a “ p a rt ic u la r s o c ia l g ro u p ” u n d e r 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 3 1 (b )( 3 )( A ). A dm i n. R . at112. H e found D aoud’ s t es t i m ony“s uffi ci ent l ydet ai l ed, cons i s t ent and bel i evabl e, ” buts t at ed thathe “w ant s t o know w hetheri n fac tt hi s part i cul ar t es t i m onyt hatw as pr es ent ed t odayal ong w i th the [e vi dence ] cons t i tut es one of t he s ect i ons underpart i cul ars oci al s t atus . ” Id . at115- 16. B uti ns t ead of reso lving the issu e, th e IJ sim p lyco n clud ed that D ao u d d id n o t qu ali fyfo r a r es t r i ct i on on r emoval beca us e he w oul d not“be i n anydangeri f i n fac the w ent back t o I r aq. ” Id. a t 1 1 7 . T h e IJ fo u n d th a t k id n a p p in g s a re ra n d o m a n d th a t t he g ov ernm ent i n Ir aq is real l yt ry i ng t o st arta dem ocrat i c process fort he peopl e. I t hi nk t hey ’ r e goi ng i n the r i ghtdi r ect i on. I t hi nk that the A m erican m il it aryis th ere . I th ink as lo n g as th ey ’re there t hatt hi ngs ar e hopef

ul l ygoi ng t o getbett er ; and thatt heyar e, i n fac tA “part i cul ars oci al gr oup” i s a gr oup of per s ons w ho s har e a c om m on 2 char act er i s t i c that“the mem ber s of the gr oup ei thercannotchange , ors houl d not be r equi r ed t o change beca us e i ti s fundament al t o thei ri ndi vi dual i dent i t i es or cons ci ence s . ” Ni ang v. G onz al es , 4 2 2 F . 3 d 1 1 8 7 , 1 1 9 9 (10 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ).

- 5- try in g to tu rn th e tid e a t th is p a rticu lar tim e . A t th is p a rticu lar d a te t hey ’ r e att acki ng Fal l uj ah. Id. at116. D a o u d a p p e a led to th e B IA , su b m itt in g a c o p yo f th e U .S . S tate D e p a rtm e n t’s 2 0 0 4 c o u n tryre p o rt o n Ira q , w h ich in d ica ted th a t “in su rg e n ts t ar get ed any one w hos e dea t h ordi s appea r ance w oul d pr ofi tthei rcaus e and, par t i cul ar l y , any one s us pect ed of be i ng connec t ed t o C oal i t i on For ces . ” Id. a t 4 0 . T he B I A adopt ed and a ffi r m ed the I J ’ s deci s i on, and not ed thati tdi d “notfi nd t hi s new l yoffe r ed evi dence s uffi ci entt o w arr antr emandi ng thi s cas e t o the [I J ] . ” Id. at2. D aoud then pet i t i oned thi s courtforr evi ew , chal l engi ng onl ythe d e c i s i o n r e g a r d i n g r e mov a l u n d e r§ 1 2 3 1 a n d th e CA T. D I SC US SI ON T o obt ai n a r es t r i ct i on on r emoval , an al i en mustdemonstr at e thathi s “l i fe orfr eedom w oul d be thr eat ened i n [the pr opos ed countryof r emoval ] beca us e of [hi s ] r ace , r el i gi on, nat i onal i t y , m ember s hi p i n a part i cul ars oci al gr oup, or [ 2] p o lit ica l o p in io n .” 8 U .S .C . § 1 2 3 1 (b )(3 )(A ). A n a lien ’s life o r f re e d o m is pr es um ed t o be thr eat ened i f he “ i s det erm i ned t o have s uffe r ed pas tper s ecut i on i n t he pr opos ed countr yof r emoval . ” 8 C . F. R . § 208. 16( b) ( 1) ( i ) . O therw i s e, t he- 6-

a lien m u st m e e t a c lea r p ro b a b ili tysta n d a rd

— h e m u st s h o w th a t itis m o re lik e ly th a n n o t th a t h e w o u ld b e p e rs e c u te d if re m o v e d . See INSv . S tev ic , 467 U . S. 407, 42 9-30 (19 84 ); 8 C . F . R . § 2 08 . 16 (b) (2) . S i m i l arl y , the C on ven t i on A gainst T or tur e ( C A T ) r es t r i ct s r emoval t o a part i cul arcountryi f “i ti s m or e l i kel ythan nott hatt he pet i t i onerw i l l be t or tur ed i f r emoved t o thatcountry . ” C hai b v. A sh c ro ft , 397 F. 3d 1273, 1277 ( 10th C i r . 2005) . T he tw o types of r es tr i ct i on di ffe rm os tpr ofoundl yi n t hat8 U . S. C . § 1231 “r equi r es pr oof of pe r s ecut i on on acc ountof a pr ot ect ed cl as s , w her eas [the] C A T i s notconce rned w i th the r eas oni ng of the per s ecut i on, j us tw hetherthe per s ecut i on ar i s es t o the l evel of t or tur e. ” C h a ib , 397 F. 3d at1277- 78. W her e, as her e, t he B I A adopt ed and a ffi r m ed the I J ’ s deci s i on i n a br i ef opi ni on, r epea t i ng t he I J ’ s concl us i ons orr eas oni ng, w e r evi ew the B I A ’ s opi ni on by“cons ul t i ng t he I J ’ s m or e compl et e expl anat i on of thos e s ame gr ounds . ” Uanr er or o v. G onz al es , 443 F. 3d 1197, 1204 ( 10th C i r . 2006) . W e do notw ei gh th e e v id e n c e , n o r d o w e e v a lu a te th e c re d ib ility o f w itn e s s e s . Yu kv . A sh c ro ft , 35 5 F . 3d 12 22 , 12 33 (10t h C i r. 20 04 ). “[F ]i nd i ng s of fact ar e con cl usi ve u nles s anyr eas onabl e adj udi cat orw oul d be compel l ed t o concl ude t o the contr ary . ” 8 U . S . C . § 1 2 5 2 (b)(4 )(B ). W e, th ere fo re, de fe r t o the fac tual fin d ing s o f th e B IA a n d th e IJ if

th e ya re s u p p o rt e d b ys u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . E lzo u r v . A sh c ro ft ,T he A t t or neyG ener al ar gues t hatD aoud i s di s t i ngui s habl e fr om E l i as 3 beca us e El i as m ayhave be en ki dnapped be caus e he “ r eturned t o I r aq t o w or k on r econs t ruct i on. ” A pl ee. B r . at29. R egar di ng the murde r ed I r aqi - I t al i an, t he A tto rn e yG e n e ra l a s s e rt s th a t D a o u d is n o t c o m p a ra b le b e c a u s e h e is n o t I ta lia n . (c o n tin u e d ...)

- 7- 3 7 8 F .3 d 1 1 4 3 , 1 1 5 0 (1 0 th C ir . 2 0 0 4 ). L e g a l c o n c lu s io n s a re re v ie w e d d e n o v o . Ni ang v. G onz al es , 4 2 2 F . 3 d 1 1 8 7 , 1 1 9 6 (10 th C ir . 2 0 0 5 ). D aoud fi r s tchal l enges t he I J ’ s concl us i on thathi s s t atus as an “A m er i cani zed” I r aqi w as i r r el evantt o hi s s afe tyi n I r aq. T he I J ’ s onl yfi ndi ng on t he s ubj ectappea r s t o be, “I t hi nk theyj us tki dnap w hoevertheycan a nd w hoever is a v a ilab le.” A d m in . R . at 1 1 5 . T h e IJ c ited n o e v id e n c e in su p p o rt o f h is co n clus ion o r th e u n d erly ing fin d ing . T h e A tt o rne yG en era l attem p ts t o su p p o rt t he I J ’ s concl us i on byequat i ng D aoud w i th “or di naryI r aqi [s ] , ” A pl ee. B r . at30, and poi nt i ng t o new s paperart i cl es s t at i ng thati ns ur gent s have ki dnapped a nd ki l l ed “for ei gner s , ” i d. at29. W e ar e notper s uaded, how ever , thatan I r aqi l i ke D aoud w ho has l i ved hi s ent i r e adul tl i fe— tw enty - tw o y ear s — i n the U ni t ed St at es w oul d fac e the s ame r i s k of harm i n I r aq as an or di naryI r aqi ci t i zen, w ho has no ties to a c o a lit io n c o u n try . D a o u d o ffe re d e v id e n c e th a t h e w o u ld b e n o t b e a b le t o c on c e a l hi s l i fe i n the U . S. a nd tha thi s c l os e fr i e nd , El i a s , a n I r a qi - bo rn U. S. ci t i zen, had bee n ki dnapped a nd pos s i bl yki l l ed af t err etur ni ng t o I r aq. D aoud al s o offe r ed evi dence t hatan I r aqi l i vi ng i n I t al yhad bee n ki dnapped a nd ki l l ed w hi l e i n I r a q. M or e ov e r , t he r e i s un r e fu t e d e vi de nc e i n the r e c or d tha tU . S. 3( . . . cont i nued) 3 N ei t herof thes e poi nt s detr act s fr om D aoud’ s pos i t i on thathe maybe t ar get ed for h i s l e n g t h y t i e s t o a c o a l i t i o n c o u n try.

- 8- cit izen s an d o thers w o rkin g fo r or s us pectedof bei ng as s oci at ed w i th coal i t i on for ces ar e s peci fi cal l yt ar get ed byi ns ur gent s ort err or i s t s . A l though D aoud has nei t herU . S. ci t i zens hi p norconnec t i ons w i th coal i t i on for ces , nothi ng i n the rec o rd c o n tr ad ict s D ao u d ’s ev iden ce that h is r eturn to Iraq af ter tw en ty -tw o y ea rs in th e U n ited S tate s w o u ld ra ise su sp icio n s. T h e IJ m a d e n o fin d in g s o f fa c t to acc ountfort hi s evi dence , and hi s fi ndi ng of r andom ki dnappi ngs i s uns uppor t ed bys ubs t ant i al evi dence . D a o u d a lso c h a llen g e s th e IJ’ s fin d in g th a t “th in g s a re h o p e f u llyg o in g to getbet t er ” bec aus e “the A m er i can mi l i t aryi s ther e. ” A dm i n. R . at116. D aoud a rg u e s th a t th is is im p e rm is s ib le c o nje c tu re a n d s p e c u la tio n . See Elz our , 378 F. 3d at 11 5 3 (st ati n g that co njecture is no t a su b sti tute fo r sub stan ti al ev iden ce ). In s uppor tof the fi ndi ng, t he A t t or neyG ener al ci t es a new s paperart i cl e r eport i ng th e o p in io n s o f

th e n -S e c re tar yo f

S tate C o lin P o w e ll an d G e n e ra l Jo h n A b iza id th a t th e in su rg e n c yw ill u lti m a telyb e d e fe a ted . B u t th e a rticle a lso re p o rts Powel l ’ s op i ni on t ha t“ t he i ns ur ge nc yi n I r a q i s ge t t i ng w or s e a nd tha tthe U . S. o c c u p a tio n th e re h a s in c re a s e d a n ti- A m e ri c a n s e n tim e n t.” A d m in . R . a t 3 5 3 . F u rth e r, th e re is e v id e n c e in th e re c o rd su g g e stin g th a t th e m ili tar y , at le a st in B aghdad, i s noti n contr ol of the “s ecur i tyand human r i ght s s i tuat i on. ” Id. atA s countr yr eport s ar e now avai l abl e r efl ect i ng the condi t i ons i n I r aq 4 fol l ow i ng t he demi s e of the H us s ei n r egi m e, t he I J s houl d cons i derpr es ent c o n d itio n s in Ir a q o n re m a n d . See Solom on v. G onz al es , N o . 0 5 - 9 5 2 2 , 2 0 0 6 WL 2 0 3 7 4 0 3 , a t* 8 , ___ F . 3 d ___ , ___ ( 1 0 th Ci r . J u l y2 1 , 2 0 0 6 ) . Co n s e q u e n t l y , we denyas m ootD aoud’ s r eques tforj udi ci al not i ce of t he countryr eport s and the A tto rn e yG e n e ra l’s m o tio n to strik e D a o u d ’s r e q u e st.

- 9- 3 6 9 . In a n ye v e n t, th e IJ’ s h o p e fo r a m o re sta b le s itu a tio n in Ira q is n o su b stitu te fora fa ctual fi ndi ng der i ved fr om s ubs t ant i al evi dence i n the r ecor d. B eca us e the I J fai l ed t o m ake factual fi ndi ngs thatw er e s uppor t ed by s ubs t ant i al evi dence and nec es s aryt o det erm i ni ng w hetherD aoud es t abl i s hed a cl earpr obabi l i t yof per s ecut i on ort or tur e i f r emoved t o I r aq, w e G R A N T the pet i t i on forr evi ew , V A C A T E t he B I A ’ s deci s i on aff i r m i ng the I J ’ s or der , and R E M A N D t hi s m at t erforfur t herpr ocee di ngs cons i s t entw i th thi s or derand ju d g m e n t. 4 E n tered fo r th e C o u rt

W ade Brorby C i r cui tJ udge