[A-List] Iraq: Abuse Widespread

[Richard Menec <menecraj@xxxxxxx>]

The job of interrogator "is just a hair's breadth away from being an illegal
specialty under the Geneva Convention."

-- Interrogation instructor John Giersdorf (See below.)

Full:
<http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040507/IRAQPH
OTOS07/International/Idx>

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US soldiers "abused young girl at Iraqi prison"

Mr al-Baz claims the guards at the prison were keen to take photographs of
the abuse and turned it into a competition.

"They were enjoying taking photographs of the torture. There was a daily
competition to see who could take the most gruesome picture.

Full: http://www.itv.com

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8th May 2004
The Independent (UK)

'I was beaten for three days by British soldiers'

By Cahal Milmo

"An Iraqi prisoner has described how he was allegedly subjected to vicious
beatings by laughing British soldiers during interrogation sessions which
left another man dead.

Mr Rumsfeld revealed that there were many more photographs and videotapes
showing sadistic acts by American personnel which have not yet been
published."

The engineer, who claims his injuries were so severe that he suffered renal
failure, said he and six other detainees were made to hold out their arms
horizontally and were beaten when they failed to do so for more than a few
minutes. He added: "One terrible game played involved kick-boxing. The
soldiers would surround us and compete as to who could kick-box one of us
furthest. The idea was to try and make us crash into the wall."

Full:
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=519247

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Sydney Morning Herald   May 7, 2004

Red Cross 'urged action on abuse'

The international Red Cross said it had repeatedly urged US authorities to
take action over prisoner abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison before recent
revelations about the way detainees were treated.

"We were aware of what was going on, and based on our findings we have
repeatedly requested the US authorities to take corrective action," said
Nada Doumani, spokeswoman for the International Committee of the Red Cross,
speaking from Jordan.

Full: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635277697.html

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Reuters      May 6, 2004

Soldiers back in U.S. tell of more Iraqi abuses

By Adam Tanner

Antioch, California - Three U.S. military policemen who served at Baghdad's
Abu Ghraib prison said on Thursday they had witnessed unreported cases of
prisoner abuse and that the practice against Iraqis was commonplace.

"It is a common thing to abuse prisoners," said Sgt. Mike Sindar, 25, a
National Guardsman with the 870th Military Police Company based in the San
Francisco Bay area. "I saw beatings all the time.

"A lot of people had so much pent-up anger, so much aggression."

Full: http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=5068071

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The Guardian May 7, 2004

British soldier gives new details of abuse of jailed Iraqis

Evidence: Prisoners were beaten till faces 'like haggises'

By Richard Norton-Taylor and Matthew Taylor

British military chiefs were last night confronted with further damaging
allegations about the behaviour of their troops, with fresh claims of the
abuse of Iraqi prisoners of war.

At a secret location in London last night, military police questioned a
soldier, known only as "soldier C", who had come forward with the claims.

Full:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1211509,00.html

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Let the Wall of Silence Fall

by Virginia Tilley

Counterpunch (May 03 2004)

The hooded figure stands Christ-like, arms out, frozen in place by the
snaking wires that he was told would kill him if his bare feet left the
small box on which he is poised.  Chosen for publicity because his
nakedness is actually covered with some filthy rag, he is emblazoned on
every newspaper in the world.  Other photos are worse: a mound of naked
men, obscenely intertwined for laughing torturers; leering American
soldiers pointing imaginary weapons at prisoners' genitals. And those
not published are even worse: men forced to simulate sex acts with each
other, or to masturbate before their guards.  Staring at these images,
an entire aghast international community recalls dehumanizations pursued
by the worst regimes in history.  Arab-Muslim sensitivities to nakedness
give these scenes - flanked by the leering female US soldier - an
additional dimension of shame and horror.  But what exactly does this
faceless man symbolize-besides the moral rot filtering through the
foundations of the US occupation?

Full: http://www.counterpunch.org/tilley05032004.html