Posted on 01/24/2005 7:35:03 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
LONDON (AP) -
Iraqi security forces are arbitrarily arresting people and systematically torturing and abusing detainees, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Tuesday.
With few exceptions, Iraqi authorities have not acted to stop such mistreatment, the report said. International police advisers, largely funded by the U.S. government, "have turned a blind eye to these rampant abuses," it said.
"The Iraqi interim government led by Prime Minister Ayad Allawi ... appears to be actively taking part, or is at least complicit, in these grave violations of fundamental human rights. Nor has the United States, the United Kingdom or other involved governments publicly taken up these issues as a matter of concern," the report said.
"The people of Iraq were promised something better than this after the government of Saddam Hussein fell," said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Middle East and North Africa section of Human Rights Watch.
"The Iraqi security forces obviously face tremendous challenges, including an insurgency that has targeted civilians," Whitson added.
"We unequivocally condemn the insurgents' brutality. But international law is unambiguous on this point: no government can justify torture of detainees in the name of security," she said.
Human Rights Watch said it interviewed 90 detainees in Iraq, of whom 72 claimed to have been tortured or abused.
"The majority of the detainees to whom Human Rights Watch spoke said that torture and ill-treatment under interrogation was routine," the report said.
"Some also said that the police also used violence against them at the time of arrest. The accounts of their treatment at the hands of the police were consistent to a high degree.
"Typically, detainees reported being blindfolded with their hands tied behind their back while undergoing interrogation. They said their interrogators or guards kicked, slapped and punched them, and beat them all over the body using hosepipes, wooden sticks, iron rods and cables," the report said.
In London, the Foreign Office said it welcomed the report and would study it.
"The U.K. government condemns all forms of abuse, whoever the perpetrators. We have raised the issue of conditions in Iraqi detention facilities with the Iraqi government and will continue to do so in the future," the Foreign Office said.
"We are grateful to Human Rights Watch for this report and will study the issues that it raises and its recommendations carefully. The British government is providing assistance to the Iraqi government to overcome the legacy of decades of abuse of human rights under the previous regime. This involves training and monitoring of Iraqi police and prison service in southern Iraq. Of course we stand ready to consider any further requests for assistance from the Iraq government."
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On the Net:
Report, http://hrw.org/reports/2005/iraq0105/
Looks like they said X words:
"The Iraqi security forces obviously face tremendous challenges, including an insurgency that has targeted civilians," Whitson added.
"We unequivocally condemn the insurgents' brutality. . ."
So, we have a pair of halves of a 2 sentences directly dealing with the terrori- err, insurgents. Isn't that enough for you? </S>
HRW has not only been on Saddam's case for his treatment of his subjects, but has also taken issue with the insurgent's activities.
What is at stake here is whether we are able to transfer our (America's) values regarding human rights to the new Iraqi government, or if we will see them fall into that category of nations our President singled out for opprobrium in his inaugural address.
The top aide terrorist to AL Zarqawi did not confess his terror crime if he was not tortured. Torture is the most effective tool to make terrorists speak, and anyone who think otherwise is a complete idiot, or just afraid to be branded as beast.
Human rights watch is worried about some guys who say they had a bad time at one of our resorts based upon *thin air*.
Now, if these guys were escapees from prewar Iraq claiming they had seen WMD or had been in an Iraqi bioweapons faility filling shells, we would be told to discount their testimony because they are just dissidents with an agenda.
But because these guys were captured as terrorists, they are considere a satisfactory source?
Pray for W and Our Troops
No, my mistake. It wasn't Human Rights Watch that was all over Jordan for its imprisonment of Hikmat Shakir, it was Amnesty International.
An eye for an eye, and a head for a head.....
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