Political Prisoners Die in "Abu Ghraib" and "Makasib" Prisons
Prisoners in general, and political detainees in particular, are suffering dire living and health conditions in the prisons and detention centres of the Iraqi dictatorship, as a result of mistreatment, poor diet and the spread of disease. Prison authorities deliberately neglect to treat those incarcerated in their dungeons, failing utterly to deal with the most serious health cases which threaten the lives of prisoners and expose them to death. These conditions were aggravated for those held at the notorious "Abu Ghraib" and "Makasib" prisons during the summer by intense heat, a lack of water fit for drinking, and the absence of the most basic health requirements in prison halls and cells, such as ventillation, lighting .. etc. These miserable conditions have led to the death of a number of political prisoners. Among the victims who have been identified at Abu Ghraib prison are: - Hedayet Aziz Ghaleb, who died on 26/6/2000 following a heart attack. - Latif Amin Rafiq (60 years old), who died on 21/6/ 2000 after suffering "a strange skin disease", according to the report of the prison's doctor. "Makasib" Prison received, throughout June and July 2000, many visits by leading officials of the regime and officers in charge of its repressive machine. Among these "visitors" was Qussay Saddam Hussein, the dictator's son, who inspected the prison's newly-built execution chambers. Others included Major Maher Othman al-Tikriti, from the Public Security Directorate and the director of Radhwaniyya Prison, as well as General Fayadh Huwaish al-Makhlabi from the General Intelligence Directorate. The prison was also visited by a special security committee, headed by the criminal Abdul Hamid Mohammed Saber, which met with officers in charge of the prison sections and dungeons.
It will be a great act of kindness to liberate this prison. I don't wish this type of experience on anyone, but having these journalists witness the brutality of this place is a gift from on High. I am sort of ashamed that my Church considers our effort in Iraq less than noble. This has been going on while the UN inspectors wined and dined with Iraqi murderers. Give the inspectors more time? I think I'm going to puke now. A_R