A Sinister Past Comes to Light at an Iraqi Post

New York Times ^ | April 7, 2003 | JIM DWYER

[Kay Soze]

April 7, 2003 A Sinister Past Comes to Light at an Iraqi Post By JIM DWYER

ARBALA, Iraq, April 6 — To the Americans who arrived by tank and helicopter and Humvee, this city 45 miles south of Baghdad began to reveal itself today in hints of a sinister past in captured military archives.

Inside a bombed military headquarters, soldiers found strips of film negatives showing images of people who appeared to have met violent deaths. The images, shown to a reporter, appeared to document injuries on the bodies of three different people. Scores of other negatives kept in the same cabinet appeared to show ordinary work scenes.

Down the hall was a room with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of dossiers, with photographs stapled to each one. Someone had made an unsuccessful effort to burn the files before fleeing.

In still another room was electronic equipment that could be used for eavesdropping, explained Capt. Jim Phillips as he led a reporter through the remains of the building.

During the day, four Iraqis came forward to tell soldiers that they had been held prisoner in a jail inside the compound, Captain Phillips said. Other prisoners apparently were held inside the military headquarters. He pointed to a false wall, and rooms in the basement that were about 25 feet by 25 feet.

"One guy says they would cram 100 people in those rooms," Captain Phillips said.

These are early days, but the documents and photographs found here suggest that a gradual process of unearthing the deeds of Saddam Hussein during his 24-year rule has begun. From the documents, some accounting of the degree of his brutality should eventually take form.

[Kay Soze]

Was done with the support of Susan Sarandon, Ed Asner, Mike Farell, David Doucvney, Matt Damon, Seasn Penn,Tim Robbins,Maddona, ANSWER

[konaice]

I wish when people link to the New York Times they would change the "www" bit to "archive" so you don't get that annoying registeration page...

http://archive.nytimes.com/2003/04/07/international/worldspecial/07AIRB.html

[PoisedWoman]

You're right about Saranwrap and the rest of that gang of Saddamsymps. I especially like this part of the article:

Along rural roads east of town, a procession of people on foot, bicycle, and donkey cart all carried the same cargo: fistfuls of live, though not lively, chickens.A few of the travelers even used the birds as white flags, waving them at American troops.

Chickens that expired in the heat, which hit 106 degrees today, were discarded by the dozens along the roads. The spectacle was mildly baffling, with more than a few Americans assuming that transporting live chickens was some sort of custom on Sundays.

Not at all, one of the residents explained to military officials. "He told us that one of Saddam Hussein's sons owns a chicken farm or something down the road, and the people went in there and liberated themselves some chickens," said Col. Joe Anderson, the commander of the Second Brigade.

What a wonderful symbol for Saddam's "great" fighters. Limp, discarded chickens. I hope someone has a photo of this phenomenon. But I also wonder why hungry Iaqis didn't eat the chickens after they paraded around with them.