[Dick Holmes]

I hope this is not true!

[AmericanInTokyo]

I had distinctly heard British soldiers complaining about US soldiers' 'bull in a China closet' shotgun approach, early on in the occupation. Then, things started to go bad for the Brits, too, down in Basra.

Anyway, I'll need more evidence to come to a conclusion, but things are not looking good, either in reality, or certainly PR-wise. Tom Daschle must be happy.

[MineralMan]

This is the third time today I've heard the same thing. Is it true? Well, I've also read that we're releasing people from this prison every day. Apparently some of the people going to the prison are caught up in sweeps of some kind. Once we figure out that they're not combatants, they're kicked loose.

If this story, however, is true in its facts, then the problem is even worse, since some, or many of the prisoners being held may not even be combatants. The Geneva Convention's pretty clear on who can be held as POWs, and noncombatants aren't on the list.

[CWOJackson]

LOL! I wonder how soon it will be before the usual I-hate-all-cops crowd will be complaining about the jack-booted thugs?

[Freesofar]

Only one sentence in the article suggesting substantiation.
From complaints to the red cross

[AntiGuv]

Of course this is true. This is perfectly natural in any war, especially a guerrilla conflict, where you can hardly ever tell the bad guys from the in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time guys. I've been saying that since day 1 of this scandal (to people who think these guys should pay for all the crimes of Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden rolled into one..)

[johnfrink]

Winning hearts and minds...

[atomicpossum]

This article, and the report cited in it, strike me as particularly slanted, deliberately inflammatory, and, basically, a slanted load of liberal bile.

Rough action on arrests?? Lands sakes! It's not like anyone's going to shoot at them! (/sarcasm)

"Arresting authorities entered houses usually after dark, breaking down doors, waking up residents roughly, yelling orders, forcing family members into one room under military guard while searching the rest of the house and further breaking doors, cabinets and other property.

Sounds like an episode of 'Cops.'

[Gator113]

Perhaps we should have simply sent everyone a post card and told them that if they didn't immediately give up, we are going to pout, yell bang, bang, and call them dirty names until their feelings were hurt.

[StonyBurk]

Yes-- and I have it on th ehighest authority that in the
mosques it is well known fact that most Americans and
coalition dead and wounded were hurt -"by mistake."

[Straight Vermonter]

Did you ever notice that the only people who live in Arab countries are children and "elderly, handicapped or sick people"?

[Libertarianize the GOP]

The report said some coalition military intelligence officers estimated that "between 70 per cent and 90 per cent of the persons deprived of their liberty in Iraq had been arrested by mistake".

I like that, unnamed source and failure to define "deprived of liberty," which probaly means held for a few minutes while the area was searched.

[OldFriend]

When I saw this report initially it said MAY have been arrested by mistake. Such a little word, that has such a big meaning, no?

[BOOTSTICK]

Hello, how are you doing today?, "OK", so why are you here in this Iraqi prison?, " well the american occupiers broke into my house and arrested me for no good reason", Thank you for your time, your comments will be compliled in our report, have a nice day.

[An.American.Expatriate]

This getting so ridiculous. The ICRC report was supposedly "classifed" and only available to the Government. If that is true, then the "some military intelligence officers" would have been identified.

Furthermore, the "round-ups" are not necessarily for combatants only. The coalition is responsible for the enforcement of law in the occupied areas. That law is currently "martial law". Under martial law, civilians CAN be detained - but - tribunals are supposed to be held to determine guilt. The treatment of civilians is also far different that that of combatants.

I would imagine that, in the case of round-ups, there would certainly be a large number of "innocents" caught up in the net. The question is not one of "mistaken detention", but what happens after that. If the "mistaken" detainees are released in a timely manner and are otherwise treated "humanly", there is no issue.

Traditionally, the ICRC has been "neutral" and due to that neutrality, they have been able to play an important role. Unfortunately, the ICRC rejected neutrality on the Iraq War at the beginning. Anything that is now said by them in criticism of the Coalition must be viewed suspiciously - especially when the allegations are non-sourced.

[rageaholic]

Arabs arrested by mistake? No way, they're all guilty!

[sheik yerbouty]

"I wuz framed!"

[F.J. Mitchell]

Arresting and/or taking prisoners is always a mistake. Next subject?

[mrustow]

Please forgive me for the interruption and for the typeface, but we need all FReepers, their friends, lovers, enemies, relatives, spouses, exes, acquaintances, strangers, debtors, creditors, colleagues, bosses and subordinates to sign The Federalist's petition to save Don Rumsfeld!

Thank you!

RUMMY Petition

We now return to the regularly scheduled thread.

[AFPhys]

the source and author of this are clearly delusional...

[kidd]

There is a big difference between being arrested and being detained. I would guess that most "arrests" (if that is the appropriate term to use in a war zone) lead to an immediate release. The only ones detained would be those who represent a threat of some sort.

I glad to hear that the military is not leaving any stones unturned.