Red Cross Report Describes Abuse in Iraq

[ze_dscherman]

GENEVA - A Red Cross report disclosed Monday said coalition intelligence officers estimated that 70-90 percent of Iraqi detainees were arrested by mistake and said Red Cross observers witnessed U.S. officers mistreating Abu Ghraib prisoners by keeping them naked in total darkness in empty cells.

SNIP

The report by the International Committee of the Red Cross supports its allegations that abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers was broad and "not individual acts" — contrary to President Bush (news - web sites)'s contention that the mistreatment "was the wrongdoing of a few."

SNIP

"Upon witnessing such cases, the ICRC interrupted its visits and requested an explanation from the authorities," the report said. "The military intelligence officer in charge of the interrogation explained that this practice was 'part of the process.'"

SNIP

It said it found evidence supporting prisoners' allegations of other forms of abuse during arrest, initial detention and interrogation.


Among the evidence were burns, bruises and other injuries consistent with the abuse that prisoners alleged, it said.

More: http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040510/ap_on_re_eu/red_cross_prisoner_abuse_5


An earlier thread on this subject has been moved to http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1569018


On edit: Dont forget to rate the Yahoo article before it gets freeped!

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Ok I will say this

As I suspscted evidence has been quietly building over the last three years.

The Special tribunal is being quietly gathered... hence why both the American and British Ambassadors to the Hague were REBUKED on a Sunday, this folks is Switzerland where Sunday is a day you DO NOT work.

Tony will be easier to nail, all they have to do is indict, as the UK did sign the Internatioanl Court Convention. After they do, the Hague can demand he is surrenedered to the court wtih all others named in the indictment, such as Geoff Hoon, Secretary of the MoD, and other principals. Didn't the head of the UK Judiciary warn that this was against International Law before the shooting started? Tony is going to find soon what that means.

Now we are a tad more difficult, as Bush REFUSED to sign the protocols, but he forgot... the reason the International Court was formed was to avoid the messinness of forming a Special tribunal every freaking time... no problem, they can still form one.

Folks this hurricane is going to traumatize this country in ways that will make the freepers heads exp0lode... but if you thought the ride was fun... it is going to get even more interesting in the comming months... to a year.

By the way, who remembers what happened after the ICRC "leaked" a partial report on the Serbina camps? You all remember the Special Court for Yugoslavia, don't you?

[PfcHammer]

2. "70-90 percent of Iraqi detainees were arrested by mistake"

Says it all.

[Zan_of_Texas]

3. This is a very special band of war criminals

Not everybody tries to make sure no court has jurisdiction before or while they commit crimes.

In July 2003 (two months after some of the first reports of abuse in Iraq started coming to internal attention), the US announced it was suspending military aid to 35 countries because they failed to exempt Americans from prosecution before a UN war crimes tribunal. This UN International Criminal Court was created under a 1998 treaty.
~~~~~~~~~~

Paper: Houston Chronicle
Date: THU 07/03/03

U.S. freeze of some military aid astounds Colombians

By JOHN OTIS, Houston Chronicle South America Bureau
Staff

BOGOTA, Colombia - Washington's decision to freeze some U.S. military aid to the Bogota government has astonished Colombian officials, who argued Wednesday that they have cooperated with the Bush administration on everything from the war on drugs to the war in Iraq. On Tuesday, the Bush administration suspended military aid to 35 countries, including Colombia, for failing to exempt Americans from prosecution before a new U.N. war crimes tribunal, which the White House does not recognize.

<snip>Colombia claims that legal protection for Americans is covered by a 1962 accord between the two nations. But Washington, which had set a July 1 deadline for nations to sign new bilateral agreements protecting U.S. citizens, disagreed and froze $5 million in military assistance. That amounts to just a small chunk of Colombia's $660 million aid package from Washington for 2003. Nearly all U.S. assistance to help Colombia fight illegal drug traffickers and left-wing guerrillas continues to flow.

As a result, observers say the partial aid freeze will have little on-the-ground impact. Many predict that the dispute will eventually be resolved. Still, Washington's action came with scant warning and left many Colombian officials feeling burned. <snip>
The Bush administration maintains that American citizens might be singled out for politically motivated trials before the U.N. International Criminal Court, which was created under a 1998 treaty.
But critics accuse the United States of bullying other countries and undermining an institution that could advance the cause of human rights. Tuesday's announcement that some Colombian aid would be suspended, they say, sets a powerful example, since only Egypt and Israel receive more U.S. assistance.

"It's a message to the rest of the world that, if we are willing to cut off our No. 3 aid recipient, we're serious about this," said Adam Isacson, a Colombia expert at the Center for International Policy in Washington. A number of countries, including Israel, Egypt and members of NATO, were exempted from the aid cutoff, and others received special waivers. <snip>

[TrogL]

4. Need a link to this article

I've revived my Oil Wars website (I'll see about getting a mirror going this week) and need information about war crimes and the Bush administration's attempts to avoid prosecution.