Death squads operated from inside Iraqi government, officials say

[bigtree]

Mar. 12, 2006

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Senior Iraqi officials Sunday confirmed for the first time that death squads composed of government employees had operated illegally from inside two government ministries.

"The deaths squads that we have captured are in the defense and interior ministries," Minister of Interior Bayan Jabr said during a joint news conference with the Minister of Defense. "There are people who have infiltrated the army and the interior."

Sunni Muslims have long complained about Shiite death squads that arrived wearing official uniforms and rode in official-looking vehicles to haul away victims.

Knight Ridder first reported the accusation of death squads in February last year, and in June documented many cases in which victims were taken away allegedly by men wearing Interior Ministry commando uniforms were later found handcuffed and executed with a bullet to the back of the head.

The investigation that led to Sunday's confirmation of government death squads came after American forces stopped a group of men who were passing through a checkpoint in late January. The men wore official uniforms and said they were preparing to execute a Sunni man in their custody.

full article: http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/nation/14083330.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp

[redphish]

1. "Infiltrated" hmmmm something smells a bit fishy 'bout this.

Why would they just tell them that they were going to execute the guy.

[bigtree]

2. they frickin ARE the army and the interior

[Neil Lisst]

3. Bush loves to talk about elections, but not this problem

Mr. President, aren't the death squads connected to the government you created in Iraq YOUR responsibility?!

[bigtree]

5. trained and funded by our soldiers and our government

Intelligence Director Negroponte had his henchman James Steele train a unit of about 5000 troops called the 'Special Police Commandos'. He did the same type of thing during El Salvador's civil war.

[Virginia Dare]

4. Anyone out there surprised by this? EOM

[bigtree]

7. we know every thing before it starts with this bunch

but it takes repeating over and over like the country has Alzheimers disease until something sticks.

The paragraph that's missing is the rundown of 'who and how' these units were trained and equipped.

And then silence as we wait for the calls to impeach Bush for treason and war crimes.

[libodem]

6. We'll hear about this one on Faux

when hell freezes over, I expect.

[leftchick]

8. I suspect these are Negroponte's boys

recruited while he was "ambassador".

[bigtree]

9. right

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0507-26.htm