Refugee says soldiers abused him on visit to Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.registerguard.com/news/2005/02/12/d3.wa.refugee.0212.html

EVERETT, Wash. - An Iraqi refugee who returned home to visit relatives says he was detained and severely mistreated by U.S. soldiers for 12 days.

Jawad al-Hamid, 34, of Everett, told The Herald newspaper that the soldiers didn't feed him or let him use a restroom for several days, fastened his handcuffs so tight that he was left with scars on his wrists and pushed him to the floor of his tiny cell.

Al-Hamid said he was in Iraq from Oct. 23 to Jan. 19 to visit family in Basra.

U.S. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Barry Johnson told the newspaper by telephone from Baghdad that he could not comment on the allegations until the Army conducts an investigation.

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This guy should just STFU. Where did he think he was going? On some kind of vacation in a damn war zone or something? I would say he is damn lucky he is not a permanent resident at Abu Ghraib Prison. Or worse. This guy must be watching too much Fox news.

[cvoogt]

1. he has rights

including the right to visit Iraq, his country of birth, without being detained for no reason. Lucky? Perhaps. But he should by no means keep quiet.