UN rights office urges Iraq to rein in death squads

[struggle4progress]

23 Mar 2006 20:32:09 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Stephanie Nebehay

GENEVA, March 23 (Reuters) - The United Nations has called on Iraqi authorities to rein in "death squads" allegedly operating within security forces and said it received regular reports of torture in detention centres.

The U.N. human rights office in Iraq also said in a report covering the first two months of this year, insurgent activities including "terrorist acts" have intensified since the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in Samarra on Feb 22, "resulting in hundreds of cases of killings, torture, illegal detention and displacement". <snip>

The nine-page report posted on the website www.uniraq.org., said U.N. officials, who report to U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, had received serious allegations about elements in the police and special forces and "their apparent collusion with militias in carrying out human rights violations".

Allegations that "death squads" operate in the country had grown stronger after the discovery by multinational forces and the Iraqi security forces in January of a suspicious group operating within the Interior Ministry, it said. Twenty-two men, dressed as special police commandos, were caught when driving with a man who was allegedly about to be executed, it said. <snip>

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L23317115.htm

[Demeter]

1. U (N) And What Army?

Is this stupid day, or what? Let the UN go straight to the source--via John Bolton, if they want to stop the killing.

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. And Bolton, speaking for the Junta, responded with...

"The United Nations has no business telling the US how run our internal affairs."

[HuffleClaw]

3. IRAQI authorities?

they'd be better to talk to bolton, or bush. the 'iraqi authorities' don't do a thing without checking first with their american minders.

[LynnTheDem]

4. Iraq; WORSE now than under Hussein. Iraqis; WORSE OFF now than

under Hussein.

ALL CREDIT GOES TO THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF; george W. bush.