UN Reports Continuing Widespread Torture of Detainees in Iraq

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Iraq: UN paints grim human rights picture as killings spike; faults lack of central control

20 September 2006

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said it has continued to receive reports of involvement by the United States-led Multinational Forcers in incidents of excessive use of force and of restrictions imposed on the movement of civilians.

It also noted that thousands of detainees continue to be held outside the existing legal framework partly because Iraqi courts do not have the capacity to adjudicate such a high number of cases.

UNAMI has consistently documented the widespread use of torture, particularly during interrogation, both in official and extra-judicial detention centres. “Detainees’ bodies show signs of beating using electrical cables, wounds in different parts of their bodies, including in the head and genitals, broken bones of legs and hands, electric and cigarette burns,” it said.

“Bodies found at the Medico-legal Institute often bear signs of severe torture including acid-induced injuries and burns caused by chemical substances, missing skin, broken bones (back, hands and legs), missing eyes, missing teeth and wounds caused by power drills or nails.

“Individuals who escaped death in such incidents reported that saw others being tortured to get information about their sect,” it added, noting that many such detainees had been held by Sunni extremists or Shi’a militias.

article: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19916&Cr=Iraq&Cr1=

actual report to be posted on this page: http://www.uniraq.org/docsmaps/undocuments.asp?pagename=undocuments

[vickitulsa]

1. "...noting that many such detainees had been held

by Sunni extremists or Shi’a militias."

From whom the American interrogators are learning many new and highly useful techniques....

[PaddyMac]

2. and now they want to make it legal too

Now, the press is on by the Administration to legalize acts of torture, not only in the future, but those already committed.

Here is an action you can take to stop it (from JustForeignPolicy.org): http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/involved/warcrimes091906.html

[Supersedeas]

3. nothing to see here....Greta's doing a special on Pickles...stay tuned