Chicago Trib: US Violating Laws In Arming of Iraqi Cops

[kpete]

U.S. arming of Iraq cops skates close to legal line
Required checks on rights abuses skipped

By Cam Simpson and Liz Sly
Tribune correspondents
Published April 15, 2006, 12:15 PM CDT


WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials are doling out millions of dollars of arms and ammunition to Iraqi police units without safeguards required to ensure they are complying with American laws that ban taxpayer-financed assistance for foreign security forces engaged in human-rights violations, according to an internal State Department review.

The previously undisclosed review shows that officials failed to take steps to comply with the laws over the past two years, amid mounting reports of torture and murder by Shiite-dominated Iraqi security forces. The review comes at a time when the U.S. military emphasis in Iraq has switched to training and equipping Iraqi forces to replace American troops.

As Iraq slides deeper into sectarian violence, the performance of U.S.-supported Iraqi units could be crucial, because some are infiltrated by militias believed responsible for much of the current strife.

The laws in question are called the Leahy Amendments for their author, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). Unless the administration reports to Congress that "effective measures" are being taken to bring abusers to justice, it is supposed to cut off support for any unit in a foreign security force whose members commit serious human-rights violations. Units also are supposed to be vetted before receiving assistance.

much more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-060415security-story,1,4307400.story?page=1&coll=chi-news-hed

[magellan]

1. And $20 million has been sent to the Nepalese gov't

...to help arm the King's military against his people, who are in the streets protesting for -- ta da -- a return to democracy.

Ho hum, just another corrupt day in the US gov't.

[Oversea Visitor]

2. Smelly smelly

Trap....... Dem better stay clear of this

Hmmmm think of it get blame either way :rofl:

[unblock]

3. eh, what's one more war crime?

[paul_fromatlanta]

4. "Units also are supposed to be vetted before receiving assistance."

I can see it now... "We went over the transfers carefully with a veterinarian."

[madeline_con]

5. The new buzzwords

can be hard to keep up with. :popcorn:


edit: typos freeek me out