Abuse Continues in Iraqi Detention Centers
by TChris
Every U.S. inspection of a detention center in Iraq between November and February yielded evidence of prisoner abuse. Severe abuse was uncovered at two centers. Despite last November's pledge by Gen. Peter Pace that troops would stop inhumane treatment if they saw it -- a pledge that prompted some jousting between Pace and Rumsfeld about the duty to "report" abuse (Rumsfeld's view) versus the duty to "stop" abuse (Pace's view) -- the military hasn't taken consistent action to protect the abused prisoners.
Instead, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials, only a handful of the most severely abused detainees at a single site were removed for medical treatment. Prisoners at two other sites were removed to alleviate overcrowding. U.S. and Iraqi authorities left the rest where they were. This practice of leaving the detainees in place has raised concerns that detainees now face additional threats.
According to Washington Post interviews, one Iraqi official involved in the inspections suspects that the U.S. doesn't want to publicize evidence that Iraq's Interior Ministry is actively involved in the mistreatment of detainees, for fear of further destabilizing a fragile government.
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