Iraq torture chamber: "The Americans are there every day"

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=143&sid=6243463&cKey=1132145443000

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Sunni Arab politicians demanded an international investigation on Wednesday into allegations that Shi'ite militias linked to Iraq's Interior Ministry tortured and abused prisoners in a secret Baghdad bunker.

The underground bunker, near the ministry's compound in central Baghdad, was discovered by U.S. troops during a raid on Sunday night in a development likely to fuel sectarian tensions ahead of December 15 parliamentary elections.

Inside they found 173 malnourished and in some cases badly beaten men and teenagers, some of whom showed signs of having been tortured, Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said on Tuesday as he ordered an investigation into the chamber's discovery. snip

Hadi al-Amery, the head of the Badr Organisation, a militia group that is tightly allied to SCIRI, a powerful Shi'ite Muslim political party in the government, denied any involvement.

"This bunker is run by the Interior Ministry, the Americans are there every day," he said.

[Kagemusha]

1. Ok, the first part of that statement's undisputedly true.

But "the Americans are there every day"??? Ex-soldiers have been saying around the Net that this place was Interior Ministry turf and they didn't get let in. What gives?

[NNN0LHI]

2. Would you admit you had been there if you had been there?

Anyone who thinks the Iraqis are running anything in Iraq is not dealing with reality.

Don

[Richard Steele]

4. "Americans" doesn't automatically mean "soldiers".

Look at who said that: I bet the Americans he usually meets
are Cia or State Dept. types, NOT our kids in uniform.

[bryant69]

7. Or independent contractors.

It is well known that certain "security" firms have men trained in this kind of "work" over there; it's not unreasonable for the Iraqis to hire some experts (the Americans might have even suggested this course of action).

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. I'm sure only certain people

get invited to some of these 'parties'. Then once you join the club it's certainly not good for your health to talk about it.

[madokie]

3. When I first read about this I wondered if it is really american or not

The lows this mis-administration won't go to is staggering

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. American supported and financed

We just don't put our name on the deed if we can avoid it.

[madokie]

9. If for no other reason I hope I live at least 20 more years to see

for myself the damage bush* has done and how our country pulls out of it. weaker but stronger. Weaker for having lost our moral authority, stronger for the safeguards against just something like bush* from ever happening again. me thinks

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. I think once we flush the corruption from the system

the whole world will be a better place. The majority of people on the planet just want to live a decent life and raise their kids. I don't think that too much to expect from a civil society?

[Stockholm]

8. Nothing goes down without the nod from the occupational force

Alaa Makki, senior member in the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party tells AFP his party demands an international investigation into these matters.

According to Makki the blame for the abuse lies with the occupational forces since nothing happens without their approval.

Translated from Swedish

http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=148&a=488419&previousRenderType=1

Who said Shi'ite and Sunni's can´t agree on anything?

[NNN0LHI]

11. I keep wondering about this Shi'ite and Sunni 'split' we are told about

I have a dollar that says Shi'ite and Sunni's intermarry regularly in a country such as Iraq. I may be wrong but I don't think so.

Don

[KoKo]

12. Probably Blackwater or Dyncorp "Training Center."

:-(