Winning hearts and minds, one rape at a time.

[Dammit Ann]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x249656

I read this heartbreaking post earlier about Riverbend's long awaited newest post. I just came across this...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6378821.stm

Some of the more disturbing quotes...

"An allegation that Iraqi police raped a Sunni woman while enforcing a new security plan in Baghdad has opened sectarian splits within the government.

The woman said she was assaulted at a police garrison on Sunday where she was falsely held for supporting insurgents.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, who is Shia, dismissed the claims, but senior Sunni officials insist it is true."


-snip-

"Mr Maliki ordered an investigation into the case on Monday night, but cleared the three men hours later.

"Medical examinations showed the woman had not been subjected to any sexual attack," a government statement said.

"The prime minister has ordered that the honourable officers accused be rewarded," it added without elaborating.

But an aide of Vice President Tariq Hashimi, a Sunni, said the prime minister's office had acted in haste, and doctors had in fact confirmed rape had taken place.

The woman was named Sabrine Janabi by al-Jazeera, but Sunni politicians said this was not her real name.

The US military, whose medical staff oversaw the woman's examination, said it was aware of the various reports, but could not confirm anything."


Could not CONFIRM ANYTHING? What does that mean? Did this happen or not? Are they covering it up? What the hell is going on over there?

[oldtimecanuk]

1. And we wonder why they have insurgent problems in the country....

I honestly don't think that Iraq will ever be sorted out until all foreigners leave the country and allow neighboring countries to help them with there plight that Georgie boy and his buddies have created.

[Dammit Ann]

2. Riverbend reacts.

Some of Riverbend's reaction-

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

"No Iraqi woman under the circumstances- under any circumstances- would publicly, falsely claim she was raped. There are just too many risks. There is the risk of being shunned socially. There is the risk of beginning an endless chain of retaliations and revenge killings between tribes. There is the shame of coming out publicly and talking about a subject so taboo, she and her husband are not only risking their reputations by telling this story, they are risking their lives.

No one would lie about something like this simply to undermine the Baghdad security operation. That can be done simply by calculating the dozens of dead this last week. Or by writing about the mass detentions of innocents, or how people are once again burying their valuables so that Iraqi and American troops don't steal them.

It was less than 14 hours between Sabrine's claims and Maliki's rewarding the people she accused. In 14 hours, Maliki not only established their innocence, but turned them into his own personal heroes. I wonder if Maliki would entrust the safety his own wife and daughter to these men.

This is meant to discourage other prisoners, especially women, from coming forward and making claims against Iraqi and American forces. Maliki is the stupidest man alive (well, after Bush of course…) if he believes his arrogance and callous handling of the situation will work to dismiss it from the minds of Iraqis. By doing what he is doing, he's making it more clear than ever that under his rule, under his government, vigilante justice is the only way to go. Why leave it to the security forces and police? Simply hire a militia or gang to get revenge. If he doesn't get some justice for her, her tribe will be forced to... And the Janabat (the Al Janabis) are a force to be reckoned with.
Maliki could at least pretend the rape of a young Iraqi woman is still an outrage in todays Iraq... "