BAGHDAD, Oct. 4, 2006
CBS: Death Squads In Iraqi Hospitals
Intelligence Seen By CBS News Says Hospitals Are Command Centers For Shiite Militia
-
Play CBS Video Video Iraqi Hospitals Targeted Shiite death squads are now killing innocent civilians in Baghdad hospitals. Chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan has an exclusive report.
-
Interactive Attacks Map Details on the insurgency and terrorism that has continued to take lives since the fall of Saddam.
-
Who's Who Iraq Insurgency More on the militant groups behind the insurgency in Iraq and their motivations.
The bodies are only a fraction of the unidentified bodies sent from Baghdad every few days for mass burial in the southern Shiite city of Kerbala, CBS News chief foreign correspondent Lara Logan reports.
They come from the main morgue that's overflowing, relatives too terrified to claim their dead because most are from Iraq's Sunni minority, murdered by Shiite death squads.
And the morgue itself is believed to be controlled by the same Shiite militia blamed for many of the killings: the Mahdi Army, founded and led by anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.
The takeover began after the last election in December when Sadr's political faction was given control of the Ministry of Health. The U.S. military has documented how Sadr's Mahdi Army has turned morgues and hospitals into places where death squads operate freely.
The chilling details are spelled out in an intelligence report seen by CBS News. Among some of the details of the report are:Reporter's Notebook
Lara Logan writes on how she found the story of the hospital death squads.
Iraq's Health Minister, Ali al-Shameri, is a devoted follower of Moqtada al-Sadr. He disputes the report's claims.
"I am ready now, and in the future, to receive investigation teams and journalists to get into any place they want and see whether the Madhi Army are there or not," the Health Minister says. "They will find only doctors, nurses, pharmacy staff and labs and they would find nothing else."
But a hospital worker says Mahdi Army spies are everywhere, and would only talk with both face and voice masked.
"A man was bringing his murdered brother to the morgue. They asked him if he knew who the killers were and he said ‘yes.’ They shot him right there," she says.
More than 80 percent of the original doctors and staff where she works are gone, replaced by Shia supporters of the Mahdi Army.
"It's going to get worse because there is no control and no accountability," the hospital worker adds. "No one can stop them. They are terrified... No one will be safe. There will be destruction. Complete destruction is what we are watching with our own eyes, and it's getting worse."
In burial, the victims of Iraq's sectarian slaughter still have no names, only a number on an anonymous grave marker. And with neither the Iraqi government nor the U.S. willing to act, the numbers keep climbing.
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
More From CBS Evening News
Add a Comment See all 32 Comments
- We are not doing the violence, but we are guilty of causing it. If Bush had read five pages of non-neo-Conservative history he would have known that what he was going to do would result in this. Oh I forgot. He's a conservative. Conservative means never taking respoonsibility for your actions. Always blaming someone else or some conspiracy.
- Reply to this comment
- Lara Logan's piece describing the Mahdi Militia's use of hospitals as operation centers for their crimes was hard-hitting and thought provoking. I met her briefly while stationed in Baghdad and believe she is a serious journalist.
Unfortunately, she taints her excellent work and continues to fuel unnecessary hostility when she concludes the segment with, %u201CAnd with neither the Iraqi government nor the U.S. willing to act, the numbers keep climbing.%u201D On what basis does she makes some a claim?! Thirteen American soldiers and even more Iraqi soldiers have died this week alone in battles specifically targeting the Mahdi militias. The Coalition effort throughout most of 2006 has been dedicated to reigning in the militias. If her complaint is that they have not stopped the militia from using a specific hospital, than she has underestimated the problem with these militias even more than the Bush administration has been accused of.
The overall effect of the American & Iraqi Forces%u2019 operations have been questionable. To say, however, that these forces have been UNWILLING to take on the militia is a slap in the face to the thousands who are working tireless, and sometimes sacrificing everything, to put a stop these illegally armed groups. - Reply to this comment
- It isn't Sadr that is to blame for the Ministry of Health being what it is. It's the fact that wrong decisions were made when the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) ran Iraq in 2003-04. Everything that is happening today was predicted and could have been prevented, but the US advisers chose to ignore reality and build a pipe dream - $800 million of ultramodern clinics and hospitals that are sitting half-finished, instead of building responsible management in the Ministry of Health. We are getting what we paid for, and the Iraqis are getting nothing in return.
- Reply to this comment
- This is just the worst !
I know Bush's big big Texas ego wouldn't allow him to consider it, but I say release Sadaam, put him back in charge and get the hell out of there ! - Reply to this comment
- Wow, That is amazing. The evil genius of using hospitals to identify victims, torture and kill them. I think things have gone beyond any
one's ability to bring reconciliation. This is stark tribalism beyond even darkest Africa. The Americans can't stop this, not even with a soldier on every corner. This will not stop until there is a Sunni run safe haven. The Iraqi government is completely
infiltrated. I am sure behind closed doors, the Shia and Iranians are planning this out, seeking revenge and establishing complete
control.
Great story. - Reply to this comment
- Why don't they just split the country and be done with it. Shia, Sunni, Kurds. Tell them if they don't get it together the USA is going to take over the governance and really become the occupiers.
- Reply to this comment
- "Be wary of the man who urges an action in which he himself incurs no risk." - Joaquin Setanti
- Reply to this comment
- I think oil has a lot to with the problems and bad situations that are going on in the world today. I am not with Green Peace, or some kind of tree hugger. I'm just an average America who is tiered of buying product from countries that hate us. We are a great nation, who can do better than this. I support any type of fuel alternatives; Ethanol (E85), Hydrogen, Bio Diesel, Solar, and any other fuel we can produce locally. I encourage everyone, who is tiered of seeing countries burning our flag and saying "Death To America", not to support them by buying there exports. I also encourage everyone to vote for someone that supports these ideas and who is not in any oil company's back pocket. If we would have invested the money we have spent in Iraq, into alternative fuel sources, we would have saved thousands of lives, put money into local US farmers pockets, and made these countries that hate us a little more poorer. It's kind of hard to buy bombs and WMD when you don't have the billions to spend on them....
- Reply to this comment
- This Iraq fiasco sucks! Everybody knows this was a neo-con ( boy that sounds like a character from planet of the apes!) ***-shoot thinkin they are going to change the middle east with only 150,000 of our finest americans ( thanks Donald. Smart move dude!) The reality is in order to get out of this awfull mess is MORE troops on a three year bases ( 350,000 troops total ) and then slowly draw that down. my thinkin is with so many troops, hopefully Iraq will have some REAL security and be able to take care of Al-Sadr and sunni insugents once and for all. Where do we get this 350,000 troops you may ask? Welcome back the draft ladies and gentlemen. Hope someone else has a better way to get out of this mess besides pressing the "easy button."
- Reply to this comment
- What the hell are we doing?! I can't take it!
We are Americans. Americans are dying in a place we should not be.
How did we come to have this HUGE problem called IRAQ?
A member of my family is an officer in the Marines, and wants to know. He is in danger.
What can we tell him? It's too late? That he might die like the rest of the 2700+ US Service men and women because President Bush, "made a mistake"? Is that supposed to raise his moral?
This is the problem.
We will fight a war FOREVER, if we don't believe WHY we're doing it is right and worthy.
We NEED leaders who CAN keep us safe. Who will not cook up reasons for us to die.
Please, get centered, vote.
"Amongst you whoever is without sin cast the first stone" %u2013Gandhi - Reply to this comment
- So, basically, forcing democracy into Iraq is placing the majority (shiites) in power. The problem with pushing democracy on these people is it is becoming increasingly obvious that far too many of them are savages. Aren't there arab nations where they still chop your hand off for stealing an apple and this is public entertainment?
- Reply to this comment
- It is interesting to note that Rumsfeld and Bush eliminated all members of the Bath Party (Sunnis) from participating in the new army / government, while failing to neutralize an even greater threat to internal security when they had the chance- Al Sadr. Now he is emboldened and runs the most powerful military machine inside Iraq, while legally participating in the government. Bush and Rumsfeld have not only acquiesed the Iraqi turmoil to a state of civil war, they caused it. This is because the neocons, with Cheney at the center, originally were more focused on grabbing and securing the oilfields- the original reason for going to war- than focusing on organizing a government in Iraq that could function. Taking a group of anarchists and telling them to form a democracy where there has never been one was an absurd supposition. Unfortunately, there may be no way to stop the slaughter now, and the US may have to pull out and accept the blame that is sure to come from the Europeans.
- Reply to this comment
- CBS would be advised to get its own story rather than just parrot one made for them by the US military.
Various news reports in the past have suggested to me that the US military has tried several times without success to kill Sadr and still wishes to do so.
He has certainly been vilified in several stories originating from the US military. This story fits that pattern.
I'm not inclined to believe it all without independent corroberation. - Reply to this comment
- hamiltongrad said, "For the history lesson, it was weak kneed Carter who gave away Iran to loonie religious zealots ..."
As a student of history, you get an F for effort. Your remediation-- to acquire an understanding of what the Shah represented to a growing plurality of Iranians, which include the very attributes you assign Carter, weak-kneed, feeble and obstructive.
But it was not Carter who invaded the embassy, and it not his regime to give away. It *was* Carter who launched a rescue mission for which the Iranian revolutionaries never forgave him.
And speaking of weak-kneed pols, you also forget Reagan's crew was found trading arms to the Iranians to get a little cash to toss to the Contras. If political corruption is part of today's GOP watch, it certainly was then, as well.
Better button your cardigan, and review your history. It is a chilling reminder the GOP has a terrible history of corruption and incompetence merely "perfected" with Bush43. - Reply to this comment
- Here is the link to the ABC news story http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2525978 they have changed the original story from the police carrying out the assasinatons to the police being complicit in them.They are human and can make errors.All of these storys along with Woodwards book,the NIE report only confirm that members of the Iraqi govt.,military and police are working with the militias,terrorist and insurgents.With the lack of news coming out of Iraq last week when it is know known that the bloodshed in Iraq increased makes me wonder in light of Woodwards book,the NIE report if this adminstration was trying to do some damge control with the Foley story.Divert people from the main issue facing our country Iraq and how it has become a "cause celebre" for the terrorist.Throw a lamb out to slaughter so us wolves will spend all our time on the lamb.Well the lamb may end up being more than one and we will not forget the books and reports.We are not that ignornant sorry rovettes.
- Reply to this comment
- To IZlady have you ever read AGAINST ALL ENEMIES?Terrorist czar Richard Clarke and his organization could not 100% with absolute conviction determine that Al Queda was responsible for the attacks against our embassies until one year prior to the Monica Lewisky scandal broke.By this time they knew with utmost certainty that all of the attacks were related,it was then that President Clinton ordered the bombings of the training camps.The republican party pounced on this as they said it was a diversion.Second Clinton handed over an Intel assesment,stating that the greatest threat to our country was Al Queda.Everyone supports the troops that do their jobs honorably.It is the premediated war in Iraq that Bush planned 11 days into his first term(sources:previous book mentioned and THE PRICE OF LOYALTY)both written by republicans and never rebuked.How come CBS does not have the story on the 700 Iraqi police that are carrying out these assasinations?
- Reply to this comment
- mh4CBS1, outside of our differing points of view on al-Sadr, I generally agree with you. I know the history of all the events you mentioned. I also know the meaning of the term "blowback".
I have one more thing to add. I read a partial translation of a speech by al-Sadr in which he made the statement "We threw out the British, we threw out Saddam, and now we'll throw out the Americans!". That infuriated me. I thought "No you didn't, you fat, nasty, snaggle-toothed son-of-a-b*tch. YOU didn't throw out Hussein. The AMERICAN MILITARY did. If the AMERICAN MILITARY hadn't thrown him out, you'd still be soiling your man-dress every time Hussein or one of his psychopathic sons looked your way.". Again, I don't agree with this war, but give credit where credit is due. - Reply to this comment
- Iran: The Next War (for Israel):
http://www.warwithoutend.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=56761 - Reply to this comment
- Funny! After working in Iraq for the past 2.5 years; I can't help but be extremely disappointed.
1)To be in the Military; you have accepted the possibility and responsibility of being shipped somewhere/sometime to protect your country, so let%u2019s stop undermining our men and women in uniform and treating them like children who need our protection! It is their choice to be in uniform; it is not mandatory, and most of them are proud of what they do.
2)Some how the public blames bush after 6 months of being in house, without looking back at the previous 8 years %u201Cwasted%u201D under the Clinton administration! Terrorism existed years and years ago, no one did anything about it, and thank god that our president is stepping up to the plate and dealing with this whole mess over seas, instead of bringing the war home!
3) I%u2019ve seen, talked, worked, and lived with Iraqis, and most if not all of them are thankful for the liberation, although concerned in regards to security, but remain hopeful.
For everything there is a price, and for war there is a big price tag attached, for us to stop living in fear every time we get on a plane, train, or even the subway, and for Iraqis to finally be able to rebuild their country; we all have to pay that price.
We didn't start it, they did. - Reply to this comment
- mh4CBS1, the reason I think we should have taken out al-Sadr is because that man fields a private army and aggressively advocates attacks against American troops. Not only that, but he and his Mahdi Army are responsible for a great number of those dead bodies turning up every morning in abandoned lots and garbage dumps. You probably think that I endorse this war. I don't and I never did. Regardless of whether I agree with it or not, American soldiers are in Iraq and they are being killed and maimed because of attacks encouraged and coordinated by that man. So yes, I think he should have been dealt with. I don't think you mean it this way, but to suggest otherwise is to suggest that since American troops are in Iraq under false pretenses, they should just take their punishment. I do not agree with this war, but I'm still an American and I wish American soldiers the best.
- Reply to this comment
The road ahead in Afghanistan, and the crucial decision Obama faces.
