BAGHDAD, July 26, 2008
U.S.: Iraq Inmates Imposed Islamic Justice
Extremist Detainees Held Islamic Courts, Tortured Or Killed Those Who Would Not Join
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Iraqi detainees peer out of a cell at the Al-Ma'qal prison in Basra, southern Iraq, May 21, 2004. U.S. military officials said extremist detainees imposed a harsh code of Islamic justice on fellow inmates. (AP)
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The problem became the main catalyst for a decision to separate moderate detainees from the extremists, part of a broader reform package aimed at correcting widespread U.S. prison abuses that sparked international criticism.
"We were having people who weren't insurgents who were being forced to be insurgents because of the power of these courts, the power of al Qaeda and other extremist groups," said Lt. Col. Kenneth Plowman, a spokesman for Task Force 134, which operates coalition detention facilities in Iraq.
He told The Associated Press Friday that the jailhouse Sharia courts formed, despite the presence of U.S guards, to enforce an extreme interpretation of Islamic law. They were then used to convict moderate inmates, who were then tortured or killed, he said.
In comments published in the Sierra Vista Herald in Arizona, Brig. Gen. Rodney L. Johnson, commander of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, put the number of detainees tried by the courts in the double-digits. Neither he nor Plowman would give specific numbers.
The courts were eradicated and none has been detected in six months although some gang-related issues persist, Plowman said.
"We have a detainee population of about 21,000. You're gonna have extremists who will find a way to communicate and to form these kind of organizations," he added.
But he said guards had stepped up to block efforts to form new courts.
The classification of detainees into moderate and extremist groups was part of sweeping reforms launched by the former commander of detainee operations, Maj. Gen. Douglas Stone, in a bid to overcome a series of scandals over the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody.
It also was in line with a new counterinsurgency strategy by the Americans that focused on isolating the general population from the militants to stem support for the fighting.
"The problem's been apparent and when Stone took command that was one of his first initiatives - to separate out the detainees into categories like moderate, extremists etc. in order to resolve this issue," Plowman said. "There hasn't been any real Sharia court for six months or so."
Allegations of abuse at U.S. prisons escalated in 2004 with the release of pictures of grinning U.S. soldiers posing with detainees at the Abu Ghraib facility west of Baghdad. Some were naked, being held on leashes or in painful and sexually humiliating positions.
That prison has since been closed, and 11 U.S. soldiers were convicted of breaking military laws, and five others were disciplined in the scandal.
Stone expressed regret over the old U.S. policies during a June 1 news conference, shortly before relinquishing command to Rear Adm. Garland Wright.
"By not emphasizing population protection and the exemplary treatment of detainees, our facilities became breeding grounds for extremist recruitment. As a result, we changed many of our practices," he said.
Reforms also included educational and vocational programs in a bid to rehabilitate less dangerous prisoners, as well as increased releases under amnesty programs.
The overall number of detainees has fallen from a peak of 26,000 last summer to just over 21,000, according to officials.
Plowman said the inmates are thoroughly vetted by a series of interrogations by Muslim clerics and prison board members to determine to which category they should be assigned.
The problem was concentrated at Camp Bucca - a facility in southern Iraq that holds 18,000 of the inmates, including some of the most dangerous - and the courts were usually led by al Qaeda in Iraq, Plowman said.
He said the problem had been happening since U.S. detainee operations began in 2004.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
GOP search to discover the level of
absurdity that people wont swallow so
that they dont waste this election''s
short campaign finances during the
frantic propaganda months ahead.
Posted by mcv57
100% agree!!
Freaking courts??? Are you kidding me???
Let me ask the rightwing nuts amongst us a question since this is a good opportunity to do so: Would you poltical geniuses have excused a Democratic president if he''s been in power for the last 7 years instead of Bush and has done exactly everything Bush did?
Would you?
Or would you have gone out of your freaking minds accusing the Democratic president of being responsible for the deaths of over 4000 US military personnel, the recrutiment of terrorists under its very nose as depicted in the article above, $4/gallon, the economy, the debt, the fimble dollar and all that Bush has so skillfully shattered?
By now, you probably would have formed some kind of guerilla group and carrying out attacks in the hope of deposing the president.
Yes, you would and you nkow it!!!
But since it''s one of your guys up there the country can go to hell and you would come up with a reason why being in hell is after all a good thing.
You hypocrites.
"We were having people who weren''t insurgents who were being forced to be insurgents because of the power of these courts, the power of al Qaeda and other extremist groups,"
If they aren''t insurgents, why are they being detained by the military?
Posted by mcv57
100% agree!!
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Posted by liberalme at 09:35 PM : Jul 26, 2008
+ report abuse
It''s so obvious to anyone with a functioning Brain Cell....It reminds me of the "Attack Runs" by Iranian boats on US Navy War Ships that were laughed out of existence...... At least it shows the level Desperation in the Bush/Cheney Crime Cartel and Fear of possible War Crimes Trials.
Posted by mcv57
100% agree!!
*******
you remind me of those those hard core christian devotes that sees the face of jesus on some burnt toast..
you believe it that much you start to see it..
JUST LIKE YOU..ANOTHER NUTJOB
+ report abuse
*********
IF A democrat is leading this country as the president and IS FIGHTING TERRORISTS AND TERRORISM AT ALL COST..HE WOULD HAVE THE SAME 100% SUPPORT I GIVE BUSH
but the reality of it is..its not a democrat in office and the LIBERALS ARE DEFENDING TERRORISTS AND TERRORISM AT ALL COST..
At least on this one you are consistent..you are defending and protecting a criminal
On a greater scale then, if there were no WMD''s, why did we invade iraq?
But you see "terrorists" whenever Bush spews it, so how are you any different?
And you defend Bush, who is also a criminal, so again, how are you any different?
As long as you and I, and all those we can get to join, keep up the call for Bush to face justice for his crimes, sooner or later they will happen, but we must make certain to keep up the call even after he leaves office, otherwise all future presidents will know that they can commit the most horrible crimes against humanity, and walk away rich.
I''ll bet the limp left would be happy to see Karl get a bit of torture.
We need some Islamic justice for the wimp LIBERALS.
Might make some men out of them, or maybe not!
Just to be clear here--that statement advocates the overthrowing of America and everything it stands for and was founded upon. As long as you are okay with that, I only hope you do not claim to be an American, or that you are making arrangements to leave very soon.
I didn''t know a computer could work from under a rock. When you are ready to come out and fight like a man, just let an American soldier know where to find you. You are hard to locate under a pile of cow dung, you *** eating maggot.
Bushit and regime have already removed much of the above. We are moving ever closer to a police state ruled by corporate Amerika.
OOORRRAAAHHH!!
War is War.
Bush has kept America safe
************
Really? You are why we have disdain for you and your ilk. (I realize not all muslims are as controlling and freakish as you)...but you are the reason we want to keep your kind out of the US...every one wants to blame BushCheney...but you guys are mean, nasty, vulgar and you can throw accusations of why you hate us around...and kill us AND to get rid of our few freedoms that that we have left...you are the satanic infidels...wow! too scary.
I don''t really care why you hate us...pardon me your venom is showing...I don''t care if we gave you all of Israel, and half of the United States...you''d still find a reason to hate us...kill us...and show your slathering hate all over the world.
War is War.
Bush has kept America safe
Posted by republic1776 at 10:26 AM : Jul 27, 2008
But they are under US control and responsibility...
Bush has kept America safe
Posted by republic1776 at 10:26 AM : Jul 27, 2008
Not from US bankers and his fellow "oilmen"...
Sounds like the sick rationale for extraordinary rendition. "Pratap did it, not me! I''m blameless."
Freaking courts??? Are you kidding me???
Let me ask the rightwing nuts amongst us a question since this is a good opportunity to do so: Would you have excused a Democratic president if he''s been in power for the last 7 years instead of Bush and has done exactly everything Bush did?
Would you?
Or would you have gone out of your freaking minds accusing the Democratic president of being responsible for the deaths of over 4000 US military personnel, the recrutiment of terrorists under its very nose as depicted in the article above, $4/gallon, the economy, the debt, the fimble dollar and all that Bush has so skillfully shattered?
By now, you probably would have formed some kind of guerilla group and carrying out attacks in the hope of deposing the president.
Yes, you would have and you know it!!!
But since it''s one of your guys up there the country can go to hell and you would come up with a reason why being in hell is after all a good thing.
You hypocrites.
Posted by brianbwb
First you need to provide evidence of crimes or fabricate evidence to hold President Bush accountable for crimes against humanity. So far, there are none.
Posted by CarlyLaine at 11:11 AM : Jul 27, 2008
well said,
They only have one reason to hate us, We aren''t Muslim. It is the Muslim religions creedo that "All the earth ''must'' be Muslim or die".
So the only hope that non-Mulims have is to Kill all Muslims. (Stupid isn''t it) (That is why Islam should not be allowed to have Nooks, "They would really use them")
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by guadalcanal3
July 28, 2008 2:38 PM PDT
- Brokercooper...What about FDR...and...Truman???...They had balls.
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