US Training of Death Squads in Iraq? - War Is A Crime .org

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/01/1526201Is the U.S. Training Iraqi Death Squads to Fight the Insurgency?Democracy Now!Thursday, December 1st, 2005In what the White House billed as a major policy address, President Bush outlined theadministration's Iraq war strategy. Bush again linked a withdrawal of U.S. troops toimprovements in the capability of Iraqi security forces. We speak with independent journalistArun Gupta about the presence Iraqi death squads and the U.S. training of Iraqi security forces.[includes rush transcript]President Bush sought to overcome mounting criticism of the Iraq war Wednesday in what theWhite House billed as a major address outlining the administration's strategy.In a 45-minute speech before the US Naval Academy, Bush again rejected a timetable for thewithdrawal of US troops and recounted improvements made by Iraqi security forces. The speechwas the first of a series of four Bush plans to give before the December 15th parliamentaryelections. The president yesterday reiterated that Iraqi troops will eventually take over from USforces in fighting the insurgency.President Bush, November 30"Our goals are to train enough Iraqi forces so they can carry the fight and this will take timeand patience and it is worth the time and it is worth the effort because Iraqis and Americansshare a common enemy and when that enemy is defeated in Iraq, Americans will be safer here athome. And as Iraqi security forces stand up then coalition forces can stand down and when ourmission of defeating the terrorist is complete our troops can come home to a proud nation."Bush has repeatedly linked a U.S. withdrawal to improvements in the capability of Iraqi forces.But the mainstream media has recently detailed the existence of death squads within the largelyShiite police and special commandos.Operating through or with the Iraqi security forces, these militias have abducted, tortured andexecuted hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Sunnis. The New York Times reported Tuesday"Some Sunni males have been found dead in ditches and fields, with bullet holes in theirtemples, acid burns on their skin, and holes in their bodies apparently made by electric drills.Many have simply vanished."At a Pentagon press conference on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wasquestioned about the death squads.Pentagon press conference, November 29Q: Mr. Secretary, are you concerned over -- and in fact, is the United States looking intogrowing reports of uniformed death squads in Iraq perhaps assassinating and torturing hundredsof Sunnis? And if that's true, what would that say about stability in Iraq?106