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

put out by the Interior Ministry, there is at least a strong possibility that many, if not all, of theextra-judicial killings in Mosul have been carried out by the Police Commandos.Police Commandos Directly AccusedA similar, thought less complete pattern is emerging in other areas where the Commandos havebeen operating, notably Samarra, where bodies were recently found in nearby Lake Tharthar(http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=41936 ). However, the strongest case is currentlystarting to emerge in Baghdad, where a wave of killings over the last few weeks has resulted inaccusations being made directly against the state security forces and specifically against thePolice Commandos. The accusations revolve around three distinct massacres. On 5 May ashallow mass grave was discovered in the Kasra-Wa-Atash industrial area containing 14 bodies.The victims, all young men, had been blindfolded, their hands tied behind their backs and theyhad been executed with shots to the head. The bodies also revealed such torture marks as brokenskulls, burning, beatings and right eyeballs removed. In this case family members were able toidentify the bodies; the victims were Sunni farmers on their way to market. According to PhilShiner of the British-based Public Interest Lawyers, the men had been arrested when Iraqisecurity forces raided the vegetable market(http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1488096,00.html ,http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=760368 ).Less than two weeks later on 15 May, 15 more bodies were discovered at two sites in westernBaghdad. Eight of the victims were found In the Al-Shaab area, while a further seven werediscovered behind a mosque in Ore district(http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=733276 ). According to theChicago Tribune, ‘some had been blindfolded, most were found with their hands bound and allhad been shot in the head’ (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0505170030may17,0,3795261.story?coll=chi-newsopinionperspective-utl ). The Association ofMuslim Scholars quickly responded to the wave of killings, accusing soldiers and InteriorMinistry commandos of having ‘arrested imams and the guardians of some mosques, torturedand killed them, then got rid of their bodies in a garbage dump in the Shaab district’(http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=238784&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/ ). ‘This is state terrorism by the Ministry of Interior’ said Hareth al-Dhari,secretary general of the Association (http://news.ft.com/cms/s/47613c82-c804-11d9-9765-00000e2511c8.html ). Whilst al-Dhari also blamed the Badr brigades associated with the rulingShia coalition, the emphasis of his denunciation was quickly shifted in the mainstream press toreinforce only this aspect of the accusation and the notion of sectarian tit-for-tat violence (eghttp://newswww.bbc.net.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4569103.stm ). The Iraqi government’sriposte to the Association’s accusations was predictably insidious, with the new defence ministerblaming terrorists wearing military uniforms(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0505170030may17,0,3795261.story?coll=chi-newsopinionperspective-utl ). However, it shouldcome as little surprise to discover that at the beginning of May the government had announced an85