Iraq: One year after the war, the human rights situation remains critical

[ze_dscherman]

This is from a report by amnesty international:


Iraq: One year after the war, the human rights situation remains critical
One year after the war on Iraq was launched, the promise of improved human rights for Iraqi citizens remains far from realised, concludes a new report by Amnesty International (Iraq: One Year On published Thursday 18 March 2004).

The human rights organisation's new report highlights the insecurity within Iraq, particularly:


Civilians killed by excessive force by coalition forces and attacks by armed groups;
8,500 or more people detained by the CPA, many detained without charge for weeks or months, with reports of torture and deaths in custody;
Iraqis collectively punished for attacks on coalition forces with crops and houses destroyed;
US soldiers operating, in effect, with total impunity with Iraqi courts forbidden to hear cases against US or other foreign troops or officials;
A lack of law and order, with revenge killings, kidnappings, looting;
A lack of justice for past human rights violations.


SNIP
In November 2003 the US military said it had paid out US $1.5 million to Iraqi civilians to settle claims by victims or relatives of victims for personal injury, death or damage to property. Some of the 10,402 claims reportedly filed concerned incidents in which US soldiers had shot dead or seriously wounded Iraqi civilians with no apparent cause.

Beyond such payments, however, there has been little recourse for the families of the dead and injured. No US soldier has been prosecuted for illegally killing an Iraqi civilian.

Iraqi courts, because of an order issued by the US-led authority in Baghdad in June 2003, are forbidden from hearing cases against US soldiers or any other foreign troops or foreign officials in Iraq. In effect, US soldiers are operating with total impunity.

SNIP


More: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/deliver/document/15255.html

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Good morning, ze_dscherman!

There's an existing thread in LBN about the 1 year anniversary of the Iraq war and the continuing problems for the Iraqi people. I encourage you to repost your link to the AA story here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x429812

Thanks! :hi: