Iraqi prison scandal stirs painful memories for Bay Area refugees

[Kadie]

Iraqi prison scandal stirs painful memories for Bay Area refugees

The Associated Press
Last Updated 1:45 pm PDT Thursday, May 13, 2004

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - The Iraqi prison scandal has brought back a flood of bad memories for Zahraldin Abedali, who spent more than three years in Abu Ghraib prison under Saddam Hussein.

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The phenomenon, known as "re-traumatization," is affecting many Bay Area refugees, who make up one of the largest refugee populations in the United States. They come from countries such as Iraq, Cambodia, Vietnam, the former Yugoslavia and Chile.

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Some refugees question whether the investigation will be thorough. Abedali, who was imprisoned several times by Saddam, still sees Americans as liberators of Iraq, but he believes the abuse may be linked to high-level policy.

"Many senior people were engaged in this, not just the soldiers," Abedali said. "The CIA taught Saddam how to do this, and now the teachers are doing the same thing."

more... http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/9276418p-10201376c.html