New American Atrocities

The damage done by the Danes, French and other Europeans over the cartoon crisis, is about to be joined by an American outrage. Whether it inflicts the same damage and creates as much anger is yet to be seen. But it makes Abu Graib, Guantanamo and Baghram with their sorry history of torture and abuse, cover-up and lack of accountability, pale into insignificance.

A new report, out tomorrow, is expected to detail at least 80 to one hundred cases of prisoners held by the Americans being so badly tortured that they died. Many of the cases are described as "homicide". Yet the culprits escaped even a serious reprimand. In once instance a homicide by an American commander was "punished" by 60 days confined to base.

The report- by the respected Human Rights First group is to be released tomorrow. The View From Fes obtained a quick look at a draft document and can state that it does not make for pleasant reading.

Human Rights First is a leading human rights advocacy organization based in New York City and Washington, DC. Since 1978, we have worked in the United States and abroad to create a secure and humane world – advancing justice, human dignity, and respect for the rule of law. All of our activities are supported by private contributions. We accept no government funds.

The BBC has aired a story about the report and says:

Almost 100 prisoners have died in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan since August 2002, according to US group Human Rights First.

The details were first aired on BBC television's Newsnight programme.

Of the 98 deaths, at least 34 were suspected or confirmed homicides, the programme said.

The Pentagon told Newsnight it had not seen the report but took allegations of maltreatment "very seriously" and would prosecute if necessary.

The report, which is yet to be published, draws on information from Pentagon and other official US sources.

Torture

Human Rights First representative Deborah Pearlstein told Newsnight she was "extremely comfortable" that the information was reliable.

The report defines the 34 cases classified as homicides as "caused by intentional or reckless behaviour".

It says another 11 cases have been deemed suspicious and that between eight and 12 prisoners were tortured to death.

But despite this, charges are rare and sentences are light, the report says.

Speaking on the programme, the US ambassador to Iraq said the "overwhelming number" of troops behaved according to the law.

But Zalmay Khalilzad said abuses did exist.

"They are human beings, they violate the law, they make mistakes and they have to be held accountable and the good thing about our system is that we do hold people accountable," he said.

Investigation call

UK MP Bob Marshall-Andrews told the Press Association that the report confirmed "in statistical terms the appalling evidence already available in footage".

"If it is indeed systemic, then the responsibility for it must go right to the top, and that would apply to both British and American governments," he said.

A spokesman for Amnesty International UK called for a probe into the deaths in custody.

"Deaths in custody during the war on terror are a real matter of concern to us and we want to see the US and its allies allowing a full independent and impartial investigation into these deaths, as well as mounting incidents of alleged torture and other mistreatment," he said.

He said Amnesty had raised the issue of "overly lenient sentences" for those found guilty of mistreating prisoners.

Last week, an Australian TV channel (SBS) broadcast previously unpublished images showing apparent US abuse of prisoners in Iraq's Abu Ghraib jail in 2003.

At least 108 people have died in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to figures compiled by the Associated Press news agency.

Most deaths were violent and some 25% are being investigated as possible abuse by US personnel, the agency said.

The death toll - far higher than previously thought - was based on information the agency obtained from the US army, navy and other officials.

The Pentagon said it was important to bear in mind the context of each death.

Some had died of natural causes, others had been victims of insurgent attacks on US detention facilities and some killed in violent prison uprisings, a spokesman told the BBC News website.

"That said, each of these deaths is investigated to determine the circumstances and whether there is any accountability," he added.

More than 60,000 people have been taken prisoner since the US-led wars in Afghanistan, in November 2001, and Iraq, in March 2003. Most have been freed.

Abuse report

The AP found that of the 108 deaths in US custody:

* At least 26 have been investigated as criminal homicide involving the abuse of prisoners

* At least 29 are attributed to suspected natural causes or accidents

* Twenty-two are blamed on an insurgent mortar attack on Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in April 2004

* At least 20 are attributed to "justifiable homicide", where investigations found US troops used deadly force appropriately - primarily against rioting, escaping or threatening prisoners.

Last week, a Pentagon report to Congress into prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan cited only six prisoner deaths in what it called "closed, substantiated abuse cases" as of last September.

The report's author, Vice Adm Albert Church, blamed the abuse on a breakdown of discipline, but did not directly criticise any high-level officials.

The American Civil Liberties Union said it was "unacceptable" that no-one at the highest levels of government had been held accountable for the abuses.

"Despite the military's own reports of deaths and abuses of detainees in US custody, it is astonishing that our government can still pretend that what is happening is the work of a few rogue soldiers," said ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero.

The reaction, by even the most moderate members of the Islamic community around the world, is not going to one of silence.


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