Letter asks what US military knew about Iraqi torture
-6/5/04
The suggestion that the US military did not know that abuse of Iraqi prisoners was going on, and that the pictures released last week of torture at a prison outside Baghdad represent an isolated incident has been challenged.
In a letter to the Guardian, Ekklesia pointed to evidence compiled by one of its partner organisations, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), in Iraq.
CPT followed the cases of numerous Iraqis detained by US forces. In evidence presented to the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) they highlighted that often these detentions involved acts of violence, as well as theft and destruction of personal property. They also highlighted the lack of legal representation or clear judicial process.
Such actions, said CPT, were violations of Iraqis' human rights according to international law and fuelled violent responses which endangered the lives of the Coalition soldiers who occupy Iraq.
Jonathan Bartley, Ekklesia's director said in a letter to the Guardian published on Wednesday; "The pictures showing the abuse of prisoners are not the first evidence of torture by US troops. In early January, Christian Peacemaker Teams presented the Coalition Provisional Authority with a report containing 72 case studies of the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners, including torture. Between May and December 2003, they conducted dozens of interviews and gathered testimonies from prisoners and their families."
He continued; "Some prisoners said they were left with their hands tied behind their backs for several days, that they received only one spoonful of army-rationed food a day, and were deprived of water. The also recounted frequent beatings by US soldiers. The report challenges the suggestion the US military did not know what was going on, but also that the pictures represent an isolated incident."
The letter can be seen here
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