Christian peacemakers say abuse photos show ‘moral bankruptcy’ of Iraq occupation

-20/02


Christian peacemakers say abuse photos show ‘moral bankruptcy’ of Iraq occupation

-20/02/06

Christian peacemakers working in Iraq, whose colleagues were abducted in November, have said that new photographs showing the torture of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison ‘testify to the moral bankruptcy of the military occupation.’

In a statement, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) offered “its sincere condolences to the torture victims and their families.”

“We are praying that one day they will find justice and healing”, the statement said.

But CPT also called on the US and UK forces, “intelligence apparatus and their proxy militias to stop abusing detainees”, most of whom are being held without charge.

The photographs, they said, “testify – better than any words could – to the moral bankruptcy of the military occupation of Iraq.”

The previously unseen images of abuse at Abu Ghraib came to light in a television programme made by Australiaís Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), which was shown last Wednesday.

CPT, who have maintained an almost continuous presences in Iraq since before the invasion, were one of the first groups to document prisoner abuse.

Four months before the original pictures of abuse at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison emerged, they documented and presented 72 cases of abuse to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.

These were highlighted in the UK by the thinktank Ekklesia, which works in partnership with CPT, and were reported by the BBC.

The four Christian peacemakers taken hostage on 26 November 2005–Jim Loney, Tom Fox, Harmeet Sooden and Norman Kember–were continuing the work of highlighting prisoner abuse when they disappeared.


Christian peacemakers say abuse photos show ‘moral bankruptcy’ of Iraq occupation

-20/02/06

Christian peacemakers working in Iraq, whose colleagues were abducted in November, have said that new photographs showing the torture of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison ‘testify to the moral bankruptcy of the military occupation.’

In a statement, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) offered “its sincere condolences to the torture victims and their families.”

“We are praying that one day they will find justice and healing”, the statement said.

But CPT also called on the US and UK forces, “intelligence apparatus and their proxy militias to stop abusing detainees”, most of whom are being held without charge.

The photographs, they said, “testify – better than any words could – to the moral bankruptcy of the military occupation of Iraq.”

The previously unseen images of abuse at Abu Ghraib came to light in a television programme made by Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), which was shown last Wednesday.

CPT, who have maintained an almost continuous presences in Iraq since before the invasion, were one of the first groups to document prisoner abuse.

Four months before the original pictures of abuse at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison emerged, they documented and presented 72 cases of abuse to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.

These were highlighted in the UK by the thinktank Ekklesia, which works in partnership with CPT, and were reported by the BBC.

The four Christian peacemakers taken hostage on 26 November 2005–Jim Loney, Tom Fox, Harmeet Sooden and Norman Kember–were continuing the work of highlighting prisoner abuse when they disappeared.