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In depth I  Iraq: the war and occupation Letter to the Security Council on the issue of detainees in Iraq Source: Global Policy Forum On 28 April 2008, the Security Council is scheduled to discuss Iraq and to receive a report from the United States on the Multinational Force (MNF). April 2008 (pdf version).[see more]   print    send   Correct  ADD YOUR COMMENT >> On 1 May 2003, 20 days after Baghdad was taken in an offensive by the allied troops of the United States and Great Britain, with the support of the Spanish Government headed by José María Aznar, US President George W Bush proclaimed the “end to hostilities” in Iraqi territory. However, the truth was that the conflict in Iraq was far from over. The humanitarian crisis was growing daily, the shortages suffered by the population were ever greater, and the civilian victims of the war that had begun on 23 March numbered almost 10,000 (although the count was inexact due to the chaos affecting health services). What was even more serious was that the level of insecurity did not diminish after the conflict officially came to an end. In a country where the authorities had either vanished or been captured by the occupying forces, chaos and uncertainty was growing daily. After President Bush’s announcement, the debate broadened to encompass various issues: where were the weapons of mass destruction, the elimination of which had provided Bush and his principal ally, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, with the justification for the war; what role would the United Nations play in the reconstruction of Iraq, after the international body had seen its attempts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict steamrollered; who would rule the country; and, above all, what would the Middle East situation look like in the context of the war on terror launched following the events of 11 September 2001. The weapons of mass destruction never appeared, but Bush and Blair did not repent of their actions because they felt it was their duty to “free Iraq from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein”, whom they finally captured on the outskirts of Tikrit, where he had been born, on 13 December 2003. Meanwhile, from 23-24 October Madrid hosted the International Donors’ Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq, which it was estimated was going to cost some 100,000 million dollars. However, in spite of the destruction caused by the invasion, it was not repairing and reconstructing the country’s infrastructure that was costing the most in Iraq, but maintaining the US forces there. Washington is paying 51,000 million dollars a year for the upkeep of its 140,000 troops. During the year following the declaration of the end of the war, twice as many US soldiers had died in Iraq as died during the “official” war period. Moreover, it is clear that the world is not a safer place without Saddam Hussein in power, and the people have began to make their goverments pay the price for using facile arguments to justify going to war. In Spain, the shock of the attacks committed on 11 March 2004 in Madrid, in reprisal for the Government’s support for Bush and Blair’s war, led the electorate withdrew its support from Aznar, in favour of the opposition Socialist Party; as soon as he had taken office, President elect José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero ordered the Spanish troops out of Iraq. But there was more to come. On 28 April 2004, CBS TV published the first in a series of photos showing US soldiers committing all kinds of abuses against Iraqi prisoners. Following this, the US and British media began to show the public the abuses that were committed in Iraqi prisons run by the occupying forces, mainly in Abu Ghraib prison, which has been notorious since the time of Saddam Hussein. The ensuing scandal – the ultimate consequences of which cannot yet be foreseen – forced not only the Pentagon, but also Bush and Blair to express their ignorance and to apologise, while enquiries were launched to identify those responsible. In spite of the fact that both the US and British authorities insisted that this was not how the majority of their troops generally behaved, the testimonies and documentary evidence that began to surface showed that these were in fact “systematic practices” that violated the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War. On 8 May, hours after Tony Blair’s public apology, the British Government acknowledged that in February it had been sent a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross documenting alleged torture of Iraqi prisoners by British and US soldiers. The selection of links, reports and articles below aim to serve to complement the news reports available from different sources, with a special emphasis on independent information from civil society organizations and alternative media. Versión en español share:   print    send   correct  ADD YOUR COMMENT >>  About Iraq  The occupation fiasco  Post-war?  The human rights situation  World Tribunal on Iraq  The reconstruction of Iraq  Saddam's fate  Iraq post-elections  What was the war about?  The United Nations' role  Security Council  NGOs and civil society  The peace movement  Humanitarian aid  Media coverage   News Up-to-date current affairs information. Tue Sep 18 2007 Iraq death toll rivals Rwanda genocide, Cambodian killing fields Fuente: AlterNet Fri May 19 2006 UN report acuses US over torture Fuente: UN Committee Against Torture In-depth reports Detailed reports on key issues Disarmament Every day, millions of men, women and children are living in fear of armed violence. Israeli-Palestinian conflict More than fifty years on, a problem still awaiting a solution. Oil fueling conflicts Many wars have been waged and are still being fought all over the world to ensure corporate control over oil. International Criminal Court The globalization of justice strengthens, despite US efforts to undermine it. The landmine problem Mines recognize no cease-fire and, after the fight, they continue to maim or kill innocent people. Campaigns NGO-organised actions Urgent appeal to save Iraq's Academics      About Iraq The World Guide 2003 - 2004 Useful information about Iraq, reports about the changing face of war, and the Kurds' path from nomadism to nationalism. Iraq: People come first Source: Amnesty International For decades the people of Iraq have suffered appalling human rights abuses and the devastating consequences of war and economic sanctions. For decades Amnesty International’s members and supporters have campaigned tirelessly for the rights and dignity of Iraq’s people. Looted history Source: Planeta Portoalegre Charlmets Johnson In archaeological circles, Iraq is known as "the cradle of civilization," with a record of culture going back more than 7,000 years. The distruction of Irak art and manuscripts is the worst world cultural dissaster of the past 500 years. July 2005.    The occupation fiasco Iraq crisis on the boil Source: TWN Martin Khor Recent global events have been dominated by the dramatic events in Iraq. The Iraqi resistance has been taken to a new level. The occupying forces face a range of problems, with more casualties, the impending withdrawal of troops by coalition countries and resignations in the governing council. As the situation deteriorates for the occupiers, many questions have emerged. By Martin Khor, April 2004. Low intensity conflict and nation-building in Iraq: a chronology Source: Center for Strategic and International Studies Stephen Lanier On May 1, 2003, President Bush landed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and declared an “end to major combat operations in Iraq” and “one victory” in the war on terrorism. One year ago Iraq was a detour from the war on terrorism. Today, thanks to a U.S. occupation that has not gone well and is increasingly viewed in parallel with Israel’s occupation of Palestine, Iraq has become a major battleground in the war on terrorism. Far from a “victory”, Iraq represents a major setback (pdf version). The "good guys" who can do no wrong Source: Information Clearing House Robert Fisk "Why are we surprised at their racism, their brutality, their sheer callousness towards Arabs?", writes Robert Fisk. "Those American soldiers in Saddam's old prison at Abu Ghraib, those young British squaddies in Basra came -as soldiers often come- from towns and cities where race hatred has a home: Tennessee and Lancashire." From Fallujah to photos, one fiasco after another Source: IPS - Inter Press Services Jim Lobe When in 1970 'Life' magazine published photos taken by Senator Tom Harkin, then a lowly congressional aide, of the infamous ''tiger cages'' in which suspected Viet Cong men, women and even children were kept secretly -- and crippled -- by the U.S.-run South Vietnamese prison system, it was another nail in the coffin of a conflict on which most of the U.S. public had already soured. The handover that became a shambles: ten U-turns on the road to 'peace' Source: Occupation Watch Justin Huggler and Rupert Cornwell The appointment of Iyad Allawi as Iraq's interim Prime Minister was being seen as an American-backed coup which wrong-footed Lakhdar Brahimi, the United Nations envoy supposed to be putting together the interim government which will wield "sovereignty" after 30 June. The more that is learned, however, about the sudden emergence of Mr Allawi, a man close to the CIA and MI6, the more it appears the appointment of the new government has been hijacked by the ambitious politicians of the Iraqi Governing Council - the very body it was meant to replace. This article was originally published in The Independent. Paying the price: the mounting costs of the Iraq war Source: Institute for Policy Studies Phyllis Bennis The Bush administration has declared that on June 30, 2004 the United States will “transfer sovereignty” to Iraq. Americans are being told that this is a great victory for democracy. And yet, after 15 months of war and occupation in Iraq, and even with public support for the war plummeting, there is still little understanding in the United States about the real costs of the war (pdf version). The final UN resolution on Iraq's interim government Source: Transnational Institute Phyllis Bennis The new US-UK draft resolution endorses Iraq's interim government as "sovereign" and credentials the US-dominated occupation forces as a UN-mandated "multinational force." It is designed to provide international legitimacy for the continuation of the US occupation and control of Iraq, while stating that "the occupation will end" by June 30, 2004. A failed 'transition': the mounting costs of the Iraq war Source: Institute for Policy Studies A Failed 'Transition' is the most comprehensive accounting of the mounting costs of the Iraq war on the United States, Iraq, and the world. Among its major findings are stark figures about the escalation of costs in these most recent three months of "transition" to Iraqi rule, a period that the Bush administration claimed would be characterized by falling human and economic costs. October 2004. Coalition ignored warnings on weapons stocks Source: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch repeatedly gave U.S.-led coalition forces in Iraq detailed information about massive stockpiles of unsecured explosives and munitions located throughout the country, but coalition forces took little or no action to secure the stockpiles. In May 2003, Human Rights Watch provided U.S. and British forces with specific data, including precise GPS coordinates, on unsecured weapons stockpiles around Baghdad and in Basra. October 2004. Mishandled money plagued U.S.-ruled Iraq Source: Inter Press Service (IPS) Emad Mekay U.S. management of the Iraqi economy was plagued by irregularities, corruption, failures and mishandling of billions of dollars, according to analysts and multiple recent audits. December 2004. A case study in postwar chaos Source: CorpWatch T. Christian Miller Custer Battles, a private security company, is a case study in what went wrong in the early days of the U.S. effort to rebuild Iraq, not least the haphazard and often ineffective U.S. oversight of the projects. Today, Custer Battles faces a criminal investigation, lawsuits by former employees and a federal order suspending them from new government business because of allegations of fraud. March 2005. The Iraq quagmire Source: Foreign Policy in Focus Phyllis Bennis, Erik Leaver Accounting of the mounting costs and consequences of the Iraq War on the United States, Iraq, and the world. Among its major findings are stark figures that quantify the continuing of costs since the Iraqi elections, a period that the Bush administration claimed would be characterized by a reduction in the human and economic costs. August 31, 2005. The U.S. role in Iraq’s sectarian violence Source: Foreign Policy In Focus Stephen Zunes The sectarian violence which has swept across Iraq following last month's terrorist bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samara is yet another example of the tragic consequences of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. Until the 2003 U.S. invasion and occupation, Iraq had maintained a longstanding history of secularism and a strong national identity among its Arab population despite its sectarian differences. March 2006. The logic of withdrawal Source: ZNet Anthony Arnove After three years of war in Iraq, a majority of both Iraqi and US citizens disapprove of the occupation and favor a timetable for withdrawal. Nonetheless, the anti-war movement has lost some of its luster and faces a "massive propaganda campaign" in support of the war. In this article, Anthony Arnove of ZNet confronts the idea that the US must "stay the course," arguing that the anti-war movement must remain strong in demanding an immediate withdrawal. The US had no right to invade Iraq to begin with, Arnove argues, and has since failed to "bring" democracy or prevent civil war in Iraq. March 2006. Iraq after Halliburton Source: CorpWatch Pratap Chatterjee Now that Halliburton is gone, what do we tell the Iraqis, who had been promised that Halliburton would fix their oil fields so that they could earn a living? Army estimates suggest that Halliburton did such a poor job that the resulting mess will cost Iraq $8 billion a year in lost production. To the credit of the military, Halliburton 's role in the Restore Iraqi Oil project in the northern part of Iraq , was canceled also, but only after the Iraqi people paid billions for the botched job. July 2006. War and occupation in Iraq Source: Global Policy Forum This report considers the conflict in detail, with special emphasis on the US Coalition’s responsibilities under international law. It also considers political and economic issues in Iraq and argues for urgent change, including a speedy withdrawal of Coalition forces. January 2007. The Bush veto, Iraq funding and permanent occupation Source: Transnational Institute - Institute for Policy Studies Phyllis Bennis The anticipated veto of the Iraq war funding bill demonstrates the extent of White House extremism. Bush is not rejecting a "bring all the troops home and end the war" bill but rather rejecting a compromise bill that would provide $100 billion to continue the war, would set only a "goal" of removing some troops by March 2008, would allow 60-80,000 troops to remain indefinitely, would not restrict a U.S. attack on Iran, would allow the 100,000+ U.S.-paid mercenaries in Iraq to continue with only insignificant restrictions, would require Iraq to accept a new oil bill, and would allow Bush to ignore suggested requirements for adequate training, equipping and rest of U.S. troops. May 2007. Operation Iraq forever Source: Counter Currents Manuel Valenzuela The occupation of Iraq, still illegal and immoral by any sense of human understanding, has now run into its fourth bloody and horrific year, becoming a quagmire for America and a vast killing field for Iraqis. Indeed, for Iraqis, America’s invasion and subsequent occupation has been and will continue to be one massive war crime, an onslaught of criminality against humanity not seen since World War Two. May 2007. The war economy of Iraq Source: Middle East Report Christopher Parker and Pete W. Moore Who is the US fighting in Iraq? Four years and counting into the insurgency, there is no clear answer. The missing piece of the puzzle, political scientists Christopher Parker and Pete W. Moore argue, is the extensive gray economy that fattened regime insiders and also helped to feed ordinary Iraqis from Saddam Hussein's dismantling of the state sector in the 1980s through the calamity of UN sanctions from 1990-2003. All these informal ways of getting rich -- or just earning a living -- did not simply disappear when US viceroy L. Paul Bremer declared Iraq "open for business." Complex and deeply rooted war economies are a consistent feature of civil wars -- a fact that bodes ill for the prospects of peace in Iraq. June 2007. Iraq: the people's report Source: Institute for Policy Studies Phyllis Bennis, Erik Leaver and Saif Rahman "The people's report" is a response by the Institute for Policy Studies to General Petraeus's claims of significant progress in Iraq. It assesses what's wrong with the Petraeus report as well as looks at the costs of war to Iraq and to the U.S. September 2007 (pdf version). The paid (and protected) terrorists Source: CounterCurrents Ghali Hassan On Sunday 16 September 2007, at least 28 innocent Iraqi civilians, including women and children, were murdered by Blackwater mercenary army. The cold-blooded massacre was an unprovoked violence designed to terrorise and strike fear among the Iraqi population living under murderous Occupation. October 2007. Five years of war crimes Source: CounterCurrents Ghali Hassan Five years of illegal and murderous Occupation, the Iraqi people continue to endure an unimaginable suffering under the highest form of tyrannical dictatorships. Credible surveys estimated at least 1.3 million innocent Iraqis (the majority of them women and children) have been brutally murdered in cold blood, making the Iraq's Genocide the biggest single mass murder of modern time. Almost every Iraqi family has lost at least one close relative. The mayhem is continuing in an endless genocide waged by the world's largest and most offensive military machine, almost entirely against defenceless population. March 2008.    Post-war? Post-War Iraq Source: Global Policy Debates rage over post-war Iraq, both inside the Bush administration and between Washington and other governments. Will Washington rule Iraq directly through a military occupation government or will a UN-sponsored authority take over sooner or later? If the UN is involved, will it be subordinate to US priorities or relatively independent? Will US companies seize the oil and reconstruction contracts? How strong will Iraqi opposition to the occupation be? This section looks at these and other aspects of Iraq in the aftermath of the US-UK war. Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict This is a link to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The convention is being breached by excessive destruction of historical artifacts in Iraq. War on Iraq: the social cost Source: Social Watch News and analysis by civil society organizations focusing on the cost of the war for civilian people. After the war in Iraq: before a new world order? Following the war in Iraq, it must now be a matter of safeguarding the integrity of the 'old' international law and the United Nations and preventing both being transformed into instruments of the USA's striving for hegemony. A ravaged land Source: MotherJones Devastated by war and isolation, Iraq now faces a humanitarian and environmental crisis 12 years in the making. Who´ll be the next U.S. target in the Middle East? Source: Third World Network - TWN Reem Haddad Questions over the evidence behind the US and UK governments' dossiers listing the reasons for the Iraq war find a resonance around the world - including in the Middle East. The following article gauges the reactions of ordinary Syrians and Lebanese who fear evidence matters little when powerful nations decide to go to war. Open fire and open markets: strategy of an empire Source: Third World Network Anuradha Mittal The United States is focused on securing its power globally, through both military and market interventions. Its 'war for freedom' or 'war on terrorism' is at one with its expansionary goals for the market: open invasion in some places, and open markets everywhere. The changing face of occupation - what numbers cannot tell Source: Occupation Watch Eman Ahmed Khammas The last six months in Baghdad have been too long, an age. For a nation that has been patient for decades and has undergone three wars, 13 years of sanctions, political repression, and continual outside threats, 6 months have been too long to wait for relief, to wait for positive changes. Dying and lying Source: Porto Alegre 2003 Tariq Ali And one day, when the children of dead Iraqis and Americans ask why their parents died, the answer will come: because the politicians lied. Legal inquiry into aspects of the military operations against and subsequen occupation of Iraq during 2003 Source: CSCA Whether a prosecution will be the subject of an international tribunal or reserved for the state of Iraq to pursue within its own legal system remains to be seen (pdf version). Building a new security structure Source: International Crisis Group The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) needs to rethink its strategy for a new Iraqi security structure. Facing insurgency and many political pressures, the temptation to respond to today’s requirements with expedient moves is strong. But eventually the CPA will depart, leaving Iraq to deal with the consequences. The 50 lies, exaggerations, distortions and half truths about the Iraq war Source: Global Policy The Independent chronicles the rhetoric used by the US and UK governments from the lead up to the Iraq conflict to the present day. Of note are the transformations in statements regarding the justifications for the war, from WMD to the liberation of the Iraqi people. The vulnerabilities of the Bush Iraq policies Source: Transnational Institute Phyllis Bennis The US drive towards empire faces new and serious challenges, the most important being the widening military confrontation now facing US troops in cities across Iraq. But there is a further challenge internationally. The "second super-power" is on the rise, and it now has broadened to include a new assortment of governments prepared to defy US pressures, inter-governmental organizations and groups, and new developments may point to a potential to reclaim the United Nations itself as part of the global resistance to US war. Everyday chaos Source: Mother Jones Nir Rosen Living in Baghdad means growing accustomed to the disturbingly mundane nature of unrelenting violence. April 22, 2004. The Big Lie Source: AlterNet Nicholas von Hoffman By the time the American army stepped into Iraq, the difference in world view between the United States and everybody else was immense. Why were Americans so taken in by Bush's big lie? Iraq: a mercenary's paradise Source: Corporate Watch Armed to the teeth and controlled by no-one, private security firms are on a rampage in Iraq. Mercenaries who have been involved with atrocities in Sierra Leon, Chile, Papua New Guinea and South Africa protect VIPs and installations. Now, the US government has awarded a UK firm, Aegis, with a generous contract to coordinate them all into one big army. June 2004. The Iraq impasse Source: Middle East Report Regime-changing war in Iraq was supposed to usher in democracy, prosperity and Middle East peace -- remember? Well over a year into the troubled US-dominated occupation of the country, George W. Bush has finally admitted to "miscalculation of what the conditions would be." "The Iraq Impasse," the fall 2004 issue of Middle East Report, analyzes the multiple miscalculations of Bush's war in detail. September 2004. Nowhere to flee: the perilous situation of Palestinians in Iraq Source: Human Rights Watch Amid widespread sectarian violence in Iraq, Palestinian refugees in Iraq face particularly grave security threats, including targeted killings by mostly Shi`a militant groups and harassment by the Iraqi government, Human Rights Watch said in this report. September 2006. The Iraq Study Group Report Source: Global Policy Forum This report warns that Iraq will “slide toward chaos” unless the US changes course and seeks more diplomatic and political solutions to providing security and stability in Iraq. The 160-page document, known as the Baker/Hamilton report, advises that the US involve Iraq’s neighbors in brokering a peaceful resolution, but criticizes regional countries for “not doing enough to help Iraq achieve stability.” The report does little to indicate that the US military presence in Iraq will decrease. While it does recommend a drawing down of some combat troops, the Study Group recommends that the Iraq government meet certain conditions before any troops withdraw, and refuses to set specific timeframes for departure. December 2006 (pdf version). Can't stay the course, can't end the war, but we'll call it bipartisan Source: Foreign Policy In Focus Phyllis Bennis and Erik Leaver Despite the breathless hype, the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group (ISG) report did not include any dramatic new ideas for ending the war in Iraq. In fact, it did not include a call to end the war at all. Rather, the report's recommendations focus on transforming the U.S. occupation of Iraq into a long-term, sustainable, off-the-front-page occupation with a lower rate of U.S. casualties. Despite its title, it does not provide "A New Approach: A Way Forward." December 2006. The Iraq effect: war has increased terrorism sevenfold worldwide Source: Mother Jones Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank A new study, by terrorism experts Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank, uses data from the RAND Corporation to produce the first public report that measures the "Iraq effect" on jihadist terrorism. It documents that since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, incidents of jihadist violence in the world have increased by 607 percent, and the number of people killed in those attacks has risen by 237 percent. February 2007. Iraq: civilians without protection Source: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) The humanitarian situation is steadily worsening and it is affecting, directly or indirectly, all Iraqis. Protecting Iraq’s civilian population must be a priority, and the ICRC urgently calls for better respect for international humanitarian law. It appeals to all those with military or political influence on the ground to act now to ensure that the lives of ordinary Iraqis are spared and protected. This is an obligation under international humanitarian law for both States and non-State actors. April 2007. The politics of naming: genocide, civil war, insurgency Source: London Review of Books Mahmood Mamdani The similarities between Iraq and Darfur are remarkable. The estimate of the number of civilians killed over the past three years is roughly similar. The killers are mostly paramilitaries, closely linked to the official military, which is said to be their main source of arms. The victims too are by and large identified as members of groups, rather than targeted as individuals. But the violence in the two places is named differently. In Iraq, it is said to be a cycle of insurgency and counter-insurgency; in Darfur, it is called genocide. Why the difference? Who does the naming? Who is being named? What difference does it make? March 2007.    The human rights situation Since the United States and its allied forces invaded Iraq and toppled the government of Saddam Hussain, the human rights situation in the country remains dire. The deployment of US-led forces in Iraq and the armed response that engendered has resulted in thousands of deaths of civilians and widespread abuses amid the ongoing conflict. Despite the pre-war rhetoric and post-invasion justifications of US and UK political leaders, and their obligations under international law, from the outset the occupying forces attached insufficient weight to human rights considerations. Hearts and minds: post-war civilian deaths in Baghdad caused by U.S. forces Source: Human Rights Watch This report documents and analyzes civilian deaths caused by U.S. military forces in Baghdad since U.S. President George W. Bush declared an end to hostilities in Iraq on May 1, 2003. Joint report on civilian casualties and claims related to U.S. military operations Source: Occupation Watch Presented by the Occupation Watch Center in Baghdad and the National Association for the Defense of Human Rights in Iraq (pdf version). U.S. Army report on Iraqi prisoner abuse Source: NBC News Complete text of Article 15-6 Investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba. The report was prepared by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba on alleged abuse of prisoners by members of the 800th Military Police Brigade at the Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad. Killings of civilians by UK Forces Source: BBC News Amnesty International More than a year after the occupation of Iraq, civilians are still being killed unlawfully every day by Coalition Forces, armed groups and individuals. In recent weeks hundreds of civilians have been killed as clashes between Coalition Forces and armed groups and individuals opposed to the occupation have intensified. In several cases documented by Amnesty International, UK soldiers opened fire and killed Iraqi civilians in circumstances where there was apparently no imminent threat of death or serious injury to themselves or others (pdf version). Torture and the future Source: Middle East Report Lisa Hajjar On April 30, 2004, George W. Bush said, “A year ago I [gave a] speech…saying we had achieved an important objective, accomplished a mission, which was the removal of Saddam Hussein. As a result, there are no longer torture chambers or mass graves or rape rooms in Iraq.” Even as Bush spoke those words, he and millions of newspaper readers and television viewers across the world were aware that torture chambers, rape and sexual abuse of detainees in Iraq are not a thing of the past. The road to Abu Ghraib Source: Human Rights Watch Since late April 2004, when the first photographs appeared of U.S. military personnel humiliating, torturing, and otherwise mistreating detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the United States government has repeatedly sought to portray the abuse as an isolated incident, the work of a few “bad apples” acting without orders. In fact, the only exceptional aspect of the abuse at Abu Ghraib may have been that it was photographed. The other prisoners Source: Global Policy Forum Luke Harding Most of the coverage of abuse at Abu Ghraib has focused on male detainees. But what of the five women held in the jail, and the scores elsewhere in Iraq? Guardian - May 20, 2004. Human dignity denied: torture and accountability in the ‘war on terror’ Source: Amnesty International The struggle against torture and ill-treatment by agents of the state requires absolute commitment and constant vigilance. It requires stringent adherence to safeguards. It demands a policy of zero tolerance. The US government has manifestly failed in this regard. At best, it set the conditions for torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by lowering safeguards and failing to respond adequately to allegations of abuse raised by Amnesty International and others from early in the "war on terror". At worst, it has authorized interrogation techniques which flouted the country’s international obligation to reject torture and ill-treatment under any circumstances and at all times. October 2004. Getting away with torture?: Command responsibility for the U.S. abuse of detainees Source: Human Rights Watch The United States should name a special prosecutor to investigate the culpability of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and ex-CIA Director George Tenet in cases of detainee torture and abuse, Human Rights Watch said in releasing a new report. "Getting Away with Torture? Command Responsibility for the U.S. Abuse of Detainees", is issued on the eve of the first anniversary of the publication of the Abu Ghraib photos (April 28). Human Rights Watch said that there was now overwhelming evidence that U.S. mistreatment and torture of Muslim prisoners took place not merely at Abu Ghraib but at facilities throughout Afghanistan and Iraq as well as at Guantánamo and at “secret locations” around the world, in violation of the Geneva Conventions and the laws against torture. April 2005. Making the children pay Source: Third World Network Features Jayati Ghosh It is historically rare for an occupier to show as little concern for the welfare of the local population as the United States has shown in Iraq, where the basic living conditions have now been so bad for so long that the impact can almost appear to be intentional. To take just one example, basic supplies of electricity and essential goods are still erratic in most of the country, two years after the invasion. Across the major cities, and in most parts of Baghdad, sewerage and sanitation systems are in a mess, and the vast majority of people have access to only contaminated drinking water. By contrast, after the 1991 Gulf war left much of Baghdad in a shambles, Saddam Hussein’s government had restored electricity and kerosene supplies in two months, despite sanctions. May 2005. Beyond Abu Ghraib: detention and torture in Iraq Source: Amnesty International Nearly three years after United States (US) and allied forces invaded Iraq and toppled the government of Saddam Hussain, the human rights situation in the country remains dire. The deployment of US-led forces in Iraq and the armed response that engendered has resulted in thousands of deaths of civilians and widespread abuses amid the ongoing conflict. March 2006. Command’s Responsibility; Detainee Deaths in U.S. Custody in Iraq and Afghanistan Source: Human Rights First Hina Shamsi The deaths of detainees in U.S. custody have been shrouded in secrecy for years. To shine a light on the U.S. government’s handling of the nearly 100 detainee deaths since 2002, Human Rights First has been independently researching these cases, finding deeply flawed investigations, command failure, and an alarming lack of accountability. February 2006 (pdf version). Returning to the scene of the crime: war crimes in Iraq Source: TomDispatch Noam Chomsky The piece that follows is an excerpt from Chomsky's new book, Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy, which is officially published on this very day. It is Chomsky at his best, a superb tour (de force) of a world in which the Bush administration has regularly asserted its right to launch "preventive" military interventions against "failed" and "rogue" states, while increasingly taking on the characteristics of those failed and rogue states itself. April 2006. By the Numbers: Findings of the Detainee Abuse and Accountability Project Source: Human Rights Watch This briefing paper presents findings of the Detainee Abuse and Accountability Project, a joint project of New York University’s Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, Human Rights Watch and Human Rights First. The project is the first comprehensive accounting of credible allegations of torture and abuse in U.S. custody in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo. April 2006. Iraqi women under siege Source: CODEPINK - Global Exchange Marjorie P. Lasky As women around the U.S. and other countries celebrate Mother's Day on the 14th of May, Iraqi women have little to celebrate. Iraqi women, whose daily lives have been reduced to the sheer struggle for survival, face missiles and random shootings by the U.S. and British forces, terrorist suicide bombs, and criminal mafia-type gangs who regularly kidnap Iraqi men, women and children. May 2006 (pdf version). The hidden war on women in Iraq Source: TomDispatch Ruth Rosen Like women everywhere, Iraqi women have always been vulnerable to rape. But since the American invasion of their country, the reported incidence of sexual terrorism has accelerated markedly. -- and this despite the fact that few Iraqi women are willing to report rapes either to Iraqi officials or to occupation forces, fearing to bring dishonor upon their families. In rural areas, female rape victims may also be vulnerable to "honor killings" in which male relatives murder them in order to restore the family's honor. "For women in Iraq," Amnesty International concluded in a 2005 report, "the stigma frequently attached to the victims instead of the perpetrators of sexual crimes makes reporting such abuses especially daunting." August 2006. Occupation and Rule in Iraq - Atrocities and Criminal Homicides Source: Global Policy Forum US-led occupation forces have committed numerous atrocities in Iraq since the invasion of 2003. Haditha, Hamandiya, Sadr City, Samarra and Ishaqi have become synonymous with murder, rape and the multiple killing of civilians. August 2006. UN Assistance Mission for Iraq: Human Rights Report Source: Global Policy Forum This UNAMI report describes the lack of centralized and authorized control over the use of force in Iraq, which allows militias and death squads to operate unrestricted. UNAMI states that the growing perception of impunity for current and past crimes further erodes the rule of law, hindering the Iraqi government's efforts to maintain order. In addition, reports of torture in official detention centers remain widespread. The report also expresses concern about the rising number of "honor crimes" against women, attacks on lawyers and judges, and the suppression of information through the killing of journalists. September 2006 (pdf version). Mortality after the 2003 invasion of Iraq: a cross-sectional cluster sample survey Source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Al Mustansiriya University in Baghdad Gilbert Burnham, Riyadh Lafta, Shannon Doocy, Les Roberts As many as 654,965 more Iraqis may have died since hostilities began in Iraq in March 2003 than would have been expected under pre-war conditions, according to a survey conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Al Mustansiriya University in Baghdad. The deaths from all causes—violent and non-violent—are over and above the estimated 143,000 deaths per year that occurred from all causes prior to the March 2003 invasion. October 2006 (pdf version). UN Assistance Mission for Iraq: Human Rights Report Source: Global Policy Forum violence has reached alarming levels in Iraq, with terrorist attacks, roadside bombs and drive-by shootings eroding civilians' rights to life and personal integrity. Furthermore, growing unemployment, poverty and a lack of access to basic services have undermined socio-economic rights in Iraq. UNAMI urges the Iraqi government, the multinational forces and the international community to increase their efforts in reasserting the authority of the Iraqi administration and to promote the rule of law. November 2006 (pdf version). Iraq's refugee nightmare Source: Socialist Worker Ashley Smith The U.S. occupation of Iraq is generating one of the largest refugees crises in decades. Reports from Refugees International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) document in terrifying detail the desperate plight of Iraqis forced to flee their homes. Close to 2 million Iraqis have already fled the country, and the rate of the exodus, currently at as many as 100,000 a month, shows every sign of increasing. February 2007. Refugees in limbo: the plight of Iraqis in bordering states Source: Middle East Report Madona Mokbel In February 2007, UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres declared the exodus of Iraqis the biggest population shift in the Middle East since the displacement of Palestinians following the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948. If the trend continues, the International Organization for Migration said in the same month, the unrelenting violence in Iraq could force an additional one million Iraqis to flee before the year is out. Most of the Iraqi refugees have settled in Jordan and Syria, but there are sizable communities in other neighboring states. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and local NGOs, the number of Iraqis in Jordan and Syria is over two million, and it is estimated that about 40,000 live in Lebanon, 100,000 in Egypt, 54,000 in Iran and 10,000 in Turkey. September 2007. Deaths in Iraq: the numbers game, revisited Source: OpenDemocracy Michel Thieren A third assessment of post-invasion violent deaths in Iraq was published on 9 January 2008 by the New England Journal of Medicine, a prestigious platform for medical research and scientific debates edited in Boston, Massachusetts. The lead article in the journal - "Violence-Related Mortality in Iraq from 2002 to 2006" - reports the results of an inquiry by the Iraq Family Health Survey Study Group (IFHS), involving collaboration between national and regional ministers in Iraq and the World Health Organisation (WHO). It finds that 151,000 (between 104,000 and 220,000) people died from violence in Iraq between March 2003 and June 2006. When such a politically sensitive figure is published, it is critical to turn statistics into words and explain what the new evidence tells, what it does not, and how far it confirms or invalidates the previous ones. January 2008.    World Tribunal on Iraq World Tribunal on Iraq Main web site. World Tribunal on Iraq: Final Statement of the Jury of Conscience Source: World Tribunal on Iraq - New York The World Tribunal on Iraq sitting in session at Cooper Union in New York City on May 8th 2004 and having heard the testimony and evidence presented and having carefully weighed that evidence has reached a series of conclusions. From its conception to its prosecution and the current occupation, fact, law and logic have been turned on their heads and fabricated to rationalize and justify what can only be considered, by all international standards, an unjust war of aggression (pdf version). 'People's court' indicts US on Irak Source: World Tribunal on Iraq "The attack on Iraq is an attack on justice, on liberty, on our safety, on our future, on us all" declared the World Tribunal on Iraq, a 'peoples' court' set up by academics, human rights campaigners and non-governmental organisations to take an independent look at the Iraq record of the United States and other occupying powers such as Britain. The tribunal was inspired by the Russel Tribunal of the Vietnam war days. Istanbul, June 2005. Iraq: shock and awe therapy Source: ALAI Herbert Docena Invade.This was to be the first step in what has since become the most ambitious, most radical, and most violent project to reconstruct an economy along neo-liberal lines in recent history. July 2005.    The reconstruction of Iraq Madrid donors conference: the "pending bonanza" Source: Focus on the Global South Herbert Docena Despite new offers for broader participation in Iraq's reconstruction bonanza, the United States-convened donors' conference on Iraq ended in stifled disappointment, with only US$13 billion raised - a far cry from the $36 billion target. To dampen expectations further, up to two-thirds of the total pledges will take the form of loans, not grants. And, if the Afghanistan fundraising experience is any indication, many of the pledges could still end up being just more broken multi-million-dollar promises. Reconstructing Iraq Source: Third World Network Features Jeremy Seabrook At the Madrid Conference in October 2003, enormous sums of money were pledged by the international community for the ‘reconstruction’ of Iraq. Among the imaginary but awesome sums required for the ‘rehabilitation’ of Iraq lies the most inescapable element of Western ideology: namely, a fanatical belief in the profane redemptive power of money, and its mystic ability to wash away all traces of hatred, sin and blood. Discussion paper: Reparation for torture in Iraq in the context of transitional justice Source: The Redress Trust Iraq is presently at a critical juncture facing an uncertain future. Self-governance, security, reconstruction and the conduct and role of occupation forces are perhaps the most immediate concerns. However, Iraq is confronted with much broader challenges: how to overcome the legacy of gross and systematic violations of human rights committed by the Ba’ath Party regime and how to build a society based on the rule of law and respect for human dignity. This Discussion Paper was researched and written by Lutz Oette, Project Coordinator of REDRESS’ Audit Project (pdf version). The Iraqi Constitution Source: Transnational Institute Phyllis Bennis The signing of the interim Iraqi "constitution" by the Governing Council represents a significant step in U.S. efforts to legitimize its invasion and occupation of Iraq. By achieving the codification in a U.S.-supervised process of an ostensibly "Iraqi" legal document, the U.S. as occupying power is hoping that its planned June 30th "transfer of power" will be accepted globally as the "restoration of sovereignty to Iraq." In fact, that "transfer of power" will not end the U.S. occupation, will not lead to the withdrawal of U.S. troops, and will not result in any real sovereignty for Iraq. The constitution itself implies recognition of its impotence, as it recognizes that all "laws, regulations, orders, and directives" issued by the U.S. occupation authorities will remain in force. Iraq's transition: on a knife edge Source: International Crisis Group The history of post-Saddam Iraq is one of successive, short-lived attempts by the U.S. to mould a political reality to its liking. With each false start and failed plan, realistic options for a successful and stable political transition have become narrower and less attractive. Getting it right this time is urgent and vital. There may not be many, or any, opportunities left. Houston, we have a problem Source: CorpWatch CorpWatch and Global Exchange Halliburton, the largest oil-and-gas services company in the world, is also one of the most controversial companies in the United States. The company has been the number one financial beneficiary of the war against Iraq, raking in some $18 billion in contracts to rebuild the country's oil industry and service the U.S. troops in Iraq. It has also been accused of more fraud, waste, and corruption than any other Iraq contractor. This report details Halliburton's track record (pdf version). Iraqi Kurds hint at independence Source: Institute for War & Peace Reporting Eric Watkins Sensing no change in their status under the new government, Kurdish leaders suggest their entity may break away. June 2004. The other reconstruction: How private contractors are transforming Iraq's state and civil society Source: Focus on the Global South Herbert Docena After the transfer of 'sovereignty' in Iraq, among those staying behind - aside from 160,000 coalition troops - is a battalion of private contractors attempting to construct economic and political structures most conducive to US and transnational corporate interests even after direct occupation ends. Their mission is crucial for the "exit plan": these contractors are trying to make sure that that the US still gets what it went to war for before it recedes from the scene. Working silently in the background, their impact on Iraq's future may be more significant than that of the more controversial reconstruction contractors such as Bechtel or Halliburton. Shameless in Iraq Source: Global Policy Forum Naomi Klein Naomi Klein examines how the Occupation Authorities mismanaged Iraq's reconstruction. Klein argues that Iraq's reconstruction "was seen not by Iraqis as a recovery from war," but as an "extension of the occupation." Iraqis lost desperately needed jobs to foreign contractors and suppliers, resulting in the reconstruction itself becoming a target of the resistance. (The Nation) Advocates of war now profit from Iraq's reconstruction Source: Common Dreams Walter F. Roche Jr. and Ken Silverstein Lobbyists, aides to senior officials and others encouraged invasion and now help firms pursue contracts. They see no conflict. July 2004. Reconstructing Iraq Source: International Crisis Group Iraq desperately needs an economic recovery strategy to escape its vicious circle of hardship, discontent and violence. The economy suffers not only from a crushing legacy of Baathist misrule, war, and sanctions, but also from the ill-prepared, misdirected performance of the Coalition Provisional Authority. The occupation forces came mostly unprepared. What strategy they did have involved little Iraqi input, was shaped by ideology, and was repeatedly made subject to Washington's shifting deadlines, not local needs. The Interim Government, in partnership with the international community, must devise ways to produce immediate material improvement and set the stage for longer-term rebuilding. Until living conditions improve, nascent Iraqi institutions will continue to lose credibility and the insurgency to gain momentum. Iraq's excluded women Source: Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) Swanee Hunt and Cristina Posa Many Iraqi women are advocating for a secular constitution based on gender equality and a 30% quota for women's participation in all political and public institutions. But faced with the loyal supporters of the extremist Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the United States has been ceding Iraqi women's political participation in an effort to mollify such strident minorities. October 2004. Decades of suffering, now women deserve better Source: Amnesty International Women and girls in Iraq live in fear of violence as the conflict intensifies and insecurity spirals. Tens of thousands of civilians are reported to have been killed or injured in military operations or attacks by armed groups since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The lawlessness and increased killings, abductions and rapes that followed the overthrow of the government of Saddam Hussain have restricted women’s freedom of movement and their ability to go to school or to work. Women face discriminatory laws and practices that deny them equal justice or protection from violence in the family and community. A backlash from conservative social and political forces threatens to stifle their attempts to gain new freedoms. The general lack of security has forced many women out of public life, and constitutes a major obstacle to the advancement of women’s rights. February 2005. From the reconstruction to the privatization of Iraq Source: CETIM Although the United Kingdom - United States coalition, as occupying power, had absolutely no right over Iraq and its resources, the coalition has privatized the bulk of this sovereign country’s economy then handed it over to foreign corporations in the name of reconstruction. June 2005. Women appeal against curtailing of rights in Iraqi constitution Source: Eldis As different groups vie for power in the new Iraq government, many women's groups are concerned that if more conservative groups have their way, women's rights could be severely curtailed. The US backed hardline Shia government is lobbying for a strictly Islamic Constitution, and there are proposals to end the parliamentary quota system and to impose a strict form of Sharia law that would diminish women's rights and opportunities. August 2005. Crude designs: The rip-off of Iraq’s oil wealth Source: Global Policy Forum While the Iraqi people struggle to define their future amid political chaos and violence, the fate of their most valuable economic asset, oil, is being decided behind closed doors. November 2005. IMF measures wreak havoc on Iraqi people Source: World Socialist Web Site This article emphasizes the disastrous social conditions that exist for the Iraqi people after decades of war and nearly three years of US occupation are being drama