Part II: 17-19 April, 2004 the Most Miserable Days in a Town's History
Another Falloja Never covered by media
Al-Qaim (Iraq), May 22,04 - Last April was Falloja month; all the media agencies were talking about the fighting there. However, there was a short TV sub title on the news bar on April 17 saying that there was fighting in Al-Qaim 420 km west of Baghdad, that an American patrol was attacked killing 7 or 9 soldiers. Next day there was a short report showing empty streets of a rural Iraqi town. The news was forgotten in no time.
When we went to Al-Qaim to find out about the wedding massacre May 18 [Makr al-Deeb, First Report], every one was talking about what happened on April 17, even the officials. People were angry because more than 100 of them were killed, but they were even angrier because of the way these people were killed, because the majority of them were children, women, and elderly, because they could have been saved if there was immediate medical help, and because many were killed inside their houses. Bitterness was the common feeling. Dr. Hamdi Al-Aloosi the hospital director, said that April 17 was the most miserable day in my life "For 24 hours I kept on receiving calls of help, the ambulances were ready to go, but the American troops prevented us. I went to them myself, I sent many doctors, and they refused. They even said if an ambulance leaves the hospital we would shoot at it and kill the driver. They actually shot one ambulance, you can see it in the garage, and injured the driver in his neck. We asked the Red Crescent, the Mayor, the police, the Medical officials, it was only after 24 hours that we were allowed to move, and help children and women only, no men whatever his age was. We lost a boy of 14; they did not allow us to rescue him. Many injured were already dead because of bleeding. "
How many people were killed?
-70 to 100
Do not you have an exact number?
- No, this was one of our biggest problems. When after 24 hours the American allowed us to help the injured and burry the dead, the families were in hurry to y their dead before the fighting breaks out again. Many of them were buried in their house gardens. One of the women , she was pregnant, who was shot in her head, kept on bleeding , when we sent her to be treated in Heet, a nearby town, she died on the way, Our hospital was actually raided. On April 18, after they let us help the injured, many American armored vehicles entered the hospital; they wanted to see the injured. I told them that I was deeply resentful because many of the injured died in the last 24 hours. They gathered the hospital employees, including the doctors and the specialists, forced them to lay, their faces to the ground and searched them thoroughly, without any explanation.
- What did you do?
- I wrote to the medical officials, and I am waiting for a reply. But that was not the only humiliation we got. On April 20, they came again and told me they wanted dr. Lam'an. She is a gynecologist. They wanted to take her for investigation in the customs office which they use as a military base. I refused, unless I accompany her and in an ambulance, not a military vehicle. They agreed. We had to wait there for 90 minutes. Then they took us in three hummers to another base 40 kilometers from AlQaim, there they tied our hands, and put the sacs on our heads. When I objected they said it was necessary. They said that Lam'an was accused of helping an injured person. I told them that I, as a doctor, would punish her if she did not help an injured. "We are doctors; we help people regardless of their identities". I told them that I myself helped an Irish soldier in 1991, who is well and at home now; I helped tens of Iranian soldiers in the Iraqi-Iranian war. These are the rules, and they know it very well".
M. Majid Mikhlif, the administrative assistant, confirmed what the doctor said. On our way to the administrative department where we went to check the names, ages and sex of the casualties, Majid pointed to the southern fence of the hospital saying, during the fighting we found a body of a man in a plastic sac thrown here. He was not shot, but there were blue bruises on his eyes and mouth which were swelling. There were traces of cigarettes put out on his chest and back. There was a strange thing too, a blue six angle star drawn on his right shoulder by a ball pen or a stamp.
-A David Star? Why?
-I do not know, we have the photos and the video, the doctors said he died an hour ago. But that was not the first time we find a body thrown near the hospital. We had the body Akram Hannoosh Yaqub AlRawi, a 45 retired noncommissioned officer, who was a worker in the fuel station before his death. He was arrested in the American base at Kilo 22 for a week, before we found his body. But two detainees said they saw Akram in prison he was hanged by his hands in the cell, and he was asking for water, and they refused to give him any. The traces were very obvious on his hands. We sent the body to the forensic hospital in Ramadi".
Later, that evening, we tried to call the police station to ask about what happened on April 17, they gave us an appointment the next day, and they said that they were too busy because they just found bodies of 4 men disintegrated beyond recognition. They were killed no less than a month ago.
In the administrative dept, we were given a list of casualties (attached); the majority was shots in the head, chest and abdomen." This one, Maleek", Majid was showing us on the list of 47 names," was mentally retarded. He was 51, he was shot in his leg, he was crying for help when he was shot in his chest. Another one, Abdul Hai Farhan, was leaving the mosque, hands up, when they shot him in the neck. Mahmood Shakir Salih was trying to help him when he was shot and injured in the abdomen. They called us for help, of course we could not. We tried to help them through telephone, tell them what to do, to stop the bleeding; the press on the wounds, to tie them , but that was not useful enough. Both died of bleeding. There were many disabled people killed on April 17. Homeidi Letloot, we call him Hleil, had one leg and on hand, and Sabah, who was dumb and deaf, were killed both".
There were many bullets wholes on the hospital walls. " It was shot many times, Majid explained, once they shot at a doctor who was coming to duty at night, on April 17 they shot at the hospital with hundreds of bullets. A man was sitting on this bench waiting to have an ex-ray got six bullets, and died in few hours.
Was there a curfew?
No, it was an ordinary day, I sent my children to school. One of our employees, Nahla Kurdi, was also injured on her way to work. A girl of nine was shot too.
What Happened?
I do not know exactly. They said that the American base in the customs office was attacked. It is about 2 kilometers outside the town. But the American began shooting every where in the streets and houses. They even attacked the police station, as lieutenant colonel Imad, the police director, told us.
"They shot too shepherds at the hospital's gate, who wanted to fill their tanker with water" added Khidr Abdul Hamid, the hospital receptionist. I tried to rescue them; the American arrested me, until Dr. Hamdi sent them a letter in English. Rescuing the injured on April 18 was the most difficult thing I ever did in my life. There was an armored vehicle every 50 meters. They wanted to kill Abdul Rahim Za'abba, 45, who was bleeding after he was injured in his house, and his son Anmar , 10, was killed. We were stopped again while we were rescuing a woman of 35, and a boy of 12. During that day we had 45 injured. When we went to Karabla , 8 kilometers out side AlQaim to get some blood, they stopped us and said we were helping the terrorists. I told them they can accompany me and make sure that I am getting this blood for a woman."
Hamid went on telling us the stories of Hussa, Rijab's wife, and Betool her daughter, who were killed in their house by a snipper, of a police lieutenant colonel, Jamil, who was shot by another sniper, and Ahmed who tried to help him and was shot dead in his house, of Fazi' two sons who were shot in their house and were bleeding until death.
Can we visit these people?
Khleif Al-Salmani, a man in his early forties, who lost his right hand in1987 when he was a soldier in the Iranian war. His wife, Es'aaf Ghazai Herbi, 30, was shot on April 17 afternoon in her house. A mother of 9 children, she was 6 months pregnant. In AlQaim, as in many other areas in Iraq, people build the bathroom outside the house, in the garden. Es'aaf was going from the wc to inside house when she was shot in her head by an American sniper who was hiding on the second floor of the neighboring house. Many holes are still on the wall where she was shot. Khleif was in the market place with his oldest son Imad, 14, selling sheep when his wife was killed. A man of the neighbors on the opposite, jumped over the fence and dragged Es'aaf inside the house. She was unconscious and bleeding. He called the hospital many times only to be told that they can not come to rescue, they were prevented by the American troops. It was not before noon next day that an ambulance came to help Es'aaf. She died with her baby on her way to the hospital. When we asked Ammar, 18 months, Es'aaf youngest son, where is your mom, he said:" Bush killed her". Khleif is furious, "what am I going to do now?" He keeps on asking. "If this is the democracy they promised us, we do not want it"
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Next door is the house of Fleiyh Abid Hommadi, mid fifties, a worker in the fuel station. Fleiyh was shot in his chest when he went out of his house into the garden to rescue Es'aaf. He died immediately in the terrace. It seems that the same sniper(s) who killed Es'aaf shot Fleiyh because the bullets were coming from the same direction to the right of both houses. Again, the garden fence was full of bullets holes. Hamdiya Abid Mhawish, his wife was putting a black veil when she came out to meet us. She was mourning. But after a while when she got angry telling the story of her husband's death she removed the veil." He was trying to help our neighbor, they shoot him here, we dragged him to the hall, tried to do something, but he was gone. We buried him temporarily in the garden for 5 days. He had nothing to do with the fighters, in fact the American gave him a paper saying he is good, so why they killed him. They fired every where, all the glass of our windows is broken, and we are terrified, we were always terrified during this last year. Is this the freedom we are promised?" Hamdiya has 13 children, 8 girls and 5 sons; the oldest one has just volunteered to work within the emergency forces. "They destroyed my family, what are they? Why are they killing us like this? What this pregnant woman or my husband has done? Why they are humiliating us inside our houses? I want to ask Bush this one question: why is he doing this to us? Do the American accept it if any one does the same to them?
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Abdul Rahman Mikhlif Mohamad, 35, is a train driver, living near the station. He was at home when the area was raided after heavy bombing on April17. He was kept outside the house; the soldiers were searching, when he heard the news that his brother, a worker in the customs, was arrested. "I know why they arrested him, his only problem is his name, Saddam, and otherwise he has nothing to do with any violent act. My mother collapsed when she heard the news, I was busy trying to help her when I got another call saying that my father was shot by a sniper and he was lying in the street, no one can help him. My father, 65, is a guard in the railway station. I do not know why he left the station, may be he was trying to help some one or just came home after he heard the house was raided and my brother was arrested. I could not reach my father's body until next day; he had many shots in his chest. I buried him in the garden. I do not know why they shot him, he was old and unarmed, but they were shooting every one. They even shot boy of 10, Anmar Rahim Z'abba, who was standing at the gate to look at the airplanes. My brother is still in Abu Graib, they did not find anything in our house, but the problem is his name.
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The strangest story is of Ahmed and his cousin Jamil, who was a police lieutenant colonel, and the Americans know him. Jamil went out of his house on April 17 afternoon to see his cousin next door. An American sniper shot him in his left shoulder, leg and side. He fell to the ground in the middle of the street, and began calling for help. No one could help him although the street was no more than 5 meters wide. His cousin Ahmed, a grocer, threw a hose at him and began pulling him to his house and he succeeded. Then the American came to the house and checked. They realized that he was a police officer. He asked them to rescue him but they refused, and left the house. The family tried to call an ambulance for help, again no help was available. After a while another group of American troops approached the area and saw the blood covering the street and leading to Ahmed's house. They broke the door and dashed into the house. Ahmed showed them Jamil's ID, but it was useless, they shot Ahmed in the chest and killed him immediately. They searched the house but found nothing. So they left. Jamil remained bleeding until next day, after dawn he died.
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Fazi' Dgheiym, a retired civil servant in his sixties was the saddest man I would ever meet in my life. He reluctantly replied my question, just to show respect, otherwise he would not reply. Fazi' lost two of his sons, Ghazwan, 20, and Sufian, 23, together in their house. On April 17, in the afternoon the shooting stopped for a while. Out of curiosity, Sufian went to the gate to have a look at the street, a sniper shot him in the chest, left side. His brother Ghazwan was washing the car in the garage when he saw his brother falling to the ground. He came running to help when he was shot from a helicopter in his thigh. A third brother Marwan, came running to see his brothers, he was shot too, but he only lost a hand finger. Fazi' tried to get from the hospital, and from the Red Cross, but it was useless, no one can move in AlQaim streets that day. Fazi' had to watch his sons bleeding to death for two hours in front of the mother and the whole family. Ghazwan died first, after 90 minutes, because he was shot by a helicopter gun, in the big artery. Sufian died after two hours. The bodies had to remain in the house until next morning when the father buried them temporarily in the garden. After two days they were buried properly in the cemetery. "This is not freedom" Fazi' said bitterly," this is Nazisim"
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Mr. Rija Nawaf , the mayor, told us how he managed to reach a settlement with the American on the second day of fighting and helped in letting ambulances go, on condition of searching them, in burying the dead and in compensating the civilians
Many people are saying that the Americans are not compensating any thing or any body?
That’s right. Before April we had other forces, not the Marines. They opened an office for compensations and asked the people to submit their claims, and the people did. The people prepared all the required documents, but the American compensated few of them, 7 or 8 out of hundreds of cases: killings, injuries, property damages, stolen money, gold, jewelry, and documents… and they refused to return back the claims. When those troops left in April they took every thing with them including the claims and the documents of the cases. We asked the current troops about those cases they say that they do not have any thing to do with it and they are not responsible for them. The Iraqis do not understand this, for them they are all American troops.
Who were the last ones? Which troops?
I do not know, we just call them the Coalition Forces, we do not know what brigade or battalion they are. What I do not understand is why they destroy and break things and say that they will compensate. At many times the compensations are only symbolic. Some times they do not admit that they committed a mistake.
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Last week there was short news on TV saying that AlQaim police forces resigned collectively. For us the news was not a surprise, in fact we expected it. When we visited them few days earlier we could see how frustrated they were. They were treated even worse than the hospital was treated. The two, and only police stations in Qaim and Rummana, few kilometers away, were raided, gates destroyed, weapons confiscated, money taken. They were even prevented from moving around, just like the ambulances, they were threatened to get shot if they leave the station. A police lieutenant colonel, Jamil, (previously mentioned), was actually shot by the American troops. They refused to help him even after they recognized his ID. They left him bleed to death, and killed the man who tried to save him. Three other officers were arrested 6 months ago, Captain Khdeiyr, lieutenant Ra'ad, and lieutenant Kheiri. They do not know why these officers were arrested, why they are prevented from visits or any other rights, they feel that they do not deserve the treatment they are getting, and that they can keep the security with half the number of personnel they have now, only if they were given the chance by the American.
Part III
PRISONERS' TORTURE: A POLICY OF INTIMIDATION
OCCUPATION WATCH CENTER
EMAN AHMED KHAMMAS
Listening to prisoners' torture stories in the Occupation prisons and detention camps in Iraq, one wonders why the guards were so inhumanly cruel with Iraqis. Stories of prisoners who died because of torture are becoming increasingly familiar. When we visited Al-Qaim, the administrative assistant, Mr. Majid Nawaf told us about two bodies found at the gate and the fence of the hospital, obviously exposed to severe torture until death. Unnecessary cruelty is a regular practice, beating severely is a routine, and torture to kill or to disable is usual. The question is why, especially that these detainees are arrested for suspicion, which is almost always untrue? The story of General Abid Hamad Mhawish, who gave himself to them, and was humiliated and badly tortured until death in front of every body is well know.
First story: Nawaf Ghatha Mnawikh, 35, has an electronic equipment shop. He was arrested last November in the street when he was going to the market place to open his shop and also to wire some money to Baghdad to buy new equipment. The American soldiers stopped him and asked about (Mujahideen). When he told them that he does not know any, they arrested him and took him to the customs office which they use as a military base. They searched him, he had 8180$ to wire to Baghdad. They took the money. "They put me in an open place of 10 square meters, surrounded by barbed wires, it was cold and raining.
"An American officer called Brown asked me about the Mujahideen, and promised to release me in half an hour if I tell him; when I told him that I do not know any, he began torturing me. He took off my clothes and left me with my trousers only. At night the soldiers came and began to make fun of me. One of them brought a blanket soaked with water; and threw it over me. They were not speaking English, but a language similar to Italian or Spanish. The Iraqi translator was coming back to me each hour to ask if I am going to confess. I was shivering of the severe cold. The translator told me to give him two names of Mujahideen so that he would help me. I was sure that even I give them names they would not release me. I remained like this until the morning. I realized that there was a room beside me where many other prisoners were kept including my brother, Hammod, who is 75 years old.
They took us, my self and 4 other men, to a place that I never saw like it before in my life. It is called Kilo 8, it is away from Qaim 8 kilometers. I was stunned. There were many places, in each one 200 people, as long as my eyes can see. Also open spaces surrounded by barbed wires. I thought that they arrested all the men in my town: the elderly, the youth, the blind, the dumb, and the disabled like Saad Najim, who is mentally retarded. But the first thing I saw was many young American soldiers dragging an old bearded tied man on the ground. I asked who this is; they said this is General Abid Hamad Mhawish, about 65, who is one of the honest and well known men of our area. And he has nothing to do with politics. They began investigating me. They asked me if I was a Mujahid or I know Mujahideen, they said it is better to confess. I told them I am not a Mujahid, and I do not know any. I told them the truth. They said then you help the Mujahideen. I told them I have nothing to do with these things. They began torturing me. They took off my clothes. They pushed me to the ground, my face down; they tied my hands up, and my feet. Then they began to pull my hands and my feet together to curve my back outside and they joined them together by the tie. I lost my conscience. (This kind of torture is called the Scorpion, and the soldier who practices it is called Satan, who is going to be mentioned many times by other prisoners). Each time they tortured me it took 2 hours at least. When they torture us they took us to special rooms away from others. In kilo 8, which was a railway station, they tortured us in the station rooms. They were putting civilian clothes, not military, they were intelligence. There were women soldiers, I saw 6 of them. They were fallen women (e.g. morally indecent); they were doing things in front of us. They never respected us. In one case the American suffocated me by closing my mouth and nose when I fainted after the back torture, then he would let go and ask "confess?" and he would suffocate me again, this would go on for more than two hours. A group of them would torture me at a time, 3-4, and one would stand on my back, or put his foot on my back and pull my tied hands and feet up to break my back. One of them hit me by a cudgel he was holding in his hand, and broke my right hand, you can see the scars. Once I lost conscience because of pain, when I was awake again I found my nail was plucked out and my hand covered with blood. This went on for six days in kilo 8. The first day they investigated me four times. But it was not only me. There are at least 20 investigation rooms. Some times they would call me for investigation in the middle of the night, at 1 or 3am. We were not sleeping, just squatting in the wilderness, with our hands tied all the time. We suffered so much there. They had on mercy at all. We were wet all the time. Some times we fall asleep because of tiredness and pain, but the soldiers would come and nudge us.
They took us, tied and sacs on heads, to a place called kilo 22, which is 22 kilometers to the east of Qaim. I stayed there for 24 days. The cells here were roofed. There were 194 men in one hall. Once they came and asked for some one called Manaf. There was no such a name among us. I told them I am Nawaf, may be you want me, they said no, it is Manaf. If you do not show him up all of you will be punished. No sleep, no food, no wc, no movement at all. We were punished for 52 hours, all of us. Hands tied, sitting with no movement, not closing our eyes, no speaking, no food, etc. If anyone moved they would take him and torture him in the way we were tortured in kilo 8, the hands (up) and feet tied together behind the curved back. They wanted Manaf who was not among us.
One day, I was brought back from torture; another prisoner told me that they killed General Mhawish. He said they kept on torturing him, and then a soldier began to jump on his chest. When he stopped Mhawish never got up, I saw his blood on the ground. After that they said that he told them about Mujahideen, and he was going to work with them, and they told us to do likewise. After that we never saw him. We realized that he was dead. The American soldiers are very cruel. One of them was kind. We liked him. He would come and read a list of names and say (Beit), e.g. home. We called him Mr. One. He would come with the food cans, or with a list of 8-10 prisoners' numbers, and would call them and say (home). We were always so happy to see him. After I was released I found out that all the names he was calling were not to be sent home, but to Abu Greib or Albaghdadi prison. That was the best of them, of the good omen. One day they put the sacs on our heads again and said we are going to Guantanamo, they throw us in the desert, and said (home). We did not believe it at first. But it was true. We were released.
Second Story Hassan Mikhlif Jarrah: 50, a retired employee, who has a smithery shop now. He was arrested with his son on April 10, 2004. When we met him he was just released 3 days earlier.
"More than 10 soldiers raided my house at lunch time, pushed us to the ground, and tied our hands with out saying any thing. Hooded, hands tied to the back we were pushed faces down inside an armored vehicle. They kicked us with their boots on our heads. They took us directly to the Customs Office, which is used as an American military base. For four days, hooded, they kept on beating us, preventing us from sleeping or sitting down, with out any investigation or question. At night they beat me, they break tow of my ribs. The problem is that I wanted to know why they were beating me. I remained in prison for 43 days, 20 of them in the Customs office, and 23 in Kilo 22 prison. They took us on the top of the armored, not inside it. Our hands and heads were still tied. They used us as a human shield. In 22, they put us in a cage for 2 days, heads and hands still tied. Then for 5 days I was forced to stand, no sleeping, no blanket nothing just one meal a day, dinner. I collapsed and began shouting that they are unjust, that I am innocent, that I wanted to know why they were torturing me like this… etc. I did not get any reply. Two soldiers attacked me; they tied my hands and mouth again and put the sac on my head. I have a hernia operation that did not succeed, it was too difficult for me to stand for a long time, the doctor examined me and recommended a rest for 16 minutes. I remained in Kilo 22 for 18 days, then they took me to Albaghdadi, prison. We were left for three days with out investigation. I do not know what my accusation is. They were asking me about Mujahideen, they said they see too many people coming to my shop which is true because I repair things. They said I make weapons, which is not true. The other problem was sitting. We had to sit for the whole day, not to raise my heads, not to move, and not to talk. They also do not differentiate between the innocent and the guilty, they treat every body the same. One of the humiliating things was the bathroom, they would pour a jug of water on us and we had to wash with it, it was very embarrassing and humiliating. After 21 days they returned us back again to kilo 22, and released us the next day.
What about your son? How old is he?
He is 29; he was taken to Abu Greib. I do not know why they took him. He is a construction worker. He has nothing to do with Mujahideen. I do not know his destiny now. This is my grand son, if you ask him where is your father, he will said, the American took him. In AlBaghdadi he had the number of 1872.
Third Story
Aymen Idham Aftan, 26, employee in the Customs Office. He was arrested twice. First, it was for one day in December 2003, when they surrounded the whole area of the American base in AlQaim. They arrested me with my neighbor Hamid at dawn. They took us to their base, which was the Baath party office just there. They tied my hands and put a green sac on my head. Four of them began beating me with hands, sticks and I do not know what. They said that when there is a blast your phone rings. You must have to do some thing with it. They kept on beating me until 1.30 pm, I collapsed. They apologized and released me.
Why do you think they did that?
I think they wanted us to leave the house; they wanted all this area which surrounded the base to be evacuated.
I am a kind of person who does not keep silent when I see some thing wrong. On February 2, 2004 I said many things that annoyed the American in an interview with the Associated Press. I said that the Americans are occupiers and should be fought. After a while, an officer, Captain Brown, called me and asked about this interview. He grabbed me from my collar. I can speak some English, I told him if he hits me I will hit back. He went to a near by tank to arrest me, but I ran away. After that Brown was looking for an excuse to arrest me. On March15, after I searched a car and let it go through the boarders, they said there is something smuggled in the car. They did not say what was smuggled. It was a well made-up story. They arrested me with the driver, whom they released in few hours. It was very cold. They poured 3 bottles of water on me, and left me outside until I collapsed. There is a black soldier who used to beat me. He would exercise by hitting the wall with his boots first, then he would beat me. After 15 days they took me to a base which they called (Nimir), the Tiger, it is also called Kilo 22. Four soldiers beat me from 9 to 12 pm daily. They put me in a vertical box called the coffin. It is about 50 centimeter wide; they put me there for 10 days. I had to remain standing, no sleeping, and no sitting. If I was caught sleeping or leaning on the wall, they punished me. They gave us two meals and a bottle of water a day. Some times I keep part of the meal and help others with it. They discovered that, and began to give me one meal a day, until I was released. I used to faint after 3 hours of beating, at 12 pm. They would wake me up with water at 6 am. Before they released me, they investigated me four times by four sides, the Marines, the Army, the CIA, and a fourth group which I do not know what.
How do you know it is CIA?
They said so. The forth side would put a green sac on my head and put a light in my face. They asked strange questions like where is Zarqawi? Of whom I never heard before that. I want to say something too; more criminal than the American were the Arab translators. (A sentence repeated by many prisoners). They used to put their shoes in the prisoners' mouths. Some times they force the prisoners to stand up side down in the coffin (their heads down and their feet up) in Kilo 22 Prison. When I was released I was not conscious. I could not walk for two weeks. Now I have a cartilage slide, I can not stand for more than 15 minutes; I can not sit or sleep comfortably.
Now I am an employee in the Customs office, the problems we are seeing are unimaginable. They deal with Iraqi workers like donkeys. They force them to search 30 trucks a day. Then they bring their dogs to search again, they say our dogs are better than you. They know very well that if there are weapons coming to Iraq, they would not come through the boarders. There is one First sergeant called Hoskins, we call him (abu qazma), e.g. the pickax man, because he always holds a pickax. He has a very bad language. He does not open the cars doors to search them. He breaks them with his pickax. Once he found 25 cigarette glosses, the number allowed is 10. He beat the driver, Qais Chiad, so badly that he broke his teeth and his nose; he tied his hands to the back, hold him up and through him to the ground, and destroyed the car completely. That was last summer, and the forces are called the Apache.
Now I am not talking any more, because if they arrest me again I will kill myself. In prison we are exposed to all kinds of humiliation, bodily and psychologically.
There is a guard in Albaghdadi prison who tortures the prisoners, he is called the Satan. He is white, not very tall, well built, wide shoulders and he wears tattoos on his arms, shoulders, chest and back. He uses very bad words and blasphemy. He was the cruelest of them all.
Forth Story
Nooriya Zeidan, mid fifties
Bushra Khalaf Aswad 16
Mina Khalaf Aswad 17
Nawsood Khalaf Aswad 19
These four woman and girls were arrested, threatened, frightened, (exposed to imprisonment which is a shame for women in Iraq), for reasons that they do not know until now. Many soldiers raided the house on May 14, 2004. They took the four women and left the children in the house alone. The husband, and father, was arrested twice. He is still in Abu Greib now. The mother Nooriya said that "they investigated us, asked us about Mujahideen and those who plant mines. I told them that I do not know them. They made me stand to the wall for four hours until I collapsed. They threatened us with the dogs. I told them that I truly do not know any Mujahideen. They unleashed the dog, which attacked me and tore my clothes into pieces. I lost conscience. The woman soldier took me to the hospital, I had low pressure. I was already very sad and frustrated because they put me with my daughters in prison although we are women. They shouted in my ears. The kids were left alone at home (she has 13 children).
Mina was frightened when the dog attacked her. They asked her about Mujahideen. They said "we found mines in your house" which was not true. They were shouting all night and did not let us sleep. They separated us, each in a room. But I was only frightened by the dog. The soldiers are frightening too. Bushra was terrified by the dog too. They pulled her, pushed her." I never leave the house" she said" I know nothing". Nawsood too was frightened by the dog, they made her stand, face to the wall for long hours. They repeated the same questions with all the women." Where are the Mujahideen?" They made the women listen to the father's voice recorded, pretending that he confessed. The father used to work in the market selling sheep.
The people, sheikhs, and tribes of Al-Qaim went on demonstration Demanding the women release. The mayor also visited the women in prison. After 3 days they were released. Nooriya and her family do not live in their house now; they live with relatives in a village 2 kilometers out side the town. They were threatened to be raped if the soldiers come back to the house and see them there." That is what they said, and the translator told us"
Fifth Story
Mustafa Farhan Al-Rawi, he was just released a day before we met him, after 4 months in prison. He is a captain in Iraqi police, working in the passport office. He was arrested during duty on charge of letting Russian fighters against the coalition forces, "which is untrue. All the charges are untrue. Once I met a prisoner in Abu Greib, called Abu Abdulla, who was accused of "attacking" the coalition forces with a look!! It sounds silly and light charge, but he was arrested for 4 months, then they sent him to Bucca prison with another disabled prisoner, whose name was Firas and he was 24-25 years old, and who was dumb, can not talk or hear anything. He was accused of attacking the collation forces. In Abu Greib we see tragedies. I saw a man, Mikhlif Askar, who is 65 years in camp 6."
What about your story?
"I was arrested here in Alqaim for 12 days, in base kilo 22, and in Albaghdadi for 16 days. They took me hands tied and head hooded. Before the investigation they put me in the coffin for 6 days. It is a vertical wooden box, the size of human body, locked, but open from under the knees so that the guards would see if the prisoner relaxed or fall a sleep. They begin to beat on the coffin to wake him up. Hands still tied and head covered. No food, just a bottle of water a day. I was still in my uniform. They investigated me for 5 days about the Russians. I told them that I do not know what they are talking about. When I collapsed they took me to a room 3 by 4 meters, there were two brothers who helped me sleep. I was called for investigation next day. I told them that they know me very well, I 've working there for 8 months , that they know very well I have nothing to do with Mujahideen. They transferred us to Albaghdadi. There were 12 Indian workers arrested with us in the truck, accused of being Afghani fighters. They had their Indian passports; they were not even Muslims but Sikh. In Albaghdadi there was no sleep, hands tied. Next day they took me to the Satan, who is responsible for the investigation. He is reddish, not very tall, drawing tattoo of snakes on his arms. He asked me about Weapons of Mass Destruction. I told him I do not know. He asked me about Mujahideen, and about Baath members in AlQaim. I told him that these people are arrested. Again he asked me about the Russians. I told him the truth. Every one who entered Iraq is registered in a book. We were told that if there is any Saudis or from the Gulf the American should see him. A Mujahid would not come from an office full of American troops. He asked me to give him some names of people who would give information. I told him I do not know such people. He told me that I was not cooperating. At night he came to our room and called me by name. He asked me again about the Russians. I told him if I lie and tell you that I helped any Russians to enter, you would ask me next who they are, how many…etc and I have no such information, what I am going to do. He pushed me, face to the ground, tied my hands and feet. Four of them began to torture me "the scorpion", which is to pull my hands up and to the back, and then they would pull my feet up and tie them together with my hands, pushing my back down. I could hear my back cracking. I was left (standing) on my abdomen for 15-20 minutes. Then they asked me to confess. They tortured me all the night. Another kind of torture is they force me to hold a heavy box of canned food and go around with it. When I got tired, they we take me back to the scorpion. There were two men from Albaghdadi with me, one called Amr Karb, and another one from Alqaim called Nawfa Ajeel Qozi. Some times they double or triple the weight until it reached six box, about 90 kilograms. My arms were dead. I could not even hold a glass of water. They forced me to push the boxes with my feet. I had to push them for 20 meters and then back, all night. They kept my feet tied all the time. It was very difficult to move. (Traces of ties are still on his legs 3 months after they were untied), my friends would help me to the toilet.
What about Abu Grieb? What do you know about women there? Did you see any?
No. I heard about them. I heard that they are kept naked, that sometimes they force women prisoners to walk in front of male prisoners naked, or force male prisoners to go around in women cells naked. When a member of the Governing Council visited, Abu Grieb, the prisoners told him not to worry about males, and go instead to solitary confinements where Iraqi women are raped. I heard that there were 40 women then.
What else?
Before we leave prison we sign a paper saying that we give away all our rights, that we would not put any claims against the coalition forces.
General Mhawish ,60.
We heard this name many times in Alqaim. Almost every one talked about him. One of them called Mawsoof told us that the American surrounded all of Alqaim and arrested hundreds last Ramadan (November2003). They used the Kilo 8 place, which is a train station. They build a large camp there by barbed wires, and then they brought 14 iron containers, 6 meters long each. They arrested every body, even the mentally retarded, like Qais and Saad. General Mhawish was severely tortured. "I know him very well. He was "freeze" in the last regime, e.g. marginalized. He was given the job of training Alquds militia, which was not a serious military job, but the Americans think it is important. Mhawish's 4 sons were arrested, the youngest is only 16. But he, himself, he gave himself to them. He was tortured for 10 days in Kilo 8, day and night, in front of all the others. Traces of torture were on his body when his family received it. Bruises, broken ribs, electric shocks… they have the photos. I saw General Mhawish in Kilo 22, he was kept in a bath room, 120 cm by 1 m, and he was tied all the time. We were sleeping in the containers. Once they brought G M, he was very tired, he said I feel cold. I gave him a blanket. They tortured him with electricity, with cold, they would pour water on him and leave him outside the container, and his blankets were soaked with water. There is an officer called Yomen (as pronounced by prisoners), and his assistant, the Satan, came from Albaghdadi. Yomen told his soldiers to (play) with G M, two of them dragged him, and for two hours the rolled him in the mud, jumped on his body, beat him, then they would take him around and make prisoners look at him in this very humiliating and miserable condition. After 8 or 9 days, they announced that G M had confessed, and he is cooperating. He disappeared. We realized that he was dead; it was obvious on his body and face the previous day that he was dying.
Mottar… , 48, told us about the iron containers which were locked on the prisoners at night and then the soldiers began to hit the walls to make noise and prevent the prisoners from sleeping. "I saw a man kept out side the container; they said it is G M. Next day a woman soldier came with the officer and had photos with G M. The officer ordered the soldiers to put G M with me. The first time they took him he was okay, but when they returned him he could not walk. A soldier was pulling him from his hands and another one was pushing him. They toured him on the cells and made the soldiers laugh at him. He was fasting. It was cold and raining. His blankets were wet. He was shivering. The officer prevented us from coming near him. After two hours they took him again, the same officer. G M could not stand up. The soldiers took him. They began to torture him by jumping on his body. After 3 or 4 hours they brought him back by rolling his body on the ground. His body was covered with blue bruises. The third day, in the afternoon, they announced that G M had confessed, and was cooperating and that all the prisoners are going to be released. Next day they released 5 -6 prisoners, the rest were sent either to Kilo 22, or to Albaghdadi prisons.
http://www.albasrah.net/maqalat/english/0604/report2-3.htm
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