WAR IN IRAQ / » archive
page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13
Yosfiya: The 21st Century Nazis Are Here
By: Mr. Sabah Ali, Iraqi Journalist
November 20, 2005
Those who follow the American occupation of Iraq
news may be familiar with a term used in media almost
two years ago: The Triangle of Death, an area south
of Baghdad, which constitutes three relatively small
towns; Yosfiya, Mahmoodiya and Latifiya. Of course
it has nothing to do with death; on the contrary
it is situated in one of the greenest, most beautiful
and peaceful areas of Iraq, full of fruit orchards,
vegetable farms where the Tigris and the Euphrates
and many smaller canals flow calmly through the
rural areas and hundreds of small villages. It also
used to be one of the most important industrial
areas in central Iraq, especially textiles. But
it is branded Triangle of Death by the American
troops now, because they face the largest number
of attacks on the southern highway there.
The population is a mixture of Shiite and Sunni
Arab tribes, as almost everywhere else in Iraq.
It never happened in history that this area witnessed
any sectarian conflict whatsoever. Directly after
the occupation, and through 2004, news of American
raids, arrests and big military operations were
regular there. This year however, a new (dimension)
was added, horrible stories of arrests, torture,
and mass killing news were coming out, not only
by the American troops, but also by the Iraqi police
and Army units. These news rarely, almost never,
find their way into the mainstream media, neither
Iraqi nor international.
Yosfiya is almost part of southern Baghdad, may
be less than 30 kilometers. The biggest and most
essential point here is now the Saqr (hawk) American
military base, and prison where all detainees from
south Baghdad are usually taken, to be moved later
into bigger prisons like Abu Greib or Camp Bucca
in Um Qasr (near Basra) or other unknown prisons.
In the past this huge facility was Scania bus factory.
That is why Iraqis call it Scania prison. Mountains
of garbage are thrown on both sides of the highway
(the driver commented sarcastically that everything
went down in Iraq except garbage, it went up), beyond
that is the car graveyard, a very big area where
damaged vehicles are collected to be sold for the
cheapest price in a neighboring country. To make
it worse, very long queues of cars stop endlessly
here either to get fuel, waiting at many check points,
or stopped temporarily to let the American or Iraqi
military patrols pass. Expectedly, the way to Yosfiya
which normally wouldn't take more that 15 minutes,
takes now at least 1.30 hour.
Our destination was a village called Qaraghool.
But the driver explained that it is impossible to
reach that village because it is besieged by the
Iraqi and American troops for 3 months.
-"This is the point", we objected , "we
want to see how the villagers are surviving there."
-"Not today please, trust me you cannot go
today." He was firm.
Our first stop was Nasser Shneiter village, on the
eastern side. This is no more than 14 houses of
farmers from one family: Nasser, a Shiite family
from Beni Saad tribe. On the dusty side way, a deserted
house was destroyed, the walls split, the windows
smashed, the okras left to dry un plucked, so are
the cotton trees. The apiary boxes and the animals'
yard were empty and deserted. The driver explained
that the house was raided, bombed by sound bombs,
two men were arrested, one of them, Nektal Rahman
Adaay was killed during the arrest. The family,12,
are now living with relatives.
Nasser village looked completely deserted. Nothing
could be seen or heard except dogs' barking. Most
of the houses were burnt out. We were filming the
first, Hussein's which was completely destroyed
and burnt out except for Imam Ali's picture, when
a young man, covered with dust, appeared from nowhere
and asked curiously what we were doing. He was very
surprised to see journalists "at last"
as he said, and began relating what happened on
November 5, 2005, the first day of Ramadan.
The Iraqi police Special Forces, Al-Hussein Brigades,
came at dawn. There were around 20 pick ups full
of them. They were hit on the highway very badly
from a place behind the Yosfiya Water Project, east
of the village. Tens of them were killed. Their
cars were burnt. Some of them hid inside the village.
The battle went on for 3 hours. In the end some
of them managed to run away. In the afternoon, the
same day, more forces returned back accompanied
by the American troops and helicopters. They evacuated
their dead, raided the houses, killed and arrested
the men, humiliated the families, killed the cows
and chickens, destroyed the yards, and set the village
on fire.
"They dragged one of the men Abbass Oeid, more
than 70 years, and beat him to death. Two other
man, were arrested, Karim Motar, 50, and Riyadh
Talab Jabr, 20. Their bodies were found three days
later in Baghdad. They put police uniform on Karim's
body. Riyadh was naked. Both were savagely tortured,
their bones, backs, and arms were smashed".
"They believed that the village was colluding
with the resistance".
Ali Nasser, another man from the village furiously
denied that this is true "some of them were
not killed, they managed to run away, they can testify
about what happened., actually they hid in our houses
and fought from there, we gave them protection,
some families served them tea and bread. They say
that the Sunnis are fighting them, we are Shiite,
so why they burnt our village?"
-Can you answer this question?
-"I can not, I do not know, that is why I ask
the government to come here and investigate. We
have done nothing wrong, never hurt any body or
broken any law. We were punished for a crime that
we did not do. We were in the middle of the fire,
this is our only fault"
Ali's house was completely destroyed. The ceilings
iron bars were dropping because of the fire. There
were childrens beds, traditional Iraqi babies' swinging
beds, babies' milk cans, smashed plates, all burnt
to skeleton. Ali was not hesitant to talk in front
of the camera.
-"I want the government to hear my question
and answer me: why were we treated like this? The
police brigades broke even the electricity converters,
we do not have power for 40 days, of course water
pumps do not operate and the plants are all dead.
Our animals were killed, our women humiliated. They
ask the women where did you hide the men, they grabbed
the children from their hair and throw them to the
ground. Riyadh's mother was crying and begging them
to leave her son; they hit her with the gun's end,
they smashed his head with a brick in front of her
eyes, now she is dying. When his body was found
it was skinned… Abbass was so old that he
could not even walk, how he would be a terrorist!!
He was beaten to death on the spot and his body
was thrown in the drainage. When they searched the
houses they did not find any indication that any
of them had any thing to do with terrorism or weapons,
so why? The government is working on turning every
body against it. It is encouraging ordinary people
to resist by treating them so savagely. They have
no mercy. We have nothing left now, nothing."
Ali went to the police with some men to complain.
The police accused the villagers of slaughtering
the policemen. He tried to explain what he told
us, that the village was caught in the middle of
the fires, that the policemen bodies were found
in the village because they used it as a shelter
and were fighting there, that they were hit from
the water project, but his attempts were useless.
In fact the police threatened to arrest him. 24
people were living in Ali's house, now they are
scattered on five different places.
All Yosfiya men do not sleep in their houses, no
matter if they were young, old, armed, or have nothing
to do with the resistance; because the police arrest
any men around. Women are left alone to face the
situation. In Hilal's house, deeper inside the farms
we met Karima, a brave farmer, Hilal's wife and
a mother of many children. Nothing was left in her
small house, everything was burnt out, even the
flour, the sugar and the rice were destroyed.
"I tried to save something, but I could not,
they would not let me. They came in four helicopters
and surrounded the whole area. They put the gun
on my head and asked where the mojahideen are. They
destroyed everything, even my medicines. They said
you help the mojahideen with those medicines, and
destroyed them. Troops from the police Scorpion
brigade were hit in the area the day before, and
they believed that we knew about the mojahideen".
Three beautiful girls were looking at us and smiling.
Ghofran was 10, Iman 7, and Ayat, 5. They were the
daughters of Hamid, Hilal's brother, who was arrested
almost two years ago. "I could not see, he
is in Bucca, they do not let me go to see him,"
Ghofran said, pointing to her uncle. Hamid was a
school guard; he was arrested because the police
believed that the school was used to hide some kidnapped
foreigners.
In Abid Ahmad house the same story was repeated.
The police forces were hit on the nearest paved
road. They raided the house, destroyed the furniture,
and burnt everything, including all the family and
the land documents. Worst of all they burnt Abid's
new car which he just bought two months ago for
8 million dinars (more than $5000). Abid looks after
a family of 18, including his father, mother, sister
and 2 brothers apart from his own children. "I
have to pay 75.000 dinars just to get them new IDs,
you can imagine"
Abid went to the police to complain. The police
and the judge decided that he was innocent deserved
compensation "but frankly speaking, I do not
have any hope that I will get anything".
From the editor: This story is published on
the web: www.DahrJamailIraq.com
Weary of the overall failure of the US media to
accurately report on the realities of the war in
Iraq for the Iraqi people and US soldiers, Dahr
Jamail went to Iraq to report on the war himself.
His dispatches were quickly recognized as an important
media resource and he is now writing for the Inter
Press Service, The Asia Times and many other outlets.
His reports have also been published with The Nation,
The Sunday Herald, Islam Online, the Guardian and
the Independent to name just a few. Dahr's dispatches
and hard news stories have been translated into
French, Polish, German, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese,
Portuguese, Chinese, Arabic and Turkish. On the
radio, Dahr is a special correspondent for Flashpoints
and reports for Democracy Now!, and numerous other
stations around the globe.
Dahr has spent a total of 8 months in occupied Iraq
as one of only a few independent US journalists
in the country. Dahr uses the www.DahrJamailIraq.com
website and his popular
mailing list to disseminate his dispatches.
|
 |
|
 |
 |
Sources: Thousands of Turkish troops enter Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who operate from bases there, Turkish security officials said.... |
 |
Could an al-Qaeda Attack Trigger War With Iran?
Following revelations of a George W. Bush administration policy to hold Iran responsible for any al-Qaeda attack on the U.S. that could be portrayed as planned on Iranian soil... |
|
U.S. doubles air attacks in Iraq
BAGHDAD - Four years into the war that opened with "shock and awe," U.S. warplanes have again stepped up attacks in Iraq , dropping bombs at more than twice the rate of a year ago. ... |
|
NPR interviews Dahr Jamail on State of Iraq Hospitals
The five minute interview with Michelle Norris is a good one. However, if the NPR show were true to its title, "All Things Considered"... |
|
Bipartisan panel urges agencies to order civilians to Iraq
With the situation in Iraq "grave and deteriorating," the United States must begin the process of shifting troops out of the country, members of a bipartisan panel said Wednesday... |
|
Sunnis Reject
Early Iraq Election Results, Calling for Inquiry
BAGHDAD,
Iraq, Dec. 20 - Sunni Arab leaders angrily rejected early election
results on Tuesday, saying the vote had been fixed in... |
|
Dispelling
Myths About Iraq
The
bruising debate over U.S. Iraq policy often seems to stray far from
the reality on the ground inside Iraq. Although Iraq’s progress
... |
|
Iraqis Glad
2005 Over, Dim Hopes for 2006
*BAGHDAD,
Dec 20 (IPS) - Despite the parliamentary elections last week
and temporary ease in violence ... |
|
Religious Groups
Take Early Lead in Iraqi Ballots
BAGHDAD,
Iraq, Dec. 19 - Early voting results announced by Iraqi electoral
officials on Monday, with nearly two-thirds of the ballots ... |
|
David Brooks:
Taking a long view of the Iraq conflict
WASHINGTON
Over the past few years, the Iraq war has morphed from a war of liberation
against Saddam Hussein into a civil conflict between Sunnis and Shiites
... |
|
Yosfiya: The
21st Century Nazis Are Here
Weary
of the overall failure of the US media to accurately report on the
realities of the war in Iraq for the Iraqi people and US soldiers,
Dahr Jamail went to Iraq to report on the war himself... |
|
U.S. Is Said
to Pay to Plant Articles in Iraq Papers
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 30 - Titled "The Sands Are Blowing Toward a Democratic Iraq,"
an article written this week for publication in the Iraqi press was
scornful of outsiders' pessimism about the country's future... |
|
 |
N. Korea warns of nuclear war if attacked
North Korea will respond to a pre-emptive U.S. military attack with an "annihilating strike and a nuclear war," the state-run media said Monday, heightening its antagonistic rhetoric.... |
|
Israel says no negotiations on soldier
Palestinian militants holding an Israeli soldier gave Israel less than 24 hours Monday to start releasing 1,500 Palestinian prisoners ... |
|
In the Shadow
of Sharon
IT
is too early to assess Ariel Sharon's legacy. To be sure, he will
be remembered as one of Israel's great field commanders, the wily,
bulldozing general ... |
|
The New Red,
White and Blue
As
we enter 2006, we find ourselves in trouble, at home and abroad. We
are in trouble because we are led by defeatists - wimps, actually... |
|
Life After
Ariel Sharon
When
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced two months ago that he was leaving
the right-wing Likud Party, which he had embodied for three decades... |
|
Administration
Cites War Vote in Spying Case
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 19 - President Bush and two of his most senior aides argued Monday
that the highly ... |
|
Austrian presidency
will not press for EU constitution
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Austrian foreign minister Ursula Plassnik has indicated
that her country's incoming six-month EU... |
|
DEFINING THE
AMERICAN INTEREST
The
American Interest (AI) is a new and independent voice devoted to the
broad theme of "America in the world." Our agenda is threefold.
The first is to analyze America's... |
|
THE AMAZING
BUBBLE-MAN
Alan
Greenspan is the great guru of the American economy, the spell-master
over the fortunes of multitudes the world over. Chairman of... |
|
US DEPARTMENT
OF STATE RELEASED A PRESS STATEMENT ABOUT U.S.-IZRAEL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE
On
November 28, 2005, the United States and Israel conducted a strategic
dialogue led by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns
and Minister of Jerusalem... |
|
An Offering
of Detail But No New Substance
Thirty-two
months after U.S. forces invaded Iraq, President Bush's advisers concluded
that his message of "stay the course" has been translated by a weary
American public as "stay forever." And so yesterday the president
tried to reassure the nation... |
|
9/11 Commissioners
Fault Administration
WASHINGTON
-- Reviewing action on recommendations it made last year, the Sept.
11 commission on Monday criticized the Bush administration for not
adopting standards for treatment of captured terror suspects... |
|
US
refuses to rule out use of torture
THE
White House has refused to rule out the use of torture in an effort
to prevent a major terrorist attack, arguing the war on terror could
present a "difficult dilemma" and the US administration
was duty-bound to protect the American people... |
|
American
Majority Says Bush Misled on Iraq
(Angus
Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in the United States are questioning
their president’s motives to launch the coalition effort, according
to a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal... |
|
 |
EU opens door to hidden TV adverts
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – More frequent commercial breaks as well as product placements, ... |
|
EU states under fire for red tape on foreign workers
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission is set next week to present a report criticising ... |
|
There is too much hyperbole over the EU consitutional treaty
EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - I am getting increasingly fed up with those who qualify the Constitutional Treaty as a "radical new departure" ... |
|
Brussels asks Helsinki to push for stronger EU in criminal matters
The European Commission has renewed calls to boost EU powers in criminal matters as well as increase the role of ... |
|
MEPs shelve prickly anti-fraud debate, again
The European Parliament has for the third time postponed a plenary debate on ... |
|
Frattini calls for national search into CIA flights and prisons
EU justice comissioner Franco Frattini has urged national prosecutors and judges ... |
|
EU praises Bush for wanting 'end' to Guantanamo
The EU has welcomed US president George W. Bush's statements on ending the Guantanamo ... |
|
This WEEK in the European Union
EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA (2-9 July) This week will be the first in office for the Finnish EU presidency. ... |
|
EU troops kill
wife of Bosnian war crimes suspect
The
wife of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Dragomir Abazovic was shot
to death in a gun battle as EU troops stormed the couple's house ... |
|
Bird flu kills
third child in Turkey
Avian
influenza has cost the life of a third child in Eastern Turkey, raising
fears that the deadly strain of the so-called bird flu virus could
spread ... |
|
EU draws up
Adriatic gas plan after Russia-Ukraine fiasco
The
EU might build a new gas pipeline on the Adriatic Sea coast in order... |
|
Slovak-Vatican
abortion deal criticised by EU experts
Slovakia
has been challenged by EU legal experts over an agreement with the
Vatican... |
|
Commissioner
proposes constitution cherry-picking
French
commissioner Jacques Barrot has proposed that single elements of the
EU constitution be taken out in a bid to save the charter... |
|
Blair takes
hits on EU budget deal
British
prime minister Tony Blair, defending the deal on EU’s budget
in front of the House of Commons... |
|
Italian bank
chief resigns
Italian
Central Bank governor Antonio Fazio resigned yesterday after the Italian
government had announced... |
|
WTO fallout
expected
Polish
experts say the WTO deal could harm EU exporters of milk, sugar, beef
and grain leading to oversupply... |
|
Austria to
revive constitution chat
Austria
plans to revive the EU constitution debate and plough ahead with Turkey
accession talks under its incoming... |
|
EU threatens
to cut Palestine funds if Hamas wins
The
EU's exterior relations chief Javier Solana will stop EU funding for
Palestine if Hamas wins the Palestinian elections saying... |
|
Ukraine snubbed
in Russia gas row
Ukraine
prime minister Yuri Yekhanourov flew to Moscow for gas price talks
but came back with nothing as Russia... |
|
Serbian grip
on Kosovo weakening
Less
and less people in Serbia and on an international level support the
idea of a Serbian Kosovo, Le Figaro writes... |
|
New Baltic
gas pipeline scheme
Finland
and Estonia are talking about building a gas pipeline linking... |
|
Germany to
cooperate with Italy
German
chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday visited Italian prime minister
Silvio Berlusconi amid promises... |
|
Turkey pressed
to stop blocking EU-NATO meetings
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Turkey has come under increased pressure to stop blocking
strategic meetings between the EU and NATO... |
|
Slovaks
voting on design of euro coins
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Slovak citizens are voting on the country's future eurocoin
designs, with a possibility... |
|
Bosnian
leaders in Brussels for US-led constitution talks
Bosnian
political leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss a reform of their
country’s constitution, on the basis of a draft... |
|
Polish
government deepens eurosceptic ties
The
new Polish government secured parliamentary backing on Thursday (10
November) but some fear mounting tension with Brussels in store... |
|
Estonian
foreign minister denied entry visa to Russia
Russia
has refused to give the Estonian foreign minister an entry visa, sparking
a diplomatic row with Tallinn... |
|
Ex-commissioner
Edith Cresson may lose EU pension
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - The European Commission has called for the suspension
of EU pension rights for former French prime minister... |
|
Letters
to commissioners to go public in EU transparency drive
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - The European Commission has adopted today (9 November)
a controversial "transparency initiative."... |
|
|
