Americans are raping Iraqi women!

[cic old boy]

This is just the tip of the iceberg.


Focus shifts to jail abuse of women

Luke Harding in Baghdad
Wednesday May 12, 2004
The Guardian

For Huda Shaker, the humiliation began at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Baghdad. The American soldiers demanded to search her handbag. When she refused one of the soldiers pointed his gun towards her chest.

"He pointed the laser sight directly in the middle of my chest," said Professor Shaker, a political scientist at Baghdad University. "Then he pointed to his penis. He told me, 'Come here, *Nice Lady*, I'm going to **** you.'"

The incident is one of a number in which US soldiers are alleged to have abused, intimidated or sexually humiliated Iraqi women.

According to Prof Shaker, several women held in Abu Ghraib jail were sexually abused, including one who was raped by an American military policeman and became pregnant. She has now disappeared.

Most of the coverage of the prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib has focused on Iraqi men. But there is compelling evidence that several female prisoners, who are in a minority at the jail, were abused as well.

"A female colleague of mine was arrested and taken there. When I asked her after she was released what happened at Abu Ghraib she started crying," Prof Shaker said.

"Ladies here are afraid and shy of talking about such subjects. They say everything is OK. Even in a very advanced society in the west it is very difficult to talk about rape. But I think it happened."

Few women released from US detention have come forward to talk about their experiences in a Muslim society where rape is sometimes equated with shame and victims can be killed to salvage family honour.

According to the New Yorker magazine the photos and videos so far unreleased by the Pentagon show American soldiers "having sex with a female Iraqi prisoner", and a secret report by General Antonio Taguba into the scandal confirms that US guards videotaped and photographed naked female prisoners and that "a male MP [military police] guard" is shown "having sex with a female detainee".

Yesterday Prof Shaker, who began researching the subject this year for Amnesty International, said she believed the woman involved had been killed.

"The girl was called Noor. When I went to her house in Baghdad earlier this year she had disappeared. The neighbours said that she and her family had moved away."

Since the US military began its inquiry into prisoner abuse in January, many female detainees have been released from Abu Ghraib and the other US detention facilities across Iraq.

But five women are still in solitary confinement in Abu Ghraib's notorious 1A cellblock where as many as 1,500 pictures were taken in November and December.

According to Rajaa Habib Khuzaai, an obstetrician who is one of three women on the US-appointed Iraqi governing council, none of the five has been raped or sexually abused. US officials allowed Dr Khuzaai to visit them yesterday and interview them privately.

Two of the women told her that US soldiers had beaten them after their arrest in December and January while they were in custody at Baghdad international airport, before their transfer to Abu Ghraib.

"They were a little embarrassed. They merely said they had been beaten and that was it," Dr Khuzaai told the Guardian.

She added: "They are now paid special attention. Conditions are OK and they have given them some privacy."

But there are unanswered questions as to why the women have been locked up without charge.

According to Dr Khuzaai, two of the women are married to high-ranking and absconding Ba'ath party officials, two are accused of financing the Iraqi resistance, and one had a relationship with the director of Iraq's former secret police, the mukhabarat.

Human rights campaigners say the US military frequently arrests wives and daughters during raids if the male suspect is not at home.

US officials have acknowledged detaining women in the hope of convincing male relatives to provide information: a strategy that is in violation of international law.

"The issue is the system," Nada Doumani of the International Committee of the Red Cross said yesterday.

"It is an absence of judicial guarantees. People are being kept in custody without knowing what for. The system is not fair, precise or properly defined."

Senior US military officers who escorted journalists around Abu Ghraib on Monday admitted that rape had taken place in the cellblock where 19 "high-value" male detainees are also being held.

Asked how it could have happened, Colonel Dave Quantock, who is now in charge of the prison's detention facilities, said: "I don't know. It's all about leadership. Apparently it wasn't there."

Journalists were forbidden from talking to the women, who are kept upstairs in windowless 2.5 metre by 1.5 metre cells. The women wailed and shouted.

They were kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day, Col Quantock said, with only a Koran.

Other allegations being investigated are that a 12- or 13-year-old girl had been stripped naked in the block and paraded in front of male inmates.

Yesterday Prof Shaker said after her ordeal in February her friends dragged her back into the car and drove off. "I vowed never to talk to another American soldier," she said.

She said the US and Britain should learn from the affair. "You can't treat human beings in this way. I hope they have learned from this."

[RudeBoy]

There is nothing like ethics or morals in war!

[chopeski]

Rude boy, you are a moron for making an imbecile statement like this.

For your moronic information, there is something called the “Geneva convention” rules’ governing all combatants. Last time I checked, the Americans were signatories to this convention and those rapists should face a war crime tribunal.

As per rapists, I guess they are continuing what the forefathers did to black women slaves and other conquered people. The Caucasian hands are stained with the blood of those innocent women be they African, Indian and now Iraqi.

[juventuss]

There is nothing like ethics or morals in war!

are you not the same one that "felt sick" because the cut of the head of the american ?

So there you go. There isnt any thing like ethics in war.

[cchinukw]

Rude boy, you are a moron for making an imbecile statement like this.

For your moronic information, there is something called the “Geneva convention” rules’ governing all combatants. Last time I checked, the Americans were signatories to this convention and those rapists should face a war crime tribunal.

As per rapists, I guess they are continuing what the forefathers did to black women slaves and other conquered people. The Caucasian hands are stained with the blood of those innocent women be they African, Indian and now Iraqi.

While not condoning the act of the Americans, consider this scenario:

Two comabatants A representing America and I representing Iraq. Now A is fully aware of the Geneva convention but is faced with a decision involving life and death. I on the other hand doesn't give a toss about such conventions. If given half a chance A would be beheaded. Get the picture?

[juventuss]

Rude boy, you are a moron for making an imbecile statement like this.

For your moronic information, there is something called the “Geneva convention” rules’ governing all combatants. Last time I checked, the Americans were signatories to this convention and those rapists should face a war crime tribunal.

As per rapists, I guess they are continuing what the forefathers did to black women slaves and other conquered people. The Caucasian hands are stained with the blood of those innocent women be they African, Indian and now Iraqi.

While not condoning the act of the Americans, consider this scenario:

Two comabatants A representing America and I representing Iraq. Now A is fully aware of the Geneva convention but is faced with a decision involving life and death. I on the other hand doesn't give a toss about such conventions. If given half a chance A would be beheaded. Get the picture?

you're not making sense. what does that have to do with the price of beans ?

[cchinukw]

Rude boy, you are a moron for making an imbecile statement like this.

For your moronic information, there is something called the “Geneva convention” rules’ governing all combatants. Last time I checked, the Americans were signatories to this convention and those rapists should face a war crime tribunal.

As per rapists, I guess they are continuing what the forefathers did to black women slaves and other conquered people. The Caucasian hands are stained with the blood of those innocent women be they African, Indian and now Iraqi.

While not condoning the act of the Americans, consider this scenario:

Two comabatants A representing America and I representing Iraq. Now A is fully aware of the Geneva convention but is faced with a decision involving life and death. I on the other hand doesn't give a toss about such conventions. If given half a chance A would be beheaded. Get the picture?

you're not making sense. what does that have to do with the price of beans ?

???????

[chopeski]

Rude boy, you are a moron for making an imbecile statement like this.

For your moronic information, there is something called the “Geneva convention” rules’ governing all combatants. Last time I checked, the Americans were signatories to this convention and those rapists should face a war crime tribunal.

As per rapists, I guess they are continuing what the forefathers did to black women slaves and other conquered people. The Caucasian hands are stained with the blood of those innocent women be they African, Indian and now Iraqi.

While not condoning the act of the Americans, consider this scenario:

Two comabatants A representing America and I representing Iraq. Now A is fully aware of the Geneva convention but is faced with a decision involving life and death. I on the other hand doesn't give a toss about such conventions. If given half a chance A would be beheaded. Get the picture?

First things first: Two wrongs don’t make a right!

Secondly, the Americans are supposed to be the “liberators” i.e. the good guy. This places a huge amount of responsibility on their shoulders, meaning they must not only play by the rules, they must be seen to be playing by the rules.

Lastly, how does the wanton rape of innocent Iraqi women equate to your analogy?

[ohsee]

I think Rudeboy just likes to be "controversial." Unfortunately, he sometimes comes off sounding like a donkey, instead of like someone smiling sardonically behind a computer screen and trying to get people riled up.

As for cchinukw the non-pseudo-intellectual, his pathetic efforts to rationalize American behaviour would be laughable if they were not so sad.

[Nneka]

There is nothing like ethics or morals in war!

i couldn't have said it better. war in general is unethical.

[anikulapo]

What he probably meant was that in the heat of battle a lot of ethics and morals go out the window..........I mean, war in its basic essence is to destroy another with as much fury and violence as possible......There is nothing ethical or moral about that

[cchinukw]

I think Rudeboy just likes to be "controversial." Unfortunately, he sometimes comes off sounding like a donkey, instead of like someone smiling sardonically behind a computer screen and trying to get people riled up.

As for cchinukw the non-pseudo-intellectual, his pathetic efforts to rationalize American behaviour would be laughable if they were not so sad.

Mr Ohsee,

Your desciption of me as a ughh!! I puke at that phrase is unfortunate. I try not to use a lot of unnecessary text to put my views across bearing in mind we are rantn' 'n ravn'.

Both sides are in a war. This was evident from the word go on 9/11. We have now lost an innocent civilian because the silly liberal media were holding the American side to ransom. The major lesson to be learnt here is that war is a game of life and death.

To all those who have found an oppotunity to denounce America's actions, the recent killing of the contractor has no doubt brought back to life the kind of enemy the civilised( a favourite Ohsee phrase) world is confronted with.

[juventuss]

Both sides are in a war. This was evident from the word go on 9/11.

Both sides ? Excuse me but i forgot the part where the Suicide bombers were from Iraq. Lets try to state the truth here. Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11. you know that so quit lying.

We have now lost an innocent civilian because the silly liberal media were holding the American side to ransom. The major lesson to be learnt here is that war is a game of life and death.

Liberal media ? Please name them. FOX, CNN, ABC ? which one is liberal. Another lie. Dude you're doing a pretty good job and this your story twisting. Who is the "WE" that has lost an innocent life ? Do you want to see pictures of ACTUAL INNOCENT IRAQI's killed in WAY MORE disgusting way than this guy a "contractor" ?
Please try to be honest.

To all those who have found an oppotunity to denounce America's actions, the recent killing of the contractor has no doubt brought back to life the kind of enemy the civilised( a favourite Ohsee phrase) world

Civilised world ? Wow...

1. The civilised world is the one responsible for majority of the world wars and current problems.
2. The same civilised world sticks chemical lights up the #$% of the less civilised. now tell me who is civilised.
3. Dont forget this same civilised world was seeking DOGS against black people 30 or so years ago.
4. The same civilised world saw women as unfit to make decisions for themselves.
5. The same civilised world developed the most destructive weapon ever known to man.
6. This same civilised world you mention has imposed sanctions on the poor.

If that is the civilised world you are talking about, then KARMA is a *Nice Lady*. !
Yet another twist by the TWISTMEISTER...

[Robbynice]

There is nothing like ethics or morals in war!

i couldn't have said it better. war in general is unethical.

I am talking to both Rudeboy and Nneka here. So because there is nothing like ethics and morals in war means that is okay that such things are happening, right? As a result it is no big deal, abi? It is mind bugling that we have people with thought process like this parabulating the forum. ***Robby shaking his in pity just thinking about what living in the western world have done to some people***

[cchinukw]

Were Ancient Rome, Babylon and more recently the United Kingdom civilisations. If so the Americans come off less soiled.

[cic old boy]

Apparently this is "old news" that is just trickling into the mainstream media.

More sordid details from Indymedia.

The 'Rape of Iraq' Acquires a New Meaning
W. C. Hack 29 Apr 2004 19:03 GMT

Liberation and rape go together.


The 'Rape of Iraq' Acquires a New Meaning

The Arabic ideology could safely be summed up in one word: honour. Honour to Arabs, however, bear a very specific significance. Honour is a word that is attached to the land and chastity of women. It is the Arabic version of nobility. Trespassing on Arabian honour is the biggest sin there is to commit, be that in the name of liberation or worse still, occupation. As an Arab writer, reporting on the rape of the looted Arab honour of Muslim women is a major decision I had to make against the ethics of my culture and the morality of my society. Yet, I had to do it; someone had to do it. And here I register my very honest apology for publishing this report that opens wounds of many Arab families in Iraq and hurts the pride of the Arab nation, confirming that if we all keep our mouths shut, the illegitimate American occupation will feel free to lie to its teeth, even more.

Claiming to liberate Iraqis from its tyrant ruler, Mr. Bush Jr. packed troops and digital missiles in an adventure to conquer the proud Arab leader and teach him a lesson, after promoting Saddam as the evil of all ages. After the deliberate destruction of the infrastructure, cutting power and water supply, seizing people, crushing the gates of the Central Bank in Iraq and throwing Iraqi Dinars in the Streets , and looting the Museum of Baghdad with its 5000 years-old artefacts, the American genius of technological civilisation and economical globalisation went on to dismantle the Iraqi army, open presidential palaces for muddy combat boots to foul the sheets of the presidential bed, tartar-like. The dishonourable murder of the president’s sons was not even the finale of that barbaric aggression. Iraqi citizens are tortured, arrested and physically raped by the American troops. Their revelling in the act of sexual torture was documented by the American mercenaries themselves. An American Muslim sent the pictures to Arabia. Claims that the pictures are not authentic or that rapes are not the order of the day for occupied Iraq is no different from the claim that Saddam was a threat to the US for possessing WMDs. The rape of Iraq was on top of the American agenda since Bush Sr. ; and today, his son lives to finalize the map of de-civilisation.

As Dr Susan Blocks put it in her article: The Rape of Iraq, published 15th April 2003, before she even learnt of the sexual rape of Iraq : “At the moment, there is not a functioning hospital in Baghdad. The Iraqi Antiquities Museum has been cleaned out of 5000-year-old priceless antiquities, most stolen, some smashed to pieces in the fury of “liberation.”. This is not just Iraq’s heritage that the illegal Anglo-American rape of Iraq has destroyed; this is the heritage of the Western world, the archaeological legacy of the Cradle of Civilization, the land of Abraham and Sarah, the ancient Sumerians and the legendary Garden of Eden. Marines guard the oil fields and even, brazenly, the Oil Ministry, leaving the hospitals, museums and the shops of hard-working Iraqis to the looters. What Block noted, probably by sheer guesswork, is that the occupation of Iraq by the American mercenaries was ‘rape’ to Arabs – the gravest sin against Arab honour.

The rape of Iraq - civilisation, history, economy, homeland and future is crowned now by a shameful record of sexual torture of 4000 reported cases of rape of Muslim women in traditional Arab dress. Peasant women in their black gelabas and in their forties and fifties are forced to perform fellatio on members of uniformed cowboys under the gun. Group rapes and military orgies became the order of the day. Women are pulled out of their homes by the hair across the desert sands to host the liberating troops between their legs.

As the Socialist web explains: “One month after the fall of Baghdad to the US military, the real reasons for the Bush administration’s illegal war against Iraq are coming clearly into focus. Behind Washington’s rhetoric about “liberation” and “democracy,” America’s financial oligarchy is preparing to enrich itself through the outright theft of an entire nation’s wealth”. And what is surprising if a country that is congratulating itself daily on the philanthropy of its dream, sees nothing wrong in waging wars against countries on all continents of the globe – nothing wrong in naming Bin-Laden a worker of freedom one day for driving the Russians out of Afghanistan, then calling him the most wanted a few years later for being behind the WTC bombing without producing evidences past fake video tapes?

When the Iraqi daily newspaper, As-Saah, reported on the rape of two teenager girls, aged 14 and 15, who were talking to American soldiers in Suwaira, 180km south of Baghdad, one day when the soldiers suggested they accompany them to their camp to take pictures but then collectively raped the pair, the US Central Command had the guts to comment: “Absolutely false!” That was reported on the 9th June 2003.

The US Central Command confirmed that they “take any claim of this nature extremely seriously, have looked into the allegations and found nothing whatsoever to substantiate the accusations, including checking local hospital records,” it said. But while the US Central Command blatantly remarked that “the As-Saah newspaper clearly and blatantly abused its recently attained freedom to report responsibly to the Iraqi people,” the series of more shocking rapes continue in the face of the American lies.

On the 18th July, Awakened Women reported the case of Sanariya, a 9 year old who was raped two months earlier by the American Mercenaries. The concept of honour in Arabian lands stands in the way of seeking reportage. And as the Awakened Women added: “For most Iraqi victims of abduction and rape, getting medical and police assistance is a humiliating process. Deeply traditional notions of honour foster a sense of shame so strong that many families offer no consolation or support for victims, only blame.”

Girls are not going to schools; women are not reporting to work. Beyda Jafar Sadiq, 17, made the simple decision to go to school on the morning of May 22nd and never returned. Her family has been looking for her ever since. They have appealed to every international nongovernmental organization, the Iraqi police and the American authorities. Her eldest brother, Feras, 29, has crisscrossed the country, visiting the morgue in Basra in the south, travelling to Amara and Nasiriya on reports from acquaintances that they saw a girl who looked like Beyda. Dr. Younis said "Even when women come to the hospital with injuries that are consistent with rape, they often insist something else happened. “A 60-year-old woman asserted that she had been hit by a car. The mother of a 6-year-old girl begged the doctor to write a report saying that her daughter’s hymen had been ruptured because she fell on a sharp object,a common lie families tell in the case of rape,” Dr. Younis said.

On the arrest of Iraqi men at their abodes, the wives and sisters are taken hostages by American soldiers to the open desert. In most cases, children had to witness their mothers and grandmothers being beaten and ravished out of their homes by the Americans. Once a woman is taken to the desert near the camp, the soldiers ingeniously devise ways of sexual humiliation of Muslim women that range from performing group fellatios to having orgies with the cowboys in uniform. Despite the shame surrounding the events of rapes, where the youngest victim was 9 years old and the oldest was 64, four thousand cases of rapes were involuntarily exposed. In return, a series of rapes on the American troops started five weeks ago, where Iraqi citizens kidnapped and raped cowboys in combat before killing them. Blind to the fact that many soldiers are actually homosexual, Iraqis persist on deflowering the chastity of all Americans. The fact that no rape by the British troops has yet been reported poses the question : “Now, do we all know who the Americans are and what they had wanted from Iraq?”

[Cellular]

the Americans are supposed to be the “liberators” i.e. the good guy. This places a huge amount of responsibility on their shoulders, meaning they must not only play by the rules, they must be seen to be playing by the rules.

Nothing more to add my broda...

[Robbynice]

the Americans are supposed to be the “liberators” i.e. the good guy. This places a huge amount of responsibility on their shoulders, meaning they must not only play by the rules, they must be seen to be playing by the rules.

Nothing more to add my broda...

Ol'boy you for talk am like you usually do. Anyway make I help you talk am. KPOM!

[theYemster]

Both sides are in a war. This was evident from the word go on 9/11.

Has it even occured to you why the US claim they are going to war with Iraq over 9/11 and not Saudi Arabia when most of the perpetrators of the attack are Saudi nationals?

Get your head out of your #$% buddy; the Iraq war had nothing to do with 9/11.

[Fegwu]

This is just the tip of the iceberg.


Focus shifts to jail abuse of women

Luke Harding in Baghdad
Wednesday May 12, 2004
The Guardian

CIC
You should know better that a link should always accompany reports and articles that you t personally generate. It will be mighty nice if you could include it in your initial post and for your future posts. It is the right thing to do.

[cic old boy]

Fegwu: What are you yapping about?? The author of the article is clear in the post, the source is clear (The Guardian), what do you need the link for? Make una see me see trouble o! If you post only the link some people go complain, if you cut and paste the story, some people go complain. Now it is cut and paste and provide link.