Seems like this is shaping up to be Day of Administrative Irony at Jean's Voice

I admit to being in line behind such good folks as Markos and John when it comes to commenting on the daily blues news. Be that as it may, I too have to comment on the irony of the situation. First a bit of information.

On Feb 28, 2005, Under Secretary for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky held an On-the-Record briefing to announce the release of the 2004 Human Rights Reports. Acting Assistant Secretary for Democracy Human Rights and Labor Michael Kozak also gave remarks and answered questions.

The report entitled "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" is submitted to the Congress by the Department of State in compliance with sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), as amended, and section 504 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended. The law provides that the Secretary of State shall transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate, by February 25 "a full and complete report regarding the status of internationally recognized human rights, within the meaning of subsection (A) in countries that receive assistance under this part, and (B) in all other foreign countries which are members of the United Nations and which are not otherwise the subject of a human rights report under this Act." We have also included reports on several countries that do not fall into the categories established by these statutes and that thus are not covered by the congressional requirement.

(From the Dept. of State website)

You can read the entire report online at the U.S. Department of State website. Just use the links on the left of the page to read individual sections.

The section that deals with Iraq specifically is here.

Now, some selections from the report.

Grid coordinates were obtained on at least 10 mass graves in Al-Hatra in Ninewah Province. On September 1, authorities began to dig a site near Al-Hatra. Two gravesites were excavated; one site contained the remains of women and children and the other contained remains of men. Approximately 275 bodies--thought to be Kurds who were killed by the former regime--were found in each site.

This was a grave-site of people murdered under Sadaam Hussein. What I found interesting is the segregation of women and children from men--how ironic that religious extremism will segregate even in death.

Women's leaders claimed that some extremist groups targeted women by kidnapping, killing, and terrorizing them in an effort to force them to refrain from working in public, to remain at home, wear veils, and adhere to a very conservative interpretation of Islam. According to an Amnesty International (AI) report, the lack of security remained a serious threat, and women and girls feared abduction, rape, and murder.

Yes, this happened under the provisional government. How ironic that we go to liberate a people oppressed by Sadaam, and yet women lose their rights as a result.

Basrah police also reported that the same Internal Affairs Unit officers were involved in the killings of a mother and daughter accused of engaging in prostitution. The Basrah Chief of Intelligence was removed from his position as a result of the accusations; however, he retained command of the Internal Affairs Unit.

Yes, this is the provisional government at work.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), during this reporting period, torture and ill treatment of detainees by police was commonplace. In interviews with 90 prisoners conducted from August to October, 72 claimed that they had been tortured or mistreated. The reported abuses included some instances of beatings with cables and hosepipes, electric shocks to their earlobes and genitals, food and water deprivation, and overcrowding in standing room only cells.

Is this beginning to sound familiar? Hint: This not a report on the US Military abuses at Abu Ghraib. It's the Iraqi Interim Government. I have to wonder--who taught whom?

There were instances of illegal treatment of detainees. For example, on November 1, Baghdad police arrested two Coalition Force citizen interpreters on charges involving the illegal use of small arms. After their arrest, police bound the detainees' arms behind them, pulling them upward with a rope and cutting off their circulation. This treatment was followed by beatings over a 48-hour period with a steel cable, in an effort to make the detainees confess. Both interpreters required medical treatment after their release to Coalition Forces. No further information on the incident was available at year's end. In another case, the Commission on Public Integrity (CPI) gathered enough evidence to prosecute police officers in Baghdad who were systematically raping and torturing female detainees. Two of the officers received prison sentences; four others were demoted and reassigned.

Ah, the rape rooms are still in use, then? Isn't this what we were supposed to be stopping?

I can't go on reading this report. Call me a whimp, I don't care. I'm getting ill.

The ultimate irony of this report is that it is so similar to reports coming out of Guantanamo about the torture of detainees there. On the other hand, I am glad that the report is this open about the state of the IIG; After all, the US Government is responsible for all of this, ultimately. Is this damaging to the Bush Administration? Yes, I think it is. And for all the irony of it, the hypocrisy it reveals, this report at least scratches the surface of an ugly, immoral and odious situation that the U.S. Government set up.

Impeach Bush. Or maybe not--Cheney would take office, and I think things would be even worse under him, both here and in Iraq.