IRAQ PRISONER CRISIS: Despite receiving the ICRC report three months ago, the ill-treatment of prisoners has continued to such an extent that it "might be considered a practice tolerated by the coalition". Liam Reid looks at what the Red Cross report had to say
The Red Cross raised concerns about the treatment of Iraqi prisoners, including torture, as far back as April of last year. In a damning 24-page report, submitted to the US and British Governments three months ago, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also said the abuses were so grave in some causes they resulted in the death of prisoners, and suggested they be "considered as a practice tolerated by the Coalition Forces".
The report also found that there was systematic abuse of some prisoners, and that some of the abuses were a "serious violations" of the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners during war.
"Since the beginning of the conflict, the ICRC has regularly brought its concerns to the attention of the Coalition Forces," according to the report. "The observations in the present report are consistent with those made earlier on several occasions orally and in writing to the Coalition Forces throughout 2003".
The report found that in spite of some improvements in the conditions for prisoners, allegations of ill-treatment against prisoners have continued to such an extent that it "might be considered as a practice tolerated by the Coalition Forces."
In collating the report, Red Cross officials made 29 visits to 14 different detention facilities, including the now notorious Abu Ghraib prison. During their visits, they were also informed that "between 70 per cent and 90 per cent of the persons deprived of their liberty in Iraq had been arrested by mistake".
Prisoners were most likely to suffer physical abuse and psychological coercion "in some cases tantamount to torture" at the initial stages of internment, although the abuses, including beatings and kickings, were not systematic for most prisoners.
The committee also collected allegations of deaths as a result of harsh internment conditions or lack of medical treatment, "most notably in Tikrit".
However it details a systematic system of abuse of prisoners suspected of security offences or believed to be of intelligence value who are being held for interrogation.
"In these cases \ supervised by military intelligence were subjected to a variety of ill-treatments ranging from insults and humiliation to both physical and psychological coercion that in some cases might amount to torture," the report states.
"In certain cases, such as in Abu Ghraib military intelligence section, methods of physical and psychological coercion used by the interrogators appeared to be part of the standard operating procedures by military intelligence personnel to obtain confessions and extract information." This was confirmed by certain military intelligence officers to the committee.
The committee witnessed some of the ill-treatment while on visits to Abu Ghraib and other facilities. The report identifies 12 methods of ill-treatment it says was used during interrogations, including hooding, often in conjunction with beatings, beatings with hard objects such as rifle buts and pistols, being stripped naked, food and water deprivation. Photographing prisoners naked or with women's underwear on their head is also highlighted in the report.
The report also highlights the treatment of prisoners held for interrogation at Umm Qasr and its successor Camp Bucca, which was under the control of the British Armed Forces. On initial detention, prisoners were subjected to "petty violence" such as being kicked, struck with rifle butts, roughed up or pushed around.
It also describes how prisoners undergoing interrogation were subject to threats "such as having rifles aimed at them", although no prisoner reported being physically assaulted during interrogation. The report also states that the ICRC initially raised concerns about the ill-treatment of prisoners on April 1st last year with the political advisor of the commander of the British Armed Forces in relation to Umm Quasr, which did have the immediate effect of stopping the systematic use of hoods. The "brutal" treatment of prisoners had also ceased at the camp.
In May 2003, the ICRC sent memos based on over 200 allegations of ill-treatment to the Coalition Forces. A further working paper was forwarded to the Coalition Forces in July, which resulted in limited improvements.
The report also raises concerns about the excessive use of force to end demonstrations or escape attempts on seven occasions. It included one incident at Abu Ghraib on November 24th last year where four unarmed prisoners were killed by US Military Police during a riot. Four other unarmed prisoners were killed by guards during other incidents, including one at Camp Bucca witnessed by the ICRC.
The incidents were investigated by the Coalition Forces which found that the use of firearms was legitimate in all cases. However, the report found that less extreme measures could have been used "in all cases".
The ICRC raised concerns about the treatment of "high value" detainees - senior figures in the old Iraqi regime - at a facility at Baghdad International airport. The committee said their detention in solitary confinement in cells devoid of natural light for 23 hours a day contravened the Geneva Convention.
The ICRC also collected "a growing body of allegations" of abuse against the Iraqi police, who are under the direct control of the Coalition Forces. Apart from beatings and other abuses, the evidence suggested that police were arresting and handing people over to the Coalition Forces unless they paid bribes.
A major concern identified was the lack of information provided to arrestees or their families. "In almost all instances documented by ICRC, arresting authorities provided no information about who they were, where their base was located, nor did they explain the cause of arrest," the report states. "Similarly they rarely informed the arrestee or his family where he was being taken and for how long, resulting in a de facto 'disappearance' of the arrestee for weeks or even months until contact was finally made."
At the time of writing the report, the authors say there was still no satisfactorily functioning system of notification to the families of prisoners, despite it having been raised repeatedly and at the "highest level".