Content, War in Iraq

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On April 6, 2003, the British found in a warehouse near Basra about 200 coffins containing bones of what looks like soldiers. At first they say that they could be the remains of soldiers executed by the regime. Soon enough, however, Iran said that they were the remains of some of their soldiers who had been killed during the 1980-1988 war between the two countries. As usual, first the propaganda machine says that they are Iraqi soldiers massacred by Saddam to be obliged to admit, but in a much lower tone, that they were wrong and their suspicion baseless. Like each time some powder is found, it is chemical or biological weapons. Only to admit that it was not the case after it has been analysed. It is a fact that it does not look to good to be obliged to admit that they have not yet found any prohibited weapons, as much as they try.

On November 21, 2004, the US militaries said that they have found about 20 "atrocity sites" used by insurgents to detain, torture and kill hostages. They did not say if they abused them too like what was done at Abu Ghraib prisons by US soldiers.

On April 30, 2005, investigators have uncovered a mass grave in southern Iraq containing as many as 1,500 bodies. Forensic experts say most of those buried at the site near the town of Samawa, about 300 kilometres south of Baghdad, are believed to be Kurds. They say the victims, many of them women and children, were apparently lined up in front of the 18 trenches and shot with AK-47 assault rifles. Officials say the victims were most likely killed during the Anfal campaign of the late 1980's - a drive by Saddam Hussein's regime to exterminate the Kurdish community of southern Kurdistan. According to international human rights groups, as many as 182,000 Kurdish civilians disappeared during 1988 alone.

On Monday November 14, 2005, the Iraqi government said it will investigate allegations that Interior Ministry officials tortured suspects in detention. This prison was found when American troops took control of an Interior Ministry's building. Between 150 and 200 prisoners were found some of them had injuries compatible with torture.

On November 15, 2005, it looks like the Iraqi "Torture Centre" found by the Americans was a serious thing. When raided, 173 men, mostly Sunni, were kept there by members of the Shia police. Many of these men showed clear signs of having been tortured. Two of them were paralysed following their beating and could not walk.

On November 27, 2005, ex-Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, said that human rights abuses by some of the new Iraqi government are as bad now that they were under Saddam Hussein. A secular Shiite Muslim, Sllawi said that his fellow Shiite are responsible for death squads and secret torture centres.