Iraqis Tell of 11th-Hour Arrests and Torture

new york times ^ | 4/8/03

[knak]

AGHDAD, Iraq, April 8 — Saddam Hussein's agents were working until the last moment.

This morning, as thousands of American troops moved deeper into Baghdad, some marines said they happened across a building where the men of the Iraqi border police had apparently been busy interrogating suspects. Beating them, said the captives. Gouging them with wires. Burning them with cigarettes.

By the time the American convoy arrived, the Iraqi agents had fled. The captives, some still shackled and blindfolded, were set free.

"The Americans saved me," said Hamid Neama, a laborer who lives in the Amin neighborhood in southeast Baghdad. He held out his hands, which were swollen like overripe fruit. "The police beat my hands, they beat me on my body."

[yooper]

"Of course I'm grateful that the Americans saved me," Mr. Neama said. "But I'm only one of 28 million people in this country. We would not like it if the Americans try to stay here for long."

There's gratitude for you. Say what you will about ridding the Iraqi's of a dictator; in my opinion, this guy's sentiments are probably pretty typical of the average Iraqi.

This may sound harsh, but you know what? Based on this man's statement, I get the feeling that the Iraqi people haven't been held accountable for this regime. I know, many of them never supported Saddam, yada yada yada. But the bottom line is this: we have previously dealt with two other comparable dictorships in wartime. Germany and Japan. In each case we made the people bear some of the suffering to let them know that they, regardless of their sympathies, were in some way responsible for allowing a mad man to lead them.

It's a touchy subject, and I realize that this case is certainly not the same as WWII, but I'm getting the distinct impression that Islam is as Islam does, no matter who the leader may be.

[Mia T]

CNNs of Commission _{Q ERTY8} ^BUMP!

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