Death Squads in Iraq

There seems to be a lot of evidence to suggest that death squads are being used by the US in an attempt to quell the insurgency/resistance in Iraq:

MSNBC link
Guardian link
A detailed, heavily sourced article

We also have US forces killing journalists, notably one that was investigating the death squads:

The source for this article is here.

One of those killed was Yasser Salihee. He was shot dead as he approached a US checkpoint on June 24 last year. In the previous weeks, Salihee had documented, for the Knight-Ridder news agency, dozens of cases of men being dumped at morgues after having been detained by the Wolf Brigade, the most notorious unit among the Special Police Commandos, and under the direct command of a US officer.

There's also a fascinating attempt to deny what happened in El Salvador here.

You may note that although the article says it's debunking the myth of Iraqi death squads, it actually restricts itself to a partial and selective account of what happened in El Salvador, and answers none of the points posed in the articles linked above. You might also note that the author had rather a lot to do with what happened in El Salvador during the period in question and therefore has every reason to attempt to sanitise the record.

I was just wondering if everyone thinks it's ok to have death squads roaming the country and killing people without even a trial? Is this how you bring democracy to a nation?



[Mod Edit: External quote tags. Please review this link - Jak]

[edit on 18/4/06 by JAK]

I was just wondering if everyone thinks it's ok to have death squads roaming the country and killing people without even a trial?

I'd hate for someone to answer that question with a "yes". Of course it isn't okay; human life no matter how miserable and depraved it may be deserves the right to defend itself. Having a band of mercenaries roaming the countryside executing random folks just for the Hell of it is insane and should never be condoned. Of course, if it is happening it's probably being backed by some fairly influential people so I doubt it'll just stop either.

So who do you think is backing it? What do you think of the 'coincidence' that many of the people involved in the Salvador atrocities are in power now?

I don't believe in coincidences. I think that, and all other "random occurances" can be attributed to some bigger inner workings. As far as who is backing it your guess is as good as mine, but it is probably privately funded. The government doesn't like to sully its own emaculate hands.

Originally posted by rich23
So who do you think is backing it? What do you think of the 'coincidence' that many of the people involved in the Salvador atrocities are in power now?

People who have much to gain from the control of the Iraqi popularion, Its not quite a coincidence, as a pattern of behavior. Acceptable terms, for what seems a "killer" business deal for the guys on top right now.

Whose on top? just check the stock market.

Those atrocities are not limited to El Salvadore. Check out what Guatamalan G2 intelligence operatives have dont to keep politics in order. Sick. (Powderburns - Castillo) What about paramilitary actions in Columbia? Its everywhere, Im not smart enough to remember every time I have come accross the worst of what man kind has to offer to his brother or sister.

PS. If the government doesnt want you to know about it - they classify it, and if its real devious, its an on the side deal, like a worm of corruption, ruining a ripe apple.

[edit on 18-4-2006 by pcxmac]

I know, pcx. I'm just hoping that some of the righties will have the guts to come on here and either try and dispute the facts or justify it. I should have called this thread "US-backed death squads in Iraq". That might have gotten their attention.

[edit on 19-4-2006 by rich23]

Just a quick update...

Here is a story that suggests that the US and the Iraqi death squads are working together. Death squads move in to terrorise a neighbourhood but then the US forces offer 'protection' ... IF the locals give up any Al-Qaeda members (who may or may not even exist in reality).

The article also suggests that Fallujah is far from pacified and that US deaths in the town are being disguised by information management.

But the US military doesn't want people to see that American soldiers are dying there on nearly a daily basis as of late. Rather than calling it Fallujah when soldiers die there, they prefer a sort of Bermuda Triangle approach and use "Al-Anbar Province" for the location of these deaths.

Let's have a brief glance at some soldiers killed recently in "Al-Anbar Province":

* April 17, Department of Defense (DOD) announced (hyperlink 'announced' with www.defenselink.mil... ) the death of a Marine who "died April 14 from a non-hostile motor vehicle accident in Al-Anbar province, Iraq."

* April 16, CENTCOM announced: "Camp Fallujah, Iraq - A Marine ... died due to enemy action while operating in al Anbar Province April 15."

* April 16, Camp Fallujah, Iraq - Multi-National Forces (MNF) Iraq announced: "Three Marines ... died due to enemy action while operating in al Anbar Province April 15."

* April 15, Camp Fallujah, Iraq - MNF Iraq announced: "Two Marines died and 22 were wounded due to enemy action while operating in al Anbar Province April 13 ... Ten wounded Marines ... were evacuated to a medical facility at Camp Fallujah."

* April 15, DOD announced: "four Marines died April 15 when their HMMWV struck an improvised explosive device during combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq."

* April 11, DOD announced: "Lance Cpl. Juana NavarroArellano, 24 ... died April 8 from wounds received while supporting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq."

* April 10, Camp Fallujah, Iraq - CENTCOM announced: "A soldier ... died from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in al Anbar Province April 8."

* April 10, Camp Fallujah, Iraq - CENTCOM announced: "Two soldiers ... died due to enemy action while operating in al Anbar Province April 9."

* April 8, Camp Fallujah, Iraq - MNF Iraq announced: "A Marine ... died from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in al Anbar Province April 7."

Note the clue that several of these are issued from "Camp Fallujah, Iraq."

And here is a news item that suggests that civil war, despite the rhetoric, is the desired outcome.

Here's another one of these groups:
The Volcano Brigade

Thanks for the link to your EXCELLENT post on the Volcano brigade. It's a bit distressing that all this is happening in plain sight and no-one seems to care.

I should have been keeping this thread updated with each new evidence of death squads at work. There has been a pretty constant stream of bodies turning up like this:

(September 15) BAGHDAD - The bodies of 50 people, most of them bearing signs of torture with a single gunshot to the head, were found in the last 24 hours across Baghdad, an Interior Ministry official said.

Source

(September 14) BAGHDAD - Thirty-two bodies, most bound, tortured and executed, were found in various locations in Baghdad over the last 24 hours. This brings the total to nearly 100 in two days.

Source

(September 13) BAGHDAD - A total of 60 unidentified bodies were found with gunshot wounds in the head and most of them showed signs of torture in various parts of Baghdad over the past day, an Interior Ministry official and police sources said.

Source

(September 9)BAGHDAD - The bodies of 14 people, all of them with gunshot wounds and hands tied, were found in different areas of Baghdad on Friday, police said.

Source

(September 8) BAGHDAD - The six bodies of blindfold people with multiple gunshot wounds, showing signs of torture, were found overnight in different areas of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said. Two of the bodies were found in Shula, two in Sadr City and two others in Doura, he said.

Source

(September 7)MOSUL - The bodies of six men with multiple gunshot wounds were found in the northwestern suburbs of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, sources at the morgue said.

Possibly not a death squad action.

I think you're getting the idea I'm just going through Reuters Alert Net here. I'll stop citing sources as it's taking up space and slowing me down...

(September 6) BAGHDAD - Police found the bodies of 19 people across Baghdad on Tuesday, an Interior Ministry source said. Some of them had been bound and blindfolded.

BAGHDAD - Iraqi police found a further 15 bodies throughout Baghdad on Wednesday, most were bound, blindfold with some showing signs of torture, police said.

(September 5) NEAR SUWAYRA - The bodies of five blindfolded men with multiple gunshot wounds and signs of torture were pulled from the Tigris River near Suwayra, a town south of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.

BAGHDAD - Police said they found the bodies of seven people in Baghdad with gunshot wounds to the head, five of them in the mainly Sunni area of Adhamiya, where insurgents are active.

(September 4) BAGHDAD - The bodies of 33 men, some with their hands bound and bearing signs of torture, were found across the capital, an Interior Ministry source said. All had been shot.

(September 1) *KERBALA - Police found the bodies of three men blindfolded and handcuffed in the southern Shi'ite city of Kerbala, 110 km (68 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.

And that's the situation for the first half of September.

Anybody notice a pattern here?

The death squads don't work weekends!

(edited to fix source tags)

[edit on 16-9-2006 by rich23]

Wow. Those guys work fast. Who exactly are they killing though? Random citizens? Terrorist officials? Grunts?

~~

back in the days when there was the 'secret war' going on in Laos, Cambodia
during the Vietnam era.

the CIA was the org which [indirectly] hired retired & even ex-military people to conduct hit squad operations. Some active duty military were even granted
TDY(temporary duty) assignments to highly 'specialized' groups termed M.A.G.
assignments (MAG=Military Advisory Group)

in Iraq today it is guesstimated that there are +50,000 retired or seperated
special-forces, rangers, maybe even delta-force people, which are in the employ
of US contractors, Iraqi politicians, Halliberton/KBR/Brown&Root/ etc etc...
hired as independent contractors and performing body-guard and/or security services.

mercenaries, soldier-of-fortune, hit-squads...are a part of the operations in the
practice of war/conflict, it's nothing new, they weren't created by the US...
but the AQ, Mujahideen, Iraq Insurgency are modeled on the tactic

i really doubt that Cheney or whoever will ever be revealed as the initiator of or director of 'hit squads' in Iraq...because a few Colonels, Generals, CEO's, vested intrest parties are the fertile ground where these 'hit squad' operations are introduced and later become unrestrained by things such as The Geneva Convention Rules of Engagement

as the phrase goes: All's fair in love and War

This reminds me of how the British allied with some Native Indians to attack the colonies only latter to offer their protection against the same indians the allied with.

Hmmm... it reminds me of the way the US used death squads in Guatemala, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, El Salvador, Indonesia... the list goes on and on.

Anyway, they had a busy day yesterday!

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi police have found the bodies of 47 more death squad victims in Baghdad, the latest in a wave of sectarian killings which prompted the United States to divert troops from other parts of Iraq to the embattled capital.

The bodies were found early Saturday. Most victims had been bound, tortured and shot, bringing the toll from such killings to nearly 180 in four days.

Still, it's the weekend. See, my prediction is that they won't be working this weekend, because they're regular policemen. Sure, some might go out just for fun and kill a few people just for fun, but the real pros will be taking time off and putting their feet up until Monday. Or maybe I'm just projecting Western habits where I shouldn't be... We'll see.

Source (Reuters)

Oh, and from later in the same article there's a hilarious little snippet about yet another US operation with a snappy name:

Washington has acknowledged a "spike" in execution-style sectarian killings in the capital this week, but said violence has been reduced in the scattered neighborhoods it has targeted in "Operation Together Forward," a monthlong security crackdown.

Orwell should really have lived to see this.

More of the same...

This article gives more depressing details of the continuing violence in Iraq.

Bodies line streets of Baghdad

Monday October 02, 2006 14:57 - (SA)

BAGHDAD - Iraqi police have reported finding 50 bodies in the streets of Baghdad as parliament renewed the government's emergency powers.

The capital's dire security was further highlighted by a mass kidnapping carried out by gunmen dressed in military-style fatigues - the second in as many days.

How about the story where American troops arrested a couple of death squad members from killing a Sunni Muslim. Why did they do that?

Because the left hand doesn't know what the right hand's doing.

A while ago on BBC radio 4 there was an interview with a British Army guy whose job it was to moderate between Greek and Turkish Cypriots. He'd run round the island trying to damp down conflicts and mediate between people... and then one day he happened to get into conversation with some high-ranking UK officers and some US bigwigs. They sympathised with his plight, and when he voiced suspicions that some people were sowing dissension in Cyprus, there was a bit of throat-clearing, and one of them said, "well... our plan for Cyprus is partition, you see."

Fact: death squads are often used by the US in its dealings with subordinate nations (Greece, Indonesia, Chile, Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala and others).

Fact: the guy who ran the death squads in El Salvador, Col. James Steele, has been fulfilling a similar role in Iraq.

There's plenty of evidence to suggest that the US favours partitioning in Iraq just as it did in Cyprus.

www.military.com...

WASHINGTON - A Pentagon spokesman Monday denied reports the U.S. military is training "death squads" to target insurgents in Iraq.

Newsweek magazine reported Saturday on the effort in its latest issue.

"The U.S. military does not take part in or train other forces to undertake illegal actions, assassinations or torture. All training and advising our Special Operations forces conduct with Iraqi security forces is done in full compliance with the laws of war," said a Pentagon spokesman.

"The leadership of the insurgency in Iraq is a legitimate military target. U.S., Coalition and Iraqi security forces will continue to capture or kill the command-and-control elements of the insurgency as a legitimate military tactic. Since 9-11, the U.S. government has made clear a goal to capture or kill those guilty of terrorist acts and we will continue to do so, governed by the laws of war."

The U.S. military's plan for Iraqi security from the start has been to create an Iraqi security force to police the country. The experience of the last 18 months has shown it to be imperative: The very presence of occupation forces inflames the insurgency and public opinion. The only viable way of stopping the insurgent forces is to have Iraqi-trained forces target them, a senior U.S. military official said.

One of the primary lessons U.S. forces have learned in Iraq, particularly over the last six months, is that non-local Iraqi forces are often best able to target insurgents embedded in certain areas, because they are not compromised by tribal alliances or by fear for their families' safety. Bringing Iraqi forces from one area to operate in another has paid dividends, particularly along the Syrian border where some of the worst violence is seen, and where smugglers and fighters -- Iraqi and foreign -- cross the border.

One unit of Iraq's former Special Forces, organized under an Iraqi general who offered his services to the 1st Marine Division, has been especially effective in lawless Husayba, according to a senior military official.

The Newsweek report says trained Shiite and Kurdish soldiers would be used against the rebels. A senior military official said Sunni soldiers, including those in the 600-man Special Forces unit, would also be used.

The officials bristled at the term "death squads," which suggests the Iraqi forces will be sent against innocent targets in a scorched-earth policy to rout the rebels, the senior official complained. That is not the intention, he said.

Another official said the new forces would be akin to the United States' secret Delta Force, a team of Special Forces soldiers especially trained for counter-terror operations.

Delta Force was created in October 1977 in direct response to worldwide terrorist incidents. It specializes in hostage rescue, barricade operations and reconnaissance, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

Newsweek noted the presence of now Iraqi Ambassador John Negroponte who served in Honduras in the 1980s. Death squads with connections to the United States government operating in Nicaragua and El Salvador sometimes used Honduras as a home base.

Look more carefully about military warfare dealing with insurgencies, etc. Instead of just saying they are all death squads built to kill innocents only. Remember that many Shiites are killing Sunnis and Sunnis are killing Shiites that may not be related. Not to mention Sadr's Army or Mehdi Army have their own military force to execute such action targeting Sunnis.

So the Pentagon denies doing anything nasty? Well, they would, wouldn't they? And they're lying. It's as simple as that... and even your second quote admits as much!

Originally posted by deltaboy

Death squads with connections to the United States government operating in Nicaragua and El Salvador sometimes used Honduras as a home base.

So the denial means absolutely nothing. I'm surprised you didn't see you were shooting yourself in the foot with your own post. The US administration lies so routinely that posting a denial and expecting anyone not taken in by US propaganda to accept it at face value is, to say the least, optimistic.

The US denies using torture. The US denies using death squads. Well, guess what? People outside the US don't believe it, and nor do an increasing number of people inside the US. This is because we have a clearer view of the history of US foreign policy than many US citizens. I've read US school textbooks on the history of South America (I used to work in the States and when I started getting interested in the history, I found some textbooks in a second-hand book store and flipped through them) and I can tell you they are thoroughly sanitized. Did you know that September 11 is quite a significant date for Chileans? It's when the CIA organised a military coup that overthrew the allegedly Communist government of Allende and ushered in a brave new Death Squad Democracy that killed far more people than the more recent terror attacks. The schoolbooks make mention of this CIA connection only to dismiss it... yet the NYT, a few years ago, published the facts on the issue, which up till then were well-known outside America... and known inside the US only to those people who read the likes of Noam Chomsky and Howard Zinn.

Do you not know of the role of the School of the Americas in training torturers and death squads? Perhaps you should do some research on that topic.

And as you rightly post, it's easier to get Iraqis from one region to kill those in another... and easy too, to sow dissension between Sunni and Shia, which Saddam, for all his evil ways, managed to keep in check. But for the new colonialists, it's a return to the most ancient strategy of all: divide and rule. In 2003, Sunnis and Shia began to unite to drive out the invaders... it was shortly after that the bombing of mosques - apparently sectarian violence - began. Read some of the previous sources in this thread. Eyewitness testimony reports that when the death squads descend on an area, US troops have been seen standing around doing nothing.

Look more carefully about military warfare dealing with insurgencies, etc. Instead of just saying they are all death squads built to kill innocents only.

Technically, they ARE innocent - unless you think that the presumption of innocence applies only to American citizens? Perhaps not even them? Your "President", after all, is just signing into law a mandate to designate anyone - even US citizens - an "enemy combatant" who can then simply be "disappeared" and tortured. No oversight, not even compliant judges, are needed. Enjoy your budding police state.

Plus, let's not forget that the US is guilty of a war crime in invading another sovereign nation without provocation. The US (and the UK) simply should not be there, and that's all there is to it.

Remember that many Shiites are killing Sunnis and Sunnis are killing Shiites that may not be related. Not to mention Sadr's Army or Mehdi Army have their own military force to execute such action targeting Sunnis.

It's a mess. I'm just posting lists of fatalities so people can keep up.

Maybe you should keep a list of coalition fatalities as well. Contrary to what some believe, all soldier's aren't "death dealers" eager to kill everything.

When we had to engage, it was because we took fire, or because someone was transporting weapons, which would have been used to kill a soldier.

You can't really understand that kind of family unless you've served. And despite what Rummy farts out every now and then, morale sucks because the truth behind the situation is slowly filtering overseas, and most don't want to be there anyway.

I'm not telling you that "death squads" don't exist, given the history of some of our agencies it's probable that they do. But if they do, they more than likely are not soldiers. Spooks aren't soldiers.