US ignored Iraq torture, leaked files show
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Oct 23, IRNA -- US authorities failed to investigate hundreds of reports of abuse, torture, rape and even murder by Iraqi police and soldiers, according to almost 400,000 secret US army field reports obtained by WikiLeaks.
The documents, passed to the Guardian and a number of other international media organisations, also show more than 15,000 civilians died in previously unknown incidents during the Iraq war.
Despite US and UK denials of keeping official records of Iraq casualties, the files log records of 109,000 deaths, including 66,081 civilians. 'Hundreds' of civilians were killed at US military checkpoints.
The electronic archive is believed to emanate from the same dissident US army intelligence analyst who earlier this year is alleged to have leaked a smaller tranche of 90,000 logs chronicling bloody encounters and civilian killings in the Afghan war.
Numerous reports of detainee abuse, often supported by medical evidence, describe prisoners shackled, blindfolded and hung by wrists or ankles, and subjected to whipping, punching, kicking or electric shocks. Six reports end with a detainee's apparent death.
Britain’s Stop the War Coalition (SWTC) said that the biggest leak of military secrets in history reveal how the US turned a blind eye to Iraq torture and abuse.
“The documents shows how the US military colluded in torture by the Iraqi police and army by ordering that no investigation take place into horrific instances happening every day, sometimes leading to the death of the victims,” STWC said.
“US soldiers reported dozens of torture cases but their commanding officers, on instruction from the highest levels of government, decided to turn their backs and do nothing to stop the abuses taking place,” it said.
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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 30034714
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