war crimes evidence

[Tim Kugel <guitardo@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

good point j

the term "unlawful combatent," as defined by W. and hs team - with secret
trials and executions - was used to explain why Bush didn't follow the Geneva
Convention in Afghanistan (although we were not attacked by them).

There is a team in Iraq right now collecting evidence to be used in the trial
of Georrge W. - right on

see below

++++++++++++++++++++
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++++++++++++++++++++
Day Eleven (March 24)

by Wade Hudson

When I wake up, I take about an hour to prepare a
detailed proposed agenda for our War Crimes
Documentation Team, go to the El Fanar to print out
some copies, show a copy to Kathy K., who likes it,
and join the general meeting in the second floor of
the El Fanar.

On the way to the meeting, I learn that the ruckus
that we heard a few hundred yards the other side of
the El Fanar last night apparently did involve the
capture of a downed pilot, as rumored last night. I
was sitting with some folks in the lobby of the
Andalus when we heard what sounded like the distinct
sound of many gunshots. A bunch of folks ran outside
and joined others who were running down the street in
the direction of the El Fanar. Apparently another pilot
who parachuted in the incident televised by Aljazeera
earlier in the day had been discovered after hiding out
for a while in and around the Tigris River. Folks here
believe that he was captured last night, though pinning
down facts in a situation like this is no easy matter.
Regardless, the gunfire gave us a taste of what we may
be in for with the urban warfare that is looming.

The main agenda item is a discussion with Zaed about
our official status. His responses to our questions
seem to reassure most people. In particular, he tells
us that our visas will not have ?Human Shields?
stamped on them and that IPT will be able to maintain
its independent status. Following the general meeting,
we break down into smaller groups to make site visits,
with a focus on gathering documentation of civilian
casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure. I
stay home while others go out so that I will be here
when the first group returns. The plan is that I?ll
receive and help compile a summary IPT report based on
the various reports that others submit.

Later in the afternoon, based on the information
currently available, I circulate a draft report, which
Ramzi edits a bit. I leave the report with Ramsi, who
indicates that he will distribute it widely later
tonight.

The report reads as follows:

REPORT BY THE IRAQ PEACE TEAM (IPT) ON POSSIBLE WAR
CRIMES (AND RELATED INFORMATION) IN THE 2003 U.S.-LED
ATTACK ON BAGHDAD -- March 24,2003

On March 22, Stewart Vriesinga and Wade Hudson toured
a residential neighborhood about two blocks west of 14
July Bridge.Street, between Amar Bin Yasir Street and
Jamiaa Street. They drove by an eight-to-twelve-foot-deep
crater in the middle of a wide, divided street that connected
these latter two streets. Traffic in the westerly direction was
blocked. They saw large gardens on both sides of this
crater. No building was within eyesight of the crater.
Mr. Mohammed, IPT?s principal driver, said that the
gardens were not public parks, but private gardens
associated with private homes, one of which is owned
by an uncle of his. Around the corner on Jamiaa
Street, many smaller homes had had all of their front
windows blown out, presumably by a blast from the bomb
that created the crater.

Although this incident does not suggest either the
strong possibility of civilian injuries or major
damage to civilian infrastructure, it does illustrate
once again that some bombs either do not hit their
intended target or are directed to non-military
targets.

On March 22, April Hurley, Zehira Houfani, and Robert
Turcotte saw, around the corner from a street with
buildings that appeared to be governmental offices, a
whole block of mixed residential-commercial units with
almost all of their windows knocked out.

On March 23, several IPT members, including Doug
Johnson, Robert Turcotte, and Jooneed Jeeroburkhan
went to the Alyarmouk hospital. This university
teaching hospital, one of the largest and most modern
in Iraq, is one of three medical centers prepared by
the authorities to receive victims of the American
attack; the two others are Al Mansur and Al Kindi
hospitals. Many foreign doctors and surgeons,
Americans included, are in Bagdad to offer their
services to these hospitals in the war context.

One of the patients was Rahab Wedad Mohammad, age
25,who had  just come out of surgery under general
anesthesia. Her right cheek was swollen and her right
forearm was heavily bandaged. According to the lady
doctor, she had severed tendons which they had to sew
back, together with nerves and blood vessels, in the
women?s section of the hospital.

According to answers to our questions, Rahab was at
her home, in the residential district of Hayy Jamiya,
when a bomb hit nearby. It was Saturday night, on the
3rd day of US bombing, and she was hit by shrapnel
that severed the tendons on her right arm.

Zaha Seheil lay quietly on a bed opposite. She is six
years old. The doctor said that she was hit in the
back, suffering spinal injury that has made her
paraplegic.  In the men?s section, Rusul Salim Abbas,
10 years old, had been hit by shrapnel in the chest and
on the right hand. That was on Friday night, when the
bombing was the heaviest  for four hours continuously.
"He went to close the door when he was hit", says Salim,
his father, seated on the edge of his bed.

Salah Mehdi, aged 33, was walking on the street
Saturday night in the residential district of Amariya
when a missile exploded nearby. "I just saw a huge
fireball and I lost consciousness" he says with
difficulty. He had been hit by shrapnel in the
stomach, on the right hand and on the right ear.

On the next bed, Omar`Ali, 12 years old, was one of 12
members of his family injured Friday night in the
residential district of Al Shorta when a bomb hit near
their house. There also also Majid Mahmoud, aged 57
and father of two, injured the very first night of
bombing, and Hussein Jassim Fleh, aged 36 and father
of a young daughter, injured Saturday night in the
back, and on both arms and legs.

Was the shrapnel from US missiles and bombs, or from
falling Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery? Given the
delicate hospital conditions in which these visits
were made, and the lack of expert ballistics evidence,
it is difficult to tell what actually caused these
injuries, and scores of others in hospitals across the
country,. "Whatever the origin of the shrapnel, Bush
must bear full responsibility because he chose to
impose this war on Iraq. These people would not have
been injured otherwise" commented an Iraqi TV
reporter filming the wounded.

Members of the delegation were able to take photos of
some of the injuries.

On March 24, several IPT members were taken on a tour
of sites that have been bombed recently. These sites
included one entire block in the Karadat Miryam
district that included three- and four-floor buildings
with commercial storefronts on the ground floor and
residential dwellings on the upper floors. No military
or governmental sites were noticed nearby. Almost all
of the windows and frames and the iron gates that
covered windows in these buildings had been knocked
out on all floors. At least some injuries likely
resulted from the tremendous blast(s) that caused this
extensive damage.

On March 24, an IPT team went to a home that had been
hit by what appeared to be a missile. The house was a
2-story home in a residential neighborhood. The weapon
came through the roof and landed in a second-floor
room that appeared to be a bedroom. There was what
seemed to be a picture on the wall of some female pop
star. The team was unable to meet any of the family
who were in the home at the time of the attack; they
are now staying with family members. A brother of the
owner gave us an account, which was recorded in Arabic
and will be translated later. He said the weapon hit
about 7:30pm on Saturday, March 22, as the family was
eating dinner, or getting ready for dinner. There were
no serious injuries even though there were 8 people in
the home at the time.

+++++++++++++++ end draft of report +++++++++++++++

The teams that make site visits report that there are
many more soldiers and armed civilians standing at
intersections throughout the city. Surprisingly, the
Internet Center opens again in the afternoon, so I
send some email and photos for posting on my website
and read some news. From the reports that I read, I
notice that not many Iraqi soldiers are surrendering
and that the American forces met fairly strong
resistance at the Euphrates River. So it seems that
the military?s greatest fear, heated urban warfare,
may be on the horizon. The Battle of Baghdad may be no
cakewalk after all.

The evening is strangely silent, with virtually no
explosions within hearing range of my hotel. ?That?s
not good news,? Robert comments. It feels like the
quiet before the storm. I haven?t seen enough news to
know for sure, but I suspect that ?Shock and Awe? has
not been unleashed yet. Regardless, as Peter Arnett
said, ?You haven?t seen anything yet.?

I reflect on an email from a friend that I only
recently had a chance to read. He passed on an article
about charges concerning horrible human rights abuses
committed by the Iraqi government. The article
suggested that the invasion of Cambodia by Vietnam to
overthrow of the genocidal Pol Pot regime indicates
that military aggression can improve the lot of
victimized people, and that the American invasion of
Iraq is similar.

My quick, brief response to that line of argument,
first of all, is that the best way for the United
States to oppose brutality is to stop supporting brutality.
The list of brutal regimes that have received and/or
continue to receive major financial, military, and
political support from the United States is as long as
my arm, and I?m six foot two.

Secondly, the highly selective, hypocritical selection
process by which Iraq has been targeted leads me to
believe that the brutality of the current regime is
not a primary reason for this invasion. Consequently,
I have no faith in the post-invasion resolve of the
United States to foster justice and democracy in Iraq
following occupation. Since the real reasons for this
invasion are not humanitarian, I can?t trust Bush and
company to be seriously concerned about humanitarian
issues during any occupation.

Thirdly, the recent record of the United States, such
as in Haiti and Afghanistan, suggests that it cannot
be counted on to honor its rhetoric once its immediate
political and military objectives have been met.

Fourth, there is the practical matter of what price
must be paid to achieve U.S. objectives in Iraq. Even
if all the charges against Iraq were true, and even if
all the motives of the U.S. were noble, one must
question whether this invasion is the best way to try
to achieve any such noble goals. The best way to grow
democracy is from the bottom up. The recent process of
liberalization in Iran (until Bush short-circuited
those gains with his violent rhetoric) is one example.
Top-down militarism is seldom an effective way to
promote democracy. If post-war Germany and Japan are
an exception to that rule, they differed from Iraq in
key respects. Unlike Germany, Iraq has no history of
democracy. Unlike Japan, Iraq has no history of a
cohesive culture. Imposing  democracy on Iraq would be
a monumental task, even if there were a genuine
commitment to do so, and I see no evidence of any such
commitment.

The United States should instead set a better example
that could inspire other people more deeply by getting
its own house in order. The U.S. should stop
committing war crimes itself, establish a foreign
policy based on mutual respect and cooperation,
provide more support to nonviolent, international
mechanisms for conflict resolution, and encourage
cultural exchanges and the free flow of information.
Nurturing democracy is a delicate process. The
violence of war tends to stamp out the seeds of
democracy.

Anyone who supports this sad, tragic, devastating,
counter-productive military adventure because they
believe that it is an effective way to promote human
rights should take off their rose-colored glasses. The
Emperor is naked. The only thing that this madness can
accomplish is that it may help George Bush get himself
re-elected.

"j.frede" wrote:

> Isn't admitting that you are trying to assassinate the leader of another
> country for political reasons against the Geneva Convention, as well as a
> crime in the United States? bush did this when he launched his "decapitation
> attack" the first day of the military action....... i would love it if the
> US government was tried with war crimes in the Hague! it would be a
> wonderful site to see bush in shackles! sitting in the same seat as Klaus
> Barbie and Himmler
>
> > >> Iraqi TV just broke the rules of the Geneva convention, they lined up
> dead
> > >> American soldiers
> > >> and posed all their faces for TV, now that's desperate and savage.
> > >>
> > last time I checked, invading a sovereign nation without the backing of
> the
> > international community was a violation of the geneva convention too.
> >
> >
> >
> >
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