Will the rape of Sabrine trigger a full blown Iraq civil war? [View All]

[sabra]

and the US is stuck in the middle of this...

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/1537/Rape_of_Sabrine_Will_Haunt_Maliki

Rape of Sabrine Will Haunt Maliki
Swift Absolution of Alleged Rapists Only Stokes Sectarian Tension



Iraq watchers are waiting to see how much blood will be spilled in the name of Sabrine, the 20-year-old Sunni woman who alleges she was raped this past weekend after being detained by Iraqi police.

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However, since Sabrine has taken a public stand to speak out about her experience, and Maliki's actions give the impression of cover-up, this incident has the potential to take Iraq from that "brink" of civil war that everyone likes to discuss, and turn it up to full-time sectarian brutality.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/world/middleeast/21iraq.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin

<snip>

Almost immediately, Shiite leaders lined up to condemn the woman, calling her charges propaganda aimed at undermining the new security campaign. Sunni politicians offered the woman their support. Whatever the truth of the accusation, though, it played to sectarian fears on both sides.

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That was also the first response of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, who issued a statement soon after the woman appeared on television on Monday, promising a full investigation and the most severe punishment for anyone involved.

Only hours later, however, Mr. Maliki reversed himself. His office released a second statement after midnight, that one calling the woman a liar and a wanted criminal and going on to praise the officers involved.


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A nurse who said she treated the woman after the attack said that she saw signs of sexual and physical assault. The woman, according to the nurse, could identify one of her attackers because he was not wearing a mask, as were the others, and could identify a second attacker by a mark on his genitals.

The nurse would speak only on the condition of anonymity because she feared that Shiite militiamen would kill her for speaking out. The nurse said she was also wanted by the authorities, who believed the clinic she works at was used by insurgents.

Iraqi gov't "outs" the accuser! AKA a death warant... :-(

http://www.aswataliraq.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=37858&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Medical report says al-Janabi's claims groundless - spokesman

Baghdad, Feb 21, (VOI) – A medical report by the U.S.-run (Ibn Sina) hospital in Baghdad proved that claims by an Iraqi woman who said she was raped by Iraqi soldiers and officers were groundless, Iraqi security spokesman said on Wednesday.
"Sabrin al-Janabi is married with a man whose name is Qais and she does not have any identification papers", Brigadier Qassem Atta said in a news conference in Baghdad.

"The woman has two names: the registered name is Zaynab Abbas al-Jemeli and a pseudonym that is Sabrin", Atta added.
"The house, where the woman was arrested is located in the district of al-Amil, has a hole that leads to an adjacent house, where forces found a small hospital for treating injured gunmen", the Brigader noted.

"Interrogation lasted for only 15 minutes", the official stated, noting that these claims aim at hindering the ongoing (Rule of law) security plan.
He underlined the plan will continue, highlighting that it realized important and significant success.