Baghdad Burning - House of Horrors (blog from Iraq)

[radio4progressives]

I just came across this blog site for the first time. I never seen or heard this site mentioned - read this report.

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Friday, November 18, 2005

(snip)

We hear constantly about these torture dungeons. Right after the war, certain areas became infamous for them. The world knows them as 'torture houses' for the obvious reasons- they were once ordinary homes, and now they've become torture centers for suspects and innocents alike. The Iraqi government conveniently calls them 'detention centers' and the Iraqi Ministry of Interior oversees and funds them.

(snip)

These torture houses have existed since the beginning of the occupation. While it is generally known that SCIRI is behind them, other religious parties are not innocent. The Americans know they exist- why the sudden shock and outrage? This is hardly news for Americans in the Green Zone. The timing is quite interesting- it shouldn't matter that this raid came immediately after the whole white phosphorous story came out, but the Pentagon and American military have proven to be the ultimate masters of diversion.

(snip)


Only last year in an area called Ghazaliya, one such house was discovered. It was on a smaller scale though. My cousin lives in Ghazaliya and he said that when the Americans got inside, they found several corpses and a man hanging from the ceiling on a makeshift noose. The neighbors had tried to get the Americans to check the house for months- no one bothered. They finally raided it because they got information from someone in the area that it was an insurgents hiding place. I read once that in New York, if a woman is being raped, she should scream 'fire' instead of 'rape' because no one would come to save her if she was screaming 'rape'. That's the way it is with Iraqi torture houses- the only way they'll check it is if you tell them it's a terrorist cell.


(snip)

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. Very Interesting Blog - Live From Iraq! nt

[AmandaRuth]

2. "the Pentagon and American military have proven to be the ultimate masters

of diversion"
Think its bad now...
Just wait until they get their hooks into knight ridder

[MountainLaurel]

3. Riverbend has published a book

That compiles her blog posts since we invaded.

[Briar]

4. Do you have any more details?

Riverbend is essential reading if one wants to know what life is like in Iraq for Iraqis - in other words she makes us realise what we would feel if we were there. And so she makes us realise that Iraqis are just like us - they are not "the enemy" and fair game for WP and HE bomb attacks.

[MountainLaurel]

5. Here's the Amazon page

Baghdad Burning

[Briar]

6. Thanks! n/t

[annabanana]

7. She has a new post up now.

I worry for her. The world seems to be collapsing around her.