U.S. Holds 18,000 Detainees in Iraq

[maddezmom]

U.S. Holds 18,000 Detainees in Iraq
Recent Security Crackdown in Baghdad Nets Another 1,000

By Walter Pincus
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, April 15, 2007; Page A24

In the past month, as a new security crackdown in Baghdad began, U.S. forces arrested another 1,000 Iraqis, bringing to 18,000 the number of detainees jailed in two U.S.-run facilities in that country.

The average stay in these detention centers is about a year, but about 8,000 of the detainees have been jailed longer, including 1,300 who have been in custody for two years, said a statement provided by Capt. Phillip J. Valenti, spokesman for Task Force 134, the U.S. Military Police group handling detainee operations.

"The intent is to detain individuals determined to be true threats to coalition forces, Iraqi Security Forces and stability in Iraq," Valenti said. "Unlike situations in the past, these detainees are not conventional prisoners of war."

Instead, he said, they are "diverse civilian internees from widely divergent political, religious and ethnic backgrounds who are detained on the basis of intelligence available at the time of capture and gathered during subsequent questioning." Valenti said 250 of those in custody are third-country nationals, including some high-value detainees.

more:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/14/AR2007041401554.html

[Drum]

1. ...

:puke:

[maddezmom]

2. agreed

:puke: Sounds a lot like what Saddam used to do with dissenters.

[Ezana]

3. Through its illegal invasion of Iraq BushCo has opened a Pandora Box of terrorism

BushCo's act of illegally invading Iraq and its other illegal activities in other parts of the world has created a fertile breeding ground for terrorism. Now bombings near US interests has started in other Arab Countries: Algeria and Morocco. I think that things have started going out of control. I have one question for the BushCo group: Why is BushCo doing these illegal activities ? Do they think that America can not do honest business and keep on being prosperous ?



http://www.forbes.com/topstories/home/feeds/ap/2007/04/14/ap3612588.html

[jakem]

4. anyone know- higher popluation % in jail in US or Iraq? nt.