Pentagon: U.S. was aware Iraqis were torturing prisoners

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.azstarnet.com/news/105999

WASHINGTON — Senior U.S. military commanders in Iraq have known since early this year of reports that Iraqi security forces had physically abused detainees, according to Pentagon documents.

The first widely reported abuse case came to light when U.S. and Iraqi forces discovered 173 malnourished Iraqi detainees at an Interior Ministry bunker in Baghdad on Nov. 13. Some inmates reportedly showed signs of torture, and a U.S. general was so concerned that he took immediate control of the facility.

More than five months earlier, Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, wrote a policy memorandum on the importance of training Iraqi security forces to respect the rule of law and basic human rights.

"Over the past several months I have received reports of serious physical abuse of detainees by ISF," he wrote on June 22, using the initials of the Iraqi security forces.

[wtmusic]

1. Now we're giving lessons in human rights

just when you thought it couldn't get weirder