Red Cross concern over torture of Civilain Detainees in Iraq

national | miscellaneous | news report Monday May 26, 2003 08:32 by James McKenna jimmymac61 at hotmail dot com

Detainees gagged, hooded and tied up in baking sun

Vistiors to a concentration camp near Baghdad Airport where civilian and common law detainees are held along with some genuine POW's have described seeing prisoners gagged and tied up in scorcing sunlight.

The Red Cross call the prisoners they have interviewed "Civilian detainees" and "common law detainees" but have not denied there are some genuine POW's in the camp. They will not issue any controversial statement that might jeopardise their ongoing visits to the camp which began the day before yesterday nor will they comment publicly on the condition of the prisoners. However, visitors to the camp have described seeing "......men with their hands tied behind their backs, hooded and kneeling in the hot sun."

Concern has also been expressed that other aspects of the Geneva Convention are being broken, in that the prisoners are not receiving proper food, water or medical care. The official UK/US
number held is 3000 but this may be inaccurate and the International Committee of the Red Cross have asked for a more accurate number . They are also still seeking permission to see all prisoners.