"What We're Dealing With."

A friend serving in the armed forces in Iraq sent the following email yesterday under the above subject heading:

Here’s an interesting story I thought I’d pass on. Ever since the Abu Ghareb prison abuse scandal, the coalition has been vigilant to address any claims of abuse by detainees quickly and effectively to avoid any similar scandals that could affect our ability prosecute this war. In this effort and detainee complaints are taken seriously…complaints against US, coalition and Iraqi Army forces are all considered very carefully.

Well recently a suicide bomber walked into an Iraqi police station (Iraqis who cooperate with the coalition are always targets of insurgents) with an explosive vest during shift change, the period when the maximum number of police are present. He made it into the building, gave the standard “Alla Ahkbar” (God is great is what it means I think) and gives a strong tug on his rip cord.

Only the vest doesn’t detonate. He is standing in a room with 40-50 Iraqi policemen who he most assuredly would have killed if his equipment would have worked pulling again and again, harder on his rip cord…uh oh.

After the beating that ensued, the would-be suicide bomber is delivered to the custody of US forces to be taken to a detention facility. On the way to the facility, the assailant asks to speak to a translator. Once they find a translator, he tells them he’d like to lodge a complaint as a result of his abuse at the hands of the Iraqi Police. His complaint was made and filed with the numerous others that human rights organizations cite regularly as evidence that the coalition is committing atrocities over here.

Just an interesting vignette I thought I’d pass on. This happened this past week.