- After the shock of the abuse photos, there's a worse
new allegation against US troops. Spiegel TV has acquired written and oral
documentation indicating that a 47 year old Iraqi was tortured to death
in American custody. The Americans are alleged to have attempted to cover
the case up.
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- Spiegel TV Exclusive (Translated by S.B.) http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,299964,00.html
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- 05/15/04 BERLIN -- The case of Asad Abdul Kareem Abdul
Jaleel was pure routine for the American troops. After the 47 year old
family father died on the US military base Al Asad west of the town of
Khan al Baghdad in US custody on January 9th 2004, an American doctor filled
out a death certificate. Apparently without doing an examination, and according
to the documents, without performing an autopsy, the pathologist Luis A.
Santiago wrote that the man had died in his sleep. The US troops handed
the body, including the death certificate, over to the International Red
Cross shortly thereafter.
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- American troops had previously arrested the respected
family patriarch on an open road and taken him to the American military
base Al Asad west of the town of Khan al Baghdad. Ostensibly there was
suspicion that he belonged to the Iraqi resistance. The soldiers are alleged
to have put enormous pressure on Asad Abdul Kareem Abdul Jaleel in the
base prison. Another prisoner gave Spiegel TV a detailed description of
how the 47 year old was tortured in a sadistic manner for five days. The
witness says that the soldiers also took photographs of the abuse.
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- Asad Abdul Kareem Abdul Jaleel died in US detention on
January 9th of this year. However, there are grave doubts about the version
that claims his death to have been from natural causes. An Iraqi forensic
pathologist who took the body over from the US armed forces confirmed to
Spiegel TV in Baghdad that he diagnosed definite torture marks on the body
of the deceased. In addition, photos of the deceased confirm that contrary
to the US documentation, an autopsy had been performed on the man. The
scars on the torso indicate that Western doctors did the autopsy.
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- Deep Dark Bruises on the Entire Body
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- Even a layman can easily recognize the obvious effects
of violence on the pictures of the body: Large, dark bruises that could
come from beatings can be seen on both sides of the body. On the wrists
and ankles there are bruises, which presumably date back to many days of
captivity. There are bruises from beatings or other forms of violent impact
on the back. Other lacerations on the upper body point to injuries which
can hardly be called "natural".
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- If the suspicious facts against the US troops turn out
to be true, the US torture scandal would take a dramatic turn. If the charges
hitherto were about violent abuses of prisoners and humiliating methods
of interrogation, the investigation would now have to include failure to
give assistance, manslaughter, or even murder. The participating soldiers
and their commanding officers could be harshly punished, and the US army
in Iraq would be exposed to even more hate and desire for revenge than
they already are. Although there are already a number of investigations
being carried out about unclarified deaths in Iraq, and also in Afghanistan,
- the army insists that in none of the cases can the guilt of the soldiers
be proven.
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- According to the research of Spiegel TV, the case of
the family father Jaleel in occupied Iraq is not a rarity. Employees of
the Forensic Pathology Institute in Baghdad confirm that among the bodies
that the International Red Cross has handed over to them on behalf of the
Americans there are always victims of torture. However, the Iraqi pathologists
are forbidden to do their own investigation as long as there is an American
death certificate - even if the information about the cause of death is
obviously false.
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- The US Army Remains Silent
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- About five bodies with US Armed Forces death certificates
are handed over every week in Baghdad alone, according to the employees
of the Institute. The established practice of the Americans is to declare
bodies that come from the prison at Abu Ghuraib as victims of grenade attacks
on the camp. This was the case with the bodies of 26 detainees last week,
even though only some of the bodies showed injuries typical of grenade
attacks, the employees said.
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- Meanwhile in the case of the 47 year old Asad Abdul Kareem
Abdul Jaleel, there appears to be an internal investigation of the US troops
going on. Witnesses report that they have been questioned by US soldiers
about the procedures on the American military base Al Asad. Spiegel TV
has been attempting to get a statement from the responsible authorities
of the army in Baghdad for several days. Up to now, however, all written
as well as oral questions remain unanswered.
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- http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article6188.htm
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