Iraq Interior Ministry Issues Videos, Says It Proves Torture Claims ‘Incorrect’

Embedded Reporter Described Torture, Rape of Suspects

Reports about Iraqi special forces torturing, raping, and summarily executing “suspects” in Mosul are growing, and the Iraqi Interior Ministry has responded by issuing a series of videos, claiming that the videos “prove” that the entire story is “incorrect” and that they never abused any detainees.

Obviously, the videos released by the Interior Minister are far from all-inclusive with respect to Iraqi forces’ interactions with civilians in and around Mosul, and thus it’s impossible for them to “prove” that none of their troops engaged in torture.

Such reports of widespread are nothing new, and have been seen in Iraq’s invasion of every other city in recent years. A Spiegel photographer was particularly fueling this round of reports, saying that while embedded he personally witnessed killing, torture and rape.

The denials by the Interior Ministry come with assurances that they’d punish anyone violating human rights. That of course iis an empty promise, since they never admit to any such abuses, and insist that the ever-mounting number of accusations are all, somehow, lies.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.