Death Squads
Feb 23rd, 2006 at 2:00 pm by Susie
But you have to admit, the people of Iraq are much better off than they were under Saddam Hussein.
Yeah, just keep telling yourself that:
BAGHDAD — A 1,500-member Iraqi police force with close ties to Shiite militia groups has emerged as a focus of investigations into suspected death squads working within the country’s Interior Ministry.
Iraq’s national highway patrol was established largely to stave off insurgent attacks on roadways. But U.S. military officials, interviewed over the last several days, say they suspect the patrol of being deeply involved in illegal detentions, torture and extrajudicial killings.
The officials said that in recent months the U.S. has withdrawn financial and advisory support from the patrol in an effort to distance the American training effort from what they perceived to be a renegade force.
“We don’t train them, we don’t give them equipment, we don’t conduct site visits over there. They are just bad, criminal people,” said a high-ranking U.S. military officer who advises the Interior Ministry. The officer was one of three who each spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they wanted to maintain relationships with Iraqi police officials and avoid retaliation by U.S. military superiors.
I bet there Chips unit has got nothing on Ponch though. That guy can ride a Harley!