In Focus: The US Detention System in Iraq

Learn more: http://pulitzercenter.org/projects/middle-east/iraq-death-nation-revisited

Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been detained by the US, one and a half million have had an immediate family-member detained, almost every Iraqi knows someone who has been through the US detention system.

Few American institutions affect the lives of ordinary Iraqis more directly and profoundly than the US detention system.

At one point during "the Surge" the US was holding 27,000 Iraqis. Today it holds 17,000.

They have not been charged with crimes, but are being held as "security detainees" - a legal classification that will cease to exist on January 1st, when the US military's UN mandate expires.

But for these 17,000 swept up in the American system, there is no clear way out.

This report is part of Pulitzer Center-sponsored project "Iraq: Death of a Nation? (revisited)" (http://bit.ly/swJtcg).

By Richard Rowley, David Enders and Alaa Majeed in association with Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and Big Noise Films.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Pulitzer Center
• Iraq Civil War
• Sunni
• Shiite
• Anbar
• Refugee
• Car Bomb
• Terrorism
• David Enders
• Richard Rowley
• Iraq War
• Kurds
• Basra
• Kurdistan
• Security in Iraq
• Progress in Iraq
• Occupied Iraq
• Politics
• War
• Sectarian Violence
• Fragile States
• Bucca
• Iraq's Guantanamo

[JohnButtcrunch]

I have friends overseas fighting amongst all of this shit, but I still have no faith in our handling of these situations... I believe in retrospect we (U.S. as a whole) are going to eventually be viewed as Nazis.... just "following orders"......

[DesireG]

As an American I am terribly concerned that we will continue shot ourselves in the foot as this lawless criminal system continues.

[biorgymd]

American's will one day, kill Americans and put them into camps as such.

[theripgutxxx]

This is shyt that we as Americans have to continue to see to keep things in focus. I didn't know it was like this. But i should have expected it. its amazing how fast , even in America, that your rights can be taken away like that. People have to pay for that sort of shyt, because some sick fuks get off on it. Tired of seeing shyt like this.

[Tom3744]

"everybody was like the enemy", just like notations of the former u.s. soldiers in the mei li massacre during the vietnam war. damn history might repeat itself-_-.

[monicajink]

woah.