UN Secretary-General 'Deeply Disturbed' by media images of Iraqi Prisoners being Mistreated by United Nations News 12:16pm 2nd May, 2004   30 April 2004    United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan is "deeply disturbed" by images appearing in the media of Iraqi prisoners being mistreated and humiliated by United States prison guards, his spokesman said today.    The Secretary-General "hopes that this was an isolated incident and welcomes what appears to be a clear determination on the part of the US military to bring those responsible to justice, and to prevent such abuses in the future," spokesman Fred Eckhard said.    On Wednesday the CBS programme 60 Minutes II first aired a report about alleged abuses occurring at the Abu Gharib prison in Iraq.    "In all circumstances, and in all places, the Secretary-General is strongly opposed to the mistreatment of detainees," Mr. Eckhard told the daily briefing. "He reiterates that all detainees should be fully protected in accordance with the provisions of international human rights law."    When asked by reporters yesterday about the programme, Mr. Eckhard said, "The kinds of things discussed there, the abuse of prisoners, could be the kind of thing that would be investigated or would be included in a report on human rights in Iraq that the Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights [Bertrand Ramcharan] said last Friday he intended to produce."    Mr. Ramcharan's remarks came at the closing session of the Commission on Human Rights, when he said he would initiate a report on rights and armed conflict in Iraq after the Commission had puzzlingly excluded it in its decisions. "It is a perplexing and troubling omission. There must be accountability in warfare. At this point in time there is no international monitoring of the human rights situation in Iraq, whether it be in respect of terrorism or in respect of the use of force and the treatment of civilians," he said.    Conflicts are prevalent in the world and the Commission had effectively elaborated a policy on ensuring respect for human rights and humanitarian during armed conflicts, he said.    May 1, 2004    "US worse than Saddam, Arabs say". (Reuters / AP)    Photographs showing US soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners drew international condemnation today, with Arabs saying the US campaign to win the hearts and minds of Iraqis was now a lost cause.    "This is the straw that broke the camel's back for America," said Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the Arab newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi. "The liberators are worse than the dictators. "They have not just lost the hearts and minds of Iraqis but all the Third World and the Arab countries," he said.    The CBS News program 60 Minutes II on Wednesday aired photos taken at the Abu Ghraib prison last year showing US troops abusing Iraqis held at what was once a notorious centre of torture and executions under ousted president Saddam Hussein. The pictures showed US troops smiling, posing, laughing or giving the thumbs-up sign as naked, male Iraqi prisoners were stacked in a pyramid or positioned to simulate sex acts.    The US military has brought criminal charges against six of the soldiers, including indecent acts with another person, maltreatment, battery, dereliction of duty and aggravated assault.    US President George W Bush said he "shared a deep disgust" at the treatment of Iraqi prisoners after the pictures were published and broadcast around the world... Britain, the staunchest US ally, condemned the abuse. "Nobody underestimates how wrong this is," Prime Minister Tony Blair's spokesman told reporters. "Actions of this kind are in no way condoned by the coalition."    Meanwhile, British military officials today confirmed they were investigating new allegations that their soldiers abused a prisoner in Iraq. They (Americans) said Saddam committed crimes against the people, now they are committing more vicious crimes in front of the whole world.    The report came as the Daily Mirror newspaper published photos of a hooded prisoner who was reportedly beaten and had teeth broken at the hands of British troops. "All allegations are already under investigation," General Michael Jackson, chief of the General Staff, told a late night news conference. "If proven, the perpetrators are not fit to wear the Queen's uniform. They have besmirched the good name of the army and its honour."    The Mirror said it was given the pictures by serving soldiers from the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, who were concerned that "rogue elements" in the army were undermining attempts to win support from the Iraqi people.    The newspaper quoted the unidentified soldiers as saying the unarmed captive had been threatened with execution during eight hours of abuse, and was left bleeding and vomiting. They said the captive was then driven away and dumped from the back of a moving vehicle, and it was not known whether he survived.    The publicity could not have been worse in the Arab world, with the sexual humiliation in the pictures especially shocking. "That really, really is the worst atrocity," Atwan said. "It affects the honour and pride of Muslim people. It is better to kill them than sexually abuse them."    Arab satellite televisions, seen by millions of Arabs and Muslims, began their news bulletins with the pictures, which they said showed the "savagery" of US troops against Iraqi prisoners. "They (Americans) said Saddam committed crimes against the people, now they are committing more vicious crimes in front of the whole world," said Yemeni university student Faez al-Kaynai. Many said the photographs shattered the credibility of the United States as a promoter of democracy and human rights.    Egyptian Mahmoud Walid, 28, said: "It quite clearly showed to me the whole insanity of this war. These soldiers are being touted as the saviours of the Iraqi people and America claims to be the moral leader of the world, but ... they have been exposed, the whole world sees them as they really are."    Jamal Khashoggi, media adviser to Saudi Arabia's ambassador in London, said US officials responsible for policy in Iraq should be held responsible for such acts, which he said reflected "deep contempt" for Arabs. "It is a big failure. It is going to make people say 'what was wrong with Saddam?'," he said.    In Geneva, the International Committee of the Red Cross voiced concern, saying torture, humiliation and degrading treatment of prisoners was forbidden in any circumstance. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said Washington should investigate the superiors of soldiers accused of abuse. "The brazenness with which these soldiers conducted themselves ... suggests they felt they had nothing to hide from their superiors," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of the organisation. "Their superiors should be closely scrutinised to see whether they created an atmosphere of impunity that fostered this abuse," he said..    - Reuters/AP
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