![[Iraq] Iraq Reconciliation. [Date picture taken: 09/25/2006]](https://assets.thenewhumanitarian.org/s3fs-public/styles/responsive_large_2x/public/images/2006925.jpg.webp?itok=vhASjXms "The third in IRIN's series of articles on the Iraq government's 24-point reconciliation plan")
The fifth in a series of IRIN stories examining the obstacles Iraq faces in implementing its government’s plan to reconcile different sections of Iraqi society. Click on the following link for an overview of the series: Iraq reconciliation series overview
Raid Othman al-Dulaimi, a 36-year-old engineer, still vividly recalls his suffering on a night last winter when his five-month ordeal with the Iraqi army began. The army raided his house in Baghdad in late December 2005 following a roadside bomb attack nearby.
“They accused me of having links to the attackers. They put all of us in the garden and beat me in front of my wife and children. They overturned all the furniture and stole my private computer, money and gold,” al-Dulaimi said, adding that he was taken to prison and beaten to elicit a confession.
“After five months of insults and bad treatment they said, 'We are sorry, you have nothing to do with the terrorists,'" he said.
Human rights groups say the rights of citizens, especially those who live in restive areas, are often violated by Iraq’s national army and US-led coalition forces searching for terrorists and criminals. They say this has undermined support for the government as a whole.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki introduced a 24-point national reconciliation plan in June, which aims, among other things, to curb violations committed during military operations.
“We will not tolerate anyone who violates human rights, as respecting these rights is the most important point in the reconciliation plan to bring stability to this country,” Salam al-Zubaie, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister, said.
While the government’s plan does not include US-led coalition forces, “in all our meetings with the representatives of the multinational forces, we stress respecting citizens’ human rights and the reduction of all kinds of violations”, al-Zubaie said.
As part of the plan, Iraq’s Human Rights Ministry has had more army officers taught about international conventions aimed at guarding against abuse during military operations. These officers pass on their knowledge in lectures they give several times a week to others in the Iraqi army and security forces.
“The first thing they have to know is that the defendant is innocent until he is proven guilty,” said Farouk Muhssein, a spokesman for the Human Rights Ministry. “And they have to learn how to talk to them [civilians] as they do their duty in a good manner. Beating and insults are not allowed in their work, and they have to pay great attention to the women and children and not scare them."
Intimidation was the norm
It is a new way of working for soldiers used to intimidating people. “Violations included scaring people in the streets when army members open fire into the air, or crash into their cars to clear the traffic, or beat people during detention and scare their families,” said Major Salman Abdul-Wahid, commander of the Iraqi army’s 1st Brigade, and one of the human rights teachers.
“All these acts are banned now. Breaking into houses is not allowed anymore. And soldiers have to reassure the family and keep them [comfortable] in a room while they search the house,” he added.
Abdul-Wahid said there had been an apparent reduction of about a fifth in violations by Iraqi military personnel, "but still there are violations and this will take time... You can't change the soldiers' behaviour overnight, especially those who believe that they have to be scary in order to get what they want.”
Soldiers have mixed reactions to the lectures.
“It’s really helpful and interesting because we need to be tough and gentle at the same time,” said Samih Manhal, a soldier with the Iraqi army’s 8th Division. “But there’s no need to do it every week... we feel bored with this repetition.”
The Baghdad Centre for Human Rights said it continues to record human rights violations by both the Iraqi army and coalition forces. The centre registered a big increase in such incidents in July and August, when sectarian violence in Baghdad spiralled.
"We observed 300 cases of human rights violations against civilians by both Iraqi army and multinational forces only in July and August, while about 200 cases were registered over the first six months of this year," said Ali Wail Ali al-Safi, the centre’s spokesman.
He said the government had to take more serious measures to put an end to these violations, most of which have passed without any punishment of the offenders.
"Holding such lectures is not enough for these forces. The government also has to punish those responsible,” al-Safi said. “And before that, it has to interview the recruits before they join the army or security forces to check their mentality."
sm/ls/ed
Raid Othman al-Dulaimi, a 36-year-old engineer, still vividly recalls his suffering on a night last winter when his five-month ordeal with the Iraqi army began. The army raided his house in Baghdad in late December 2005 following a roadside bomb attack nearby.
“They accused me of having links to the attackers. They put all of us in the garden and beat me in front of my wife and children. They overturned all the furniture and stole my private computer, money and gold,” al-Dulaimi said, adding that he was taken to prison and beaten to elicit a confession.
“After five months of insults and bad treatment they said, 'We are sorry, you have nothing to do with the terrorists,'" he said.
Human rights groups say the rights of citizens, especially those who live in restive areas, are often violated by Iraq’s national army and US-led coalition forces searching for terrorists and criminals. They say this has undermined support for the government as a whole.
Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki introduced a 24-point national reconciliation plan in June, which aims, among other things, to curb violations committed during military operations.
“We will not tolerate anyone who violates human rights, as respecting these rights is the most important point in the reconciliation plan to bring stability to this country,” Salam al-Zubaie, Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister, said.
While the government’s plan does not include US-led coalition forces, “in all our meetings with the representatives of the multinational forces, we stress respecting citizens’ human rights and the reduction of all kinds of violations”, al-Zubaie said.
As part of the plan, Iraq’s Human Rights Ministry has had more army officers taught about international conventions aimed at guarding against abuse during military operations. These officers pass on their knowledge in lectures they give several times a week to others in the Iraqi army and security forces.
“The first thing they have to know is that the defendant is innocent until he is proven guilty,” said Farouk Muhssein, a spokesman for the Human Rights Ministry. “And they have to learn how to talk to them [civilians] as they do their duty in a good manner. Beating and insults are not allowed in their work, and they have to pay great attention to the women and children and not scare them."
Intimidation was the norm
It is a new way of working for soldiers used to intimidating people. “Violations included scaring people in the streets when army members open fire into the air, or crash into their cars to clear the traffic, or beat people during detention and scare their families,” said Major Salman Abdul-Wahid, commander of the Iraqi army’s 1st Brigade, and one of the human rights teachers.
“All these acts are banned now. Breaking into houses is not allowed anymore. And soldiers have to reassure the family and keep them [comfortable] in a room while they search the house,” he added.
Abdul-Wahid said there had been an apparent reduction of about a fifth in violations by Iraqi military personnel, "but still there are violations and this will take time... You can't change the soldiers' behaviour overnight, especially those who believe that they have to be scary in order to get what they want.”
Soldiers have mixed reactions to the lectures.
“It’s really helpful and interesting because we need to be tough and gentle at the same time,” said Samih Manhal, a soldier with the Iraqi army’s 8th Division. “But there’s no need to do it every week... we feel bored with this repetition.”
The Baghdad Centre for Human Rights said it continues to record human rights violations by both the Iraqi army and coalition forces. The centre registered a big increase in such incidents in July and August, when sectarian violence in Baghdad spiralled.
"We observed 300 cases of human rights violations against civilians by both Iraqi army and multinational forces only in July and August, while about 200 cases were registered over the first six months of this year," said Ali Wail Ali al-Safi, the centre’s spokesman.
He said the government had to take more serious measures to put an end to these violations, most of which have passed without any punishment of the offenders.
"Holding such lectures is not enough for these forces. The government also has to punish those responsible,” al-Safi said. “And before that, it has to interview the recruits before they join the army or security forces to check their mentality."
sm/ls/ed
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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