A year on, Reuters cameraman still held by U.S. army

A year on, Reuters cameraman still held by U.S. army

www.reuters.com

BAGHDAD, Sept 2 (Reuters) - On Sept. 2, 2008, U.S. and Iraqi troops smashed in the doors of Iraqi journalist Ibrahim Jassam's home, shouting "freeze" and holding back snarling dogs before they hauled him off into the night in his underwear.

A year later, neither Jassam and his family nor global news agency Reuters, which employed him as a freelance TV cameraman and photographer, have been told exactly why he has been detained for all this time by U.S. military forces in Iraq.

(visit the link for the full news article)

I think its interesting that the US military practices of indefinatly detaining people in Iraq and other places in the "war on terror" has continued unabated by the new administration.

While Attorney General Eric Holder is talking about revamping the Justice Department's Civil Rights litigation and prosecution branch to deal with issues more similarly to the 60's and 70's disparate impact style litigation, and the continued talk about looking into the CIA and Bush administration officials, the Obama Administration isn't exactly "Changing" tactics in their prosecution of the wars.

This reaks of self serving double speak.

The Iraqi Central Criminal Court already ruled last November there was no case against Jassam. [ID:nLU123205] [ID:nL9585447]

But the U.S. military says it considers Jassam a security threat to Iraq. It says that under the security agreement, it is entitled to hold Jassam as long as possible.

"Though we appreciate the decision of the Central Criminal Court of Iraq in the Ibrahim Jassam case, their decision does not negate the intelligence information that currently lists him as a threat to Iraqi security and stability," Johnson said.

Notice the Iraqi Courts have cleared this guy, but our "democratic" government is continuing to hold him without any legal recourse.

I wonder if they have the same planned for us... if we begin to really question them, will they say we are a "threat to US security and stability" and hold us indefinitely.

www.reuters.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I'll star and flag this because I smell cover up.

I was pretty sure last year and am more sure this year that this man saw something he wasnt supposed to see that could cause the war in Iraq to come to an end.

I find it despicable that our country has such double standards.

I want this man free and I want him with his family now.

The reason the Democrats won all the congressional seats in 06 was to stop the wars.

Obama was voted in to stop the wars.

We are still at war...

F&*K POLITICS! I was lied to!

Good find OP, why are they holding this guy?

[edit on 2-9-2009 by breakingdradles]

reply to post by Tentickles


I am more worried that the double standard will disapear. I'm concerned that if this type of detention practice is acceptable over there, it might make its way here. I was worried about that under Bush when he was trying to suspend Habeaus Corpus in relation to enemy combatants and saw who the argument could be equally applied to people the government deems dangerous here in the US.

But even Obama has used the term "preventative detention." Those two words are terrifying. Think Tom Cruise in Minority Report. They can arrest you for something they think you might do at some point in the undetermined future.

reply to post by finemanm


It probably is already over here. Just isnt reported on by the MSM.

Sad isnt it?