Politics > Politics-USA > Norway: anti-terror investigation exposes US-backed torture innorthern Iraq
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Politics > Politics-USA |
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"Jei" |
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18 Aug 2004 04:38:45 PM |
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Norway: anti-terror investigation exposes US-backed torture innorthern Iraq |
Norway: anti-terror investigation exposes US-backed torture in northern Iraq
By Niall Green
18 August 2004
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Norwegian authorities have dropped terrorist charges against exiled Iraqi
cleric Mullah Krekar after investigators discovered that the main evidence
against him, provided by the US, was obtained through torture.
Krekar, an Iraqi Kurd who has been living as a political refugee in Norway
since 1991, had been the subject of a seven-month investigation by
Norwegian police. He had previously been acquitted of terrorism charges by
Norways highest court in April 2003, but was charged again in January
after US authorities passed on supposed new evidence of his association
with suicide bombings that had been planned in northern Iraq in 2003 by
the Islamic militant group Ansar al-Islam.
Norwegian police travelled to Iraq to re-interrogate the key witness who
had testified against Krekar to US agents while being held by the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The PUK is closely allied with US
forces, and its leader Jalal Talabani serves on the US-appointed Iraqi
Governing Council. However, it turned out that the new evidence had been
extracted using torture on prisoners held by the PUK.
According to Brynjar Meling, Krekars attorney, one of the main witness
against his client said that he had been a PUK prisoner last year when he
was interrogated by US agents. The witness, Didar Khalan, said that after
being tortured over a weeklong period by the PUK he had told his
tormentors what they wanted. He claimed that, among other abuse, his arm
was broken during one beating, and that he was made to stand in a freezing
room without clothing and sit on blocks of ice.
During his subsequent questioning by Norwegian police this year, Khalan
took the opportunity to refute his previous confession to having worked
with Krekar in planning the suicide bombing, telling them that he had, in
fact, never met Krekar.
According to human rights charities, including Human Rights Watch, the PUK
has a record of subjecting its prisoners to mistreatment and torture.
Despite this the US authorities have continued to treat the evidence
handed over by the PUK as good coin. A US State Department official told a
June 15 press briefing: We have no independent confirmation of his
allegation of abuse while under detention by Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
forces. Any credible allegations of mistreatment by US authorities would,
of course, be investigated, and if evidence of criminal behaviour were to
be found, the responsible individuals would be held accountable.
On July 15, a Norwegian state prosecutor announced that all charges had
been dropped against Krekar for lack of evidence and fears that witness
testimony in Iraq was coerced. Krekar had been detained in custody for
seven weeks prior to his acquittal.
US frames Krekar as the missing link
The US has pursued Krekar, one of the main religious and ideological
figures of Ansar al-Islam, since mid-2002. Prior to this Ansar al-Islam
had been in talks with their long-time rivals the PUK, talks that seem to
have broken down due to Ansars unwillingness to support a US invasion of
Iraq.
Following this failure to recruit Ansar to its campaign to conquer Iraq,
Washington swung into action against Krekar and his organisation. The
cleric was detained in Holland for three months from September 2003,
during which time Krekar claims he was questioned by US agents. At this
time Jordanian authorities also demanded his extradition on drug-smuggling
charges.
Meanwhile Ansar al-Islam was presented by the Bush administration as the
missing-link between the Saddam Hussein regime and Al Qaeda. The New York
Times conveniently uncovered evidence of Ansar being linked to Osama bin
Laden during an investigation by the newspaper into Al Qaeda in
Afghanistan in January 2003. The PUK provided the other end of the link,
claiming that it knew of Ansar al-Islams connections with the secular
Baathist regime. The following month Ansar was placed on the United
Nations list of terrorist organisations.
Returning to Norway after his detention in Holland, Krekar was arrested
following an intervention by US Secretary of State Colin Powell in January
2003.
After meeting with Norways Foreign Minister Jan Petersen, Powell
proclaimed that the US did not want people suspected of terrorist
activities going out and taking part in new actions. The Norwegian
government then moved against Krekar, with the cleric being investigated
by police and Norways special Economic Crime Unit (Oekokrim) and charged
with terrorist offences, while government ministers, including Prime
Minister Bondevik and Immigration Minister Erna Solberg, issued statements
against him.
Following Krekars acquittal by the Norwegian Supreme Court in April 2003
the US continued its pursuit. During a visit to Norway in September, US
Attorney General John Ashcroft reiterated that the Bush administration was
concerned that Krekar be dealt with.
After an initial reluctance to support the US invasion of Iraq without a
UN mandate, the Norwegian government moved quickly to re-establish itself
as a US ally in the so-called war on terror. As well as its willingness to
hound Krekar at the behest of Washington, the Bondevik government sent 150
Norwegian troops to aid the occupation of Iraq. Although the deployment in
southern Iraq has come to an end, Peterson has indicated the governments
willingness to continue Norwegian co-operation with the US in Iraq and has
refused to rule out future deployment.
The Norwegian authorities continued to pursue Krekar until July 2004, when
his legal team discovered that key witnesses against Krekar had been
tortured into giving evidence against him.
According to Krekars lawyers, Norwegian investigators failed to reveal any
evidence linking Krekar to Al Qaedathe central claim of the US for the
past 18 months. They have described the case as a political trial, with
the Norwegian police under pressure from the US. Meling has gone on record
as saying that the US persecution of his client was not based on any
verifiable evidence, and that claims that Krekar and Ansar al-Islam
represented a missing link between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda had been
created with the help of the PUK in order to justify the war.
Meanwhile, in Denmark allegations of prisoner abuse by members of the
500-plus deployment of Danish soldiers in Iraq have led to the recall of
all top officers including the battalion commander, the head of military
police, the head of military intelligence and the chief legal officer.
The Danish army is investigating complaints from several of its own
soldiers about the use of stress positions and water deprivation against
Iraqi prisoners by Danish interrogators at Camp Eden in southern Iraq. As
well as the two senior officers, a lower ranking intelligence officer and
several troops are being investigated.
Denmarks Defence Minister Soren Gade, told Danish television, There may be
doubt about the leaderships judgement and I have therefore decided to send
home the commanders. Later an armed forces spokesman Lt. Col.
Hans-Christian Mathiesen told Reuters that there would be an investigation
involving several Danish personnel.
It is the second case to have leaked out alleging prisoner abuse by Danish
forces in Iraq. In May, a Danish soldier was officially reprimanded for
assaulting an Iraqi prisoner with the butt of a rife.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/aug2004/krek-a18.shtml
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