Iraq war logs: secret files show how US ignored torture

Video: Iraq war logs: How civilians have paid heaviest price

Leaked military files analysed by the Guardian reveal secret US tally of Iraqi deaths
• Datablog: every death mapped:

Iraq war logs: A day in the life of the war

17 October 2006 was a typical day in one of the bloodiest years of the Iraq conflict - 136 dead Iraqis, 10 dead Americans and hundreds of violent incidents. Watch the 24 hours of carnage unfold, log by log, minute by minute.:

Iraq war logs: Secret order that let US ignore abuse
Mistreatment of helpless prisoners by Iraqi security forces included beatings, burning, electrocution and rape


In this award-winning picture, detainees are led away for questioning during Operation Steel Curtain In this award-winning picture, detainees are led away for questioning during Operation Steel Curtain. Photograph: Sean Smith for the Guardian

A prisoner was kneeling on the ground, blindfolded and handcuffed, when an Iraqi soldier walked over to him and kicked him in the neck. A US marine sergeant was watching and reported the incident, which was duly recorded and judged to be valid. The outcome: "No investigation required."

That was a relatively minor assault. Another of the leaked Iraqi war logs records the case of a man who was arrested by police on suspicion of preparing a suicide bomb. In the station, an officer shot him in the leg and then, the log continues, this detainee "suffered abuse which amounted to cracked ribs, multiple lacerations and welts and bruises from being whipped with a large rod and hose across his back". This was all recorded and judged to amount to "reasonable suspicion of abuse". The outcome: "No further investigation." ...<cont>

This information just confirms what many knew or suspected all along, as far as I can tell.

The title was taken from the Guardian article, JTT.
But make no mistake, I hold my own government, Blair's UK government & all the rest of them to account, too.

And, jaded as I am by the sheer horror of Iraq, the fact that this (US military) information is now freely available is an enormous relief. No more lies will be acceptable. (At least any that cannot be refuted by those of us who actually bother to keep abreast). No more evasions. This is what our governments did to Iraq, for absolutely no good reason.

Geeze, I hate to burst your bubble, but this isn't new, only the events are new.

This has been going on for a century and, again, I hate to be the bearer of sad news, but this will go the way of all the other war crimes, all the other instances of mass murder, all the other instances of horrendous terrorist actions.

stay away for a bit and enjoy your moment of relief.

May whatever being looks down upon us bless you!

This information just confirms what many knew or suspected all along, as far as I can tell.

Think about it: 109032 violent deaths in Iraq between 2004 and 2009.
66081 of those deaths were civilians.
These statistics are from American military records & the American government has known about it for 6 years.

I'm with the Guardian newspaper on this. I strongly believe that such information should be made known in the public interest. We owe it to every one of those people who lost their lives. We should also be made fully aware of the consequences of this invasion & war, which occurred in our names.