Published on Truthout, 14 October 2014. Contamination from depleted uranium (DU) munitions is causing sharp rises in congenital birth defects, cancer cases and other illnesses throughout much of Iraq, according to numerous Iraqi doctors. Iraqi doctors and prominent scientists believe that DU contamination is also connected to the emergence of diseases that were not previously
Tortured and Raped by Israel, Persecuted by the United States
Twenty-two-year-old Rasmea Odeh, along with 500 other Palestinians, was arrested in 1969 by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) during a massive security sweep following the 1967 war and occupation of the West Bank. At the time, as now, Palestinians who were detained by the IDF were later charged with crimes they did not commit in
On Bringing War Criminals to Justice
This is part II of a series on Dahr Jamail’s trip to the Iraq Commission conference in Brussels. Also see Part I: International Lawyers Seek Justice for Iraqis. Narmeen Saleh and her husband Shawki were detained by US military forces during a violent 2004 raid of their home in Baghdad. Saleh spent 16 days in
International Lawyers Seek Justice for Iraqis
International lawyers and activists converged at a conference titled The Iraq Commission, in Brussels, Belgium, April 16 and 17, with the primary aim of bringing to justice government officials who are guilty of war crimes in Iraq. “Within a few days of this, a lawless atmosphere developed within my unit,” Ross Caputi, a former marine
Democracy Now! Interviews Dahr Jamail on Fallujah Humanitarian Crisis
“Humanitarian Crisis Intensifies in Fallujah as Iraqi Gov’t Accused of Killing Over 100 Civilians” “A new report by Truthout has revealed doctors, residents and non-governmental organization workers in the city of Fallujah are accusing the Iraqi government of war crimes and crimes against humanity in its ongoing attack against the city. According to one account,
Iraqi Government Killing Civilians in Fallujah
Fallujah doctors, residents and NGO workers accuse the Iraqi government of war crimes and crimes against humanity in its ongoing attack against the city – conducted ostensibly against al-Qaeda affiliate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Doctors, residents and NGO workers in Fallujah are accusing the Iraqi government of “war crimes” and “crimes against
Jordan to Host “World’s Largest Refugee Camp”
As violence in Syria continues, the al-Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan is on pace to become the largest in the world. Amman, Jordan – Al-Zaatari refugee camp near Jordan’s northern border with Syria is the second largest refugee camp in the world. On days when violence in Syria worsens, between 2,000-4,000 Syrians flood into Zaatari,
Iraq’s Invisible Refugee Crisis
As violence in Iraq reaches levels not seen in years, untold numbers of Iraqis are once again seeking refuge elsewhere. Amman, Jordan – Maki al-Nazzal, a 57-year-old Iraqi from Fallujah, returned to Amman a week ago from a visit to his home city in Iraq. Having lived in Jordan since 2007, Nazzal, like most refugees,
Iraq: The deadliest war for journalists
More journalists were killed during the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq than in any war in history. On April 8, 2003, during the US-led invasion of Iraq, Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Ayoub was killed when a US warplane bombed Al Jazeera’s headquarters in Baghdad. The invasion and subsequent nine-year occupation of Iraq claimed the
Living with No Future: Iraq, 10 Years Later
Back then, everybody was writing about Iraq, but it’s surprising how few Americans, including reporters, paid much attention to the suffering of Iraqis. Today, Iraq is in the news again. The words, the memorials, the retrospectives are pouring out, and again the suffering of Iraqis isn’t what’s on anyone’s mind. This was why I returned