Activists angry at UN praise for coalition

Human rights groups are angry at a United Nations report that praised the US and its allies for ending years of brutality by Saddam Hussein’s regime, but did not “call coalition forces to account”.

A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that the coalition’s invasion of Iraq last year ”removed a government that preyed on the Iraqi people and committed shocking, systematic and criminal violations of human rights”. But it warned that some cases of prisoner abuse might be considered war crimes.

Activists said they were disappointed with the results of the report.

“It gratuitously accepts the good intentions of the coalition governments,” Reed Brody, spokesman for New York-based Human Rights Watch, told The Associated Press. ”This has missed an important opportunity to call the coalition forces to account.”

In particular, the commission noted Iraqis had greater freedom of expression now than they did under Saddam’s regime.

But, the report added “after the occupation of Iraq by coalition forces there have, sadly, been some violations of human rights, committed by some coalition soldiers”.

It also condemned “acts of depravity” by Iraqi militants and al-Qaida infiltrators, including the videotaped decapitation of American Nicholas Berg.

Acting UN human rights chief Bertrand Ramcharan ordered the broad investigation in April, saying he was concerned because Iraq had been unmonitored by the world body since the US-led invasion in March 2003.

The 53-nation UN Human Rights Commission scrutinised Iraq for years when Saddam was in power, but the issue was dropped after he was ousted last year.

The 45-page report referred specifically to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. The publication of photographs showing US guards abusing and humiliating detainees at the prison erupted into an international scandal in April.

“Willful killing, torture or ihuman treatment, if committed against detainees protected by international humanitarian law constitute a grave breach…,” the study said. “The above-described acts might be designated as war crimes by a competent tribunal.”

Seven US soldiers face military charges and the US Defence Department said it was investigating more than 40 cases of possible misconduct against civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Governmental leaders of the countries concerned have, at the highest levels, condemned these violations and have pledged to bring those responsible to justice and to uphold the rule of law. It is imperative that this be done, with accountability to the international community,” the report said.

It also suggested the coalition should “consider the designation of a high-level international ombudsman to monitor the coalition forces while they remained in Iraq.”

Iraq’s interim government, set to take over on June 30 from the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority, also must ensure that Iraqis do not face abuses in the future, the report said.

Human rights groups say monitoring is essential because ordinary Iraqis are suffering in the conflict between coalition forces and rebels.

US State Department spokesman Adam Ereli noted that the report contained positive elements such as acknowledging that coalition action uprooted Saddam’s “criminal” regime and could lead to democracy in Iraq.

Those responsible for abuses at Abu Ghraib prison were being held accountable, Ereli said. Other kinds of abuses mentioned in the report were difficult to address because they lacked specifics, but US officials had asked the high commissioner for additional details.