News[JURIST] For the first time Friday, a senior American military official publicly confirmed [DOD transcript] abuse of detainees and prisoners by Iraqi security forces. Major General David Rodriguez said in a briefing for Pentagon reporters from Iraq that in the last six to eight weeks there have been approximately forty cases of detainee abuse and that US troops have been instructed to intervene immediately if they witness mistreatment. He described the incidents as physical abuse, especially during interrogations, but "they have not been anything that came close to killing anybody." General Rodriguez said a human rights advisor has begun inspecting the detention facilities used by Iraqi security forces. US military documents had previously indicated that some Iraqi personnel were abusing prisoners [JURIST report], a practice that their US counterparts were reportedly anxious to stop because of the damage it could do to the image of local forces. AP has more.
