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American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Mon Jun 27, 2005 at 04:01:34 PM EST
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Apparently believing we can never have enough prisons, the U.S. plans to expand the number of prisons throughout Iraq.

The U.S. military said Monday it plans to expand its prisons across Iraq to hold as many as 16,000 detainees, as the relentless insurgency shows no sign of letup one year after the transfer of sovereignty to Iraqi authorities.

The plans were announced on a day three U.S. Army soldiers were killed - two pilots whose helicopter crashed north of Baghdad and a soldier who was shot in the capital. At least four Iraqis died in a car bomb attack in the capital.

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    American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq | 10 comments (10 topical)
    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#2)
    by Kitt on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    I saw this and thought it crazy - and stupid.

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    On the other hand, one can see just how well a prison state has worked here in the U.S. to alleviate crime...

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#4)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    This will only end with the total collapes and the third world war with china, bush has done us all, and what i mean by done, is killed us all. you think that is nut's now just wait and see.

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#5)
    by john horse on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    Lets do the math. The insurgency in Iraq is estimated at 16,000. The number of prisoners we are holding in Iraq is around 10,000. Assuming that all these prisoners are insurgents (and the Bush administration says they all are so we know its true), that means that 6,000 insurgents have successfully fought the US and British military, which is estimated at over 135,000 troops to a stalemate. And this is where it starts getting really weird because we haven't even started factoring in the number of insurgent casualties. Lets take a super conservative estimate of Iraqi civilian casualties of 30,000 to 50,000 since the occupation began. Again the Bush administration has assured us that there are very few nonhostile civilian casualties so most of those dead Iraqi civilians must be insurgents. Something doesn't add up because by my count the insurgents have already been defeated. We can send our boys and girls home now.

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#6)
    by DawesFred60 on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    Thank you John Horse.

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    Fred Dawes, "you think that's nuts now". No, Fred, I don't think that's nuts at all.

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#8)
    by kdog on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    Freedom on the march....in a cage? Maybe Halliburton has a "buy one prison, get one free" promo going.

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:37 PM EST
    I believe it is all driven by war profiteering. There is a lot of money to be made in Iraq pumping oil and building air bases. Since the local indigenous people are in the way and have no legitimate claim to any of their resources (having won or stolen no election in the USA), we need to impress the indigenous people with the power of American democracy, infuse them with American patriotism. But they need to stay out of the way as Halliburton and KBR engage in some very profitable building and oil pumping activity. If they can't stay out of the way, then we need to start the Abu Ghraib franchise to help them stay out of the way. And 43% of the American people think this is all a good idea at last count. What is that sheep say? baaaaaa baaaaa baaaaaa That's your cue Jim.

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#10)
    by theologicus on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:38 PM EST
    Building more prisons seems to be the only reconstruction effort going on in Iraq. See Patrick Cockburn in the Independent/UK today on Iraq as a bloody mess. As for the number of insurgents, there is a hard core number and a much larger number of some-time participants. But the key factor is that the popluation at least tacitly supports them. Even when imposing the pain of collective punishment -- "this fence is for your security" -- the U.S. has gained only poor intelligence about the insurgency. Do the American people really want an occupation that will drag on for 10-30 years?

    Re: American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq (none / 0) (#11)
    by theologicus on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:00:38 PM EST
    New Prisons from the People Who Wrapped Your Villiages in Barbed-Wire From the NYT, December 2003: U.S. getting tough with Iraqi insurgents Soldiers wrap villages in barbed wire, arrest suspects' relatives Abu Hishma, Iraq -- As the war against Iraqi insurgents intensifies, U.S. soldiers have begun wrapping entire villages in barbed wire. ... "We really hammered the place," Maj. Darron Wright said. Two and a half weeks later, the town of Abu Hishma is enclosed in a barbed-wire fence that stretches for five miles. Men ages 18 to 65 have been ordered to get identification cards. There is only one way into the town and one way out. "This fence is here for your protection," reads the sign posted in front of the barbed-wire fence. "Do not approach or try to cross, or you will be shot." U.S. forces have used the tactic in other cities, including Owja, Saddam Hussein's birthplace near Tikrit. U.S. forces also sealed off three towns in western Iraq for several days. "With a heavy dose of fear and violence, and a lot of money for projects, I think we can convince these people that we are here to help them," Sassaman said.

    American Prisons to Expand Across Iraq | 10 comments (10 topical)