Occupation Watch report from Occupied Basra

January 6th

Ex-Soldiers Riot in Basra 10 Shot, Two Killed, 11 British Troops Injured

Today saw thousands of former soldiers riot in the streets of Basra over
being denied three months worth of survival payments from the CPA.

Approximately 2000 ex-service men amassed in the streets of Ashaar, a
crowded market, hawker-mafia district, with sellers and junk stalls
flanking a filfthy river, and the home of The Raffidian Bank aka as
Soldier dole pay-out HQ. Today was Iraqi Army Day - the annual
celebration of over 80 years of soldiering and saluting to the beat of
many a monarchy, authoritarian, General coup fought and dictatorship
drum. For the thousands of ex-service men laid off in May and
demonstrating outside CPA South HQ on a weekly basis, today had a deeper
significance. It was also the deadline for their 10-day
pay-or-face-our-organised-wrath vow over 3 months of financial
destitution courtesy of CPA indifference.

The backpayments amount to $150 per person. The ex-soldiers are also
demanding a permanent monthly payout of $50 per month and not the $15 I
was quoted by demonstrators outside CPA HQ almost 2 weeks ago. A
protestor beaten into a hospital bed by British troops told me tonight
that maybe I was quoted that figure by an outsider and to take care
from stuff like that , whilst his brother by his side chuckled ruefully
and said $15? What, so we can buy a pack of cigarettes? , followed by a
more serious appraisal of, 'Remember that many people don't know the
actual exchange rate of the dollar'. Either way, the payment of such
figures by the Occupation Administration represents a threat to its
budget, currently following a military construction and entrenchment
agenda (the only reconstruction that's taken place in the south has
either been workers' own or Occupation entrenching military base and
prison camp building). Benefits payments also threaten the
control-at-the-lowest-costs basic principles of occupying, which the
almost total absence of humanitarian/social reconstruction, and
extermination of almost all previous state survival benefits plus cheap
gear for soldiers - worst machineguns on the market according to a former
military Special Ops acquiantance here and shared bulletproof vests - all
atest to. Official figures put the population of the Iraqi army at
350,000 but compulsory conscription, CPA created unemployment
downplaying, and the word of locals estimates its pre-war levels at 2
million. Islam on-Line quotes a figure of five million when the
dissolution information, interior and defence ministries is taken into
account.

Now, in Basra alone, some 60,000 members have been left unemployed. The
trouble with former servicemen asking for payment is that 99% of the
post-18 male population of Iraq had to serve in the army at some point. I
spoke to a few today by the murky Shaat Al Arab waterway who had taken
part. One wasn't ever in the army but had turned out in solidarity with
his 'brothers', and two had only done their compulsory three years, a
sharp contrast to career soldiers who ploughed in 15 or 20 years and don
t know how to do anything else . But they all had one thing in common -
total frustration and disillusionment in the British and desperate
poverty. With unemployment stagnating at a
thievery/mafia/con-thy-neighbour promoting 70% (Occupied Palestine has a
similar if not higher figure but social bonds, social care and UN relief
are far more plentiful and class antagonisms a lot lower than battered
post-sanctions, post-fascism, neo-Baathism battling Iraq).

The demonstration began at approximately 8am, on a muggy smoggy Basra
morning and involved an assertive march down to Ashaar and up to the
doors of Al Raffidian Bank where protestors were informed that there
would be no money for them today, despite being promised it. Witnesses
report that some demonstrators tried to storm the bank to reclaim their
stipend, which prompted bank guards and Iraqi Police Special Forces, who
all look like bankrobbers in army-print jackets and black acrylic
balaclavas, to fire on them without warning. British police officers,
headed by CPA South Law and Order Chief Stephen White, former Northern
Ireland plod, have been conducting training for Iraqi police and special
forces in a specially formed academy in Az Zubiar. From the last CPA law
and order report the word 'accountability' was mentioned more times than
'freedom' in a George Dubbya speech. Despite British soldiers carrying
body-length plastic riot shields and tear gas, their Iraq counterparts do
not have any less lethal weapons technology. No tear gas, stun grenades,
stun guns or rubber bullets. Just the live-ammo they've always been used
to. According to the Head of Police in Basra, out of the 15,000 recruits
now patroling the streets (and shooting into crowds of unarmed
protestors) 8,700 were police under the Baath regime. Less lethal
technologies for cops under the Baath probably just meant an avalanche of
rifle butts and boots in the head rather than a simple bullet, perhaps
administered at the end of it all.

Hassan*, 36, was near the front of the demo when the firing began. A
soldier since he was 14-years-old, I met him in Central Basra Hospital
hooked up to a drip from a scuzzy hospital bed. Myself and two friends
went in search of the demonstration's injured, after being told by a
cardiologist in Talimi Hospital that 10 had been brought in with gunshot
wounds that day and all had been transferred - with at least 4 to Basra
Central - suffering from bullet blasted broken bones. Doctors denied all
knowledge of the injured and told us with shrugged shoulders that the
Brits had already been around and they'd told them the same thing. Its
unusual for the occupying forces to visit civilian hospitals unless they
are looking for suspects or doing a pukesome photocall with Jack Straw
and small hairy babies. We could only conclude that theyd come to either
arrest 'riot leaders' or were trying to keep the story quiet, the riot
coming just a day after Blair came and schmoozed the troops, touching
down at 4.30am and evacuating Basra by 11 the same morning.

Hassan was suffering from internal bruising to his kidneys after being
kicked by 2 truckloads of Iraqi coppers (11 or so) and 6 British
Soldiers. He recounts his version of the day s events:

When we arrived at the bank we immediately started to demand our payment.
The Police responded by locking up the bank. There were no British troops
present at this point. The Police then came forward and started to beat
and push us. Some also started firing. The protest took place in the
middle of a triangle of banks. Guards started firing in all directions.
Then they called the British. I saw four people injured before me and one
person was definitely killed. He was shot in the back of the head, in
front of me. He was around my age 35,36. I saw another injured in the
calf, another just above the knee and another I don t know as the bullet
came from the direction of another bank.

The crowd moved the injured into their own cars and took them to
hospital.

When the Brits arrived, they came with 8 tanks and about 7 jeeps and
surrounded the whole area. The police were still around at the time. We
ran when we heard they were coming but we came back after ten minutes
with sticks and rocks.

The British arrested two people but released them later after they pushed
them back from the bank. A group of soldiers tried to arrest a group of
us but we attacked them. One group managed to grab one British soldier
and dragged him into the crowd which then beat him with rocks. Not
throwing rocks at him but actually beating him with our rocks. Four more
came running at us with sticks after this but we beat them all too with
our own sticks and rocks. Even a soldier sitting in his tank put down his
hatch and hid. We were throwing stones so hard that noone could even get
close enough or shoot their guns. The British moved their tanks into the
crowd to rescue the soldier kidnapped into the crowd and managed to carry
him into the tank.

I saw three soldiers injured directly - one in the head, one in the leg
his - knee was broken by a rock, and one in the back.

I remember one officer coming out of his tank and trying to calm us down,
speaking to us like they were on our side and like they felt sorry for
us. The translator came up and asked us for our demands. We told him all
we wanted was out pay and that, 'Today is just a slight thing; if we don
t get our wages then we ll become like Osama Bin Laden , and tomorrow we
ll be back even stronger.'

When the Special Operations Police came up and told us to leave, we said,
'You are so young! We were out fighting before your mother even met your
father . We are soldiers, we will show you what you re made of'.

'I did witness some people trying to sabotage the demonstration. When we
were trying to negotiate with the Brits they threw stones on both of us
and then they tried to enter the bank while we were negotiating. We said,
we want our pay, thats all, we don't want to break into it and loot it.
They tried to break into the market too. We soon grabbed them and threw
them out'.

'Remember how much we did hate Saddam Hussein? He was dirty and selfish
but the British came up with their sweet talks of freedom, democracy and
human rights but where is it? Where is it?'

One of Basra's chiefs of police stated, straight-face, flanked by two
Occupation jeeps that the riot had all been caused by 'Al Qeda'. He said
of the demonstrators, 'They are Al Qaeda, they are terrorists,they were
armed with machineguns, they are fedayheen, and they are not from here'.
A rumour engulfed the crowd that Al Jazeera and Al Arabiya (The most
popular TV channels in the Middle East) had broadcast that the demo was
being fuelled by terrorists. The Occupation and the multi-motivated
resistance to it has provided reactionary authorities with ideal
ammunition to demonise any dissidents. In London, Mayday demonstration
organisers and activists have been losely linked with the IRA and
slandered in The Standard as preparing to mob up for the day with Samurai
swords and machettes but here - you've got the tar-drenching of being
labeleld part of the most wanted terror organisation in the world. Its
the Mcarthyite catch-all trump card of demonistations.

When myself and a friend walked into the demo at around midday, with
British troops mobbing up with plastic footlength shields and shinpads
and some eating what looked like fish and chips on the sidelines, the
action was almost over. Tanks stood parked in the triangle of banks.
Bricks and smashed up bits of pavement lay broken on the ground. Huddles
of veterans were standing around, jaws clenched. Upon spotting us they
soon formed a tight circle around us and the only thing that saved me
from potentially being stoned to a pulp, explained my friend, was the
fact that some of the protestors recognized me from the previous demo and
were able to vouch for me. This didn't stop exhausted wails of 'WE'RE
NOT TERROISTS !!! AL JAZEERA ARE LIARS, ALL JOURNALISTS ARE LIARS!
voiced in my direction. One of the unelected and much reviled negotiators
surged up behind me and attempted to smash my head open with a large
brick, whist denouncing me for being with 'AL JAZEERAAAA!' I had to
leave, fast, pursued by a confused crowd, with my friend when asked if he
too was a foreigner, tersely replying he was 'A son of Iraq, 100%'. He's
actually Palestinian and I never heard him deny it or try to hide it,
ever.

Jawazees

Both the injured soldier plus three others told me that the negotiators
advocating on their behalf were collaborators and have since been
employed by the British. 'We suffered a lot from the people who
negotiated with the people in the palace.' tells me Basim, who has
sacrificed 20 years of his life to the army. 'The result was that they
were employed by the British'. Hassan also confirmed that many regarded
them as having been paid off and when this demonstration took place, the
two were absent. 'If we see them again, we will kill them. We will tear
them apar', swears Basim. Asked what process was undertaken to chose
these negotiators, Hassan explained from his hospital bed, 'They weren't
elected . We were searching for someone to come and talk to them who can
speak English, so we saw him (one of the negotiators) trying to talk to
the British in English so he then said he'd go in on our behalf. Even the
people who went inside today were not elected. Our people are simple, not
educated and we trust people fast, after all they are soldiers just like
us'.

Negotiations at the riot eventually took place out in the open air on top
of a tank. 'In public because we didnt trust anyone' said Hassan. 'The
British said we are going to the palace and we'll bring you your money.
Please form a queue. We waited one hour for them and they didn't return.
At this point I was in so much pain from my injuries that I had to
leave'.

Basim, Mazen and Ali, the three vets I spoke to on the river are adamant
that if money isn't paid out to the thousands of unemployed servicemen
soon, the British will be facing more than flying rocks, bottles and
burning tires. Asked if the situation is reaching a point where most
people will start wanting the British to leave Basim says, 'Yes, of
course. When the British came to Iraq and saw people in this condition,
what did they intend to do? From the moment they came they promised to
make our lives better, compensate those harmed by the regime and we want
them to fulfill this promise or to leave'. And if they do, what's
instead? 'An Iraqi government. Even though we know the Governing Council
is instructed by the occupation, if the occupation leaves they will be
forced to listen to us'. Asked what next and they all look grim. Ali,
father of seven with 24-years experience in the army squints in the
midday brightness and says, 'See Tikrit, Ramadi, Falluga, Baghdad? Basra
will be the leading example. It will be teaching the others how to
fight'.

Following Wednesday's riot, despite unemployed ex-service men turning up
at Ashaar with a stack of tires under the bridge and alleged hidden
kalishnikovs, all was placid and the veterans queued in the pouring rain
and read soggy DHSS style Coalition leaflets informing them that they had
to go to the bank they were originally registered with and check if their
names were written down. If not, then they had to re-apply. All those
with their names scribed in the lists recived $150 - 3 months
backpayment.

The story doesn't end there or in Basra. Yesterday British troops and
Iraqi special forces allegedly fired on a crowd of 500 unemployed
veterans and killed five. 11 were also wounded in the incident. Islam
on-line quotes demonstrator Saadun Ahmed Sarai, 49, saying, 'Amara was
neglected under Saddam Hussein. Today, we suffer at the hands of his sons
[the U.S.-led occupation forces]'. A highly placed corporate source in
Basra said that a group of protestors were shot trying to storm the KBR
training base in Amara today. Troops opened fire on them and killed at
least three. No back-up informtaion is available but it will be searched
for. All thats known for sure is that there was a demonstration today
avenging the deaths of the six demonstrators yesterday. It is highly
probable that occupation forces and the police which they are responsible
for have violated Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights
1950 which states 'Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law. No
one shall be deprived of his life intentionally save in the execution of
a sentence of a court following his conviction of a crime for which this
penalty is provided by law.' It goes on to state: 'Deprivation of life
shall not be regarded as inflicted in contravention of this article when
it results from the use of force which is no more than absolutely
necessary..in action lawfully taken for the purpose of quelling a riot or
insurrection.' However, serious threat to life and the use of force
proportionate to that threat must be taken into consideration. Only one
report from Amara out of 20 or so seen on the net stated that protestors
were armed. Now that the blood has been spilled however, investigations
must be conducted.

Adam Price MP explains in his excellent 'Can Kill, Won't Count' report
into civilian deaths at the hands of the British Occupation, the
responsibilities of the occupying authority to conduct investigations
into any killings perpetrated by security forces on the territory. The
case of Kaya vs Turkey 1998 saw the Court rule that 'neither the
prevalence of violent armed clashes nor the high incidence of fatalities
can displace the obligation under Article 2 to ensure that an effective,
independent investigation is conducted into deaths arising out of clashes
involving the security forces, more so in cases such as the present where
the circumstances are in many respects
unclear.'

Despite demonstrations today, yesterday, last week and six months ago all
qualifying as riots, the use of live amunition as crowd-control can't be
justified unless an immediate and usually armed threat is presented. The
immediate and indiscriminate resort to lethal force, as demonstrated in
Basra and Amara can also seen as a violation of the UN's Basic Principles
of the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. The Basic
Principles, seen as the gold-standard in international policing but
holding no legal weight in terms of prosecution in the event of
derrogation, provide that the intentional lethal use of firearms may only
be made:

"when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life" (Principle 9), and
that law enforcement officers should as far as possible apply non-violent
means before resorting to the use of force and firearms (Principle 4).'
Exceptional circumstances such as internal
instability or other public emergency may not be invoked to justify a
departure from these basic principles.

The next few weeks will reveal the level of commitment the Occupation
Administration has towards its obligation under the Geneva and European
conventions on the protection of civilians. For Iraqi people, its just
repression as usual, cheapened life, bullets tearing flesh and fear of
the military smashing down your door as usual.

* not his real name

www.occupationwatch.org

essential reading: Can Kill, Won't Count - the UK and the civilian
death-toll in post-war Iraq by Adam Smith MP

 http://www.newcastle-emlyn.com/download/stopwar/can-kill-won't-count.pdf