2/10 Report from Iraq- Arrests and Detentions

Yesterday afternoon we drove to the Adhamia neighborhood of Baghdad to see a friend's family. He was a cameraman who had worked with British independant media journalists. US soldiers had arrested him in a 3:00 am raid a few days ago. They accused him of filming IED (improvised explosive device) explosions. Therefore he was a resistance fighter or
knew who some were. So he was in jail. The international organization Occupation Watch called the US officer in charge "Can he have visitors, can he see a lawyer and what are the charges" "NO, no and he is charged under CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority) law. CPA law is secret.
Thousands of years ago Hamarabi was considered an enlieghtened leader because he published his laws on stone tablets where everyone could see.

Now the US has taken over this same land but it is hard on Iraqis to follow the law when they have no idea what it is.
The arrested man's wife had been to the stadium where he is being held. She had been told that he had confessed to the filming and would be sent to Abu Gharib. This was Saddam's worst prison for decades, but he hademptied it before the war. Now the US was filling it up again. I had passed Abu Gharib earlier in the day. Hundreds of people were crowded
outside. Were their relatives among the 5-10,000 inside? Would they be released? Would the families be able to survive with their only wage earner imprisoned for months? Or would the families spend another day in the hot sun, surrounded by endless coils of barbed wire...

A certain kind of anger begins to build up. It seeps out and fills Iraq.

As we pulled away chucka-chucka-chucka-grrrrrr. An apache helicopter swooped low over the city. A seven year-old child stood by the wall of the narrow alley. Alone, he took his imaginary weapon and took careful aim.