If anyone can add to this, I would appreciate it.

We watched a tape of 60 Minutes from last Sunday tonight. The middle segment was about a town called Karbala (sp?) in Iraq, a Sunni Muslim town that welcomed the war, welcomed the Americans, had suffered long and brutally under Saddam, and were glad to be a part of "Operation Iraqi Freedom."

Once Saddam's Baathists were out of power, the people of Karbala elected a new city council, a police chief, and settled into what they thought would be a new life. Their chief cleric told them repeatedly to remain calm, help each other, to avoid violence, and to work for the betterment of the community.

Then the Americans moved into Karbala. They disbanded the new city council and threw them in jail. They arrested the new police chief and threw him in jail -- he escaped, and is hiding out, although he was interviewed on 60 Minutes.

The Americans then installed a former Baathist -- from Karbala, a man who had tortured, killed and terrified the people of Karbala for 24 years, and who was a main aide of Saddam's -- as police chief. No reasons were given. They also created a new city council made up of former Baathists from Saddam's regime. All the cops in Karbala are former Baathists.

Several of the Sunni Muslims that the people wanted to govern them have been thrown in the American military jail. Steve Kroft went to the jail and interviewed the Brigadier-General in charge, who proudly showed him around the jail, indicated where Saddam had had people murdered, claimed the jail isn't like that any more of course, etc. etc.

But Kroft had information that the Brigadier-General didn't know he had. He asked her (the B-G) about the prison routine and was told that prisoners - mostly common criminals, but some accused of anti-coalition crimes - are brought in, processed and charged within 72 hours, and then have access to lawyers, etc.

Kroft then asked her about one of the council members, an elderly man with a heart condition, who had been in that prison for a month, had been denied visits from family or lawyer, and had not been charged. She checked it out on the computer, tracked the prisoner's name, and was trying to explain the situation when a bunch of types (US) showed up, made 60 Minutes turn off the camera, and shut her up.

60 Minutes later got written information that the case was not open for discussion, that no reasons had to be given, and that was that. As of program time, the man had been in prison for 2 months, and still had not been charged.

Reinstating Baathists? Denying democratic elections in a small city? Throwing people who are not Baathists in jail?

WTF is going on in Iraq???

(Sorry for an extra-long post - I may have a few details wrong, but the essential story is correct.) Anyone know any more about this disgusting story?

Edit: Just found a link, and I'll make a clicky at the bottom.

From the link:

"When the U.S. Marines pulled into town, their American commander decided to install as police chief Gen. Abbas Fathil Abud, a high-ranking member of the Baath Party, who had served Saddam for 24 years.

When 60 Minutes arrived at his office, he was closeted with U.S. military officers and protected by American troops.

"There is a lot of cooperation between us and the American military police," says Gen. Abud.

Even though Ambassador Paul Bremer is on record saying that no high-ranking members of Saddam's old Baath Party will hold power in Iraq, in Karbala, the U.S. government is cooperating with Gen. Abud and has put him in charge of a well-armed force – even though he is a Baathist.

"The decision is Mr. Bremer's. He's the decision maker and he can make an exception," says Abud.

Neither Ambassador Bremer nor the Marines would discuss any aspect of their role in Karbala."

Karbala Story