Iraqi Editor's
Experience
In US Custody
By Ahmed Janabi
24 August 2004
Aljazeera
In
the very early hours of 2 August 2004, four US military vehicles in
Baghdad stopped the convoy of Dr Muthana al-Dhari, editor-in-chief of
al-Basaer newspaper and media officer of the Association of Muslim Scholars
(AMS).
In his first interview
about the incident since his release, al-Dhari started by explaining
to Aljazeera.net why he was driving in a Baghdad street at that hour
of the morning.
"On 1 August,
I participated in a live talk show on LBC television (Lebanese Broadcasting
Corporation), I left the studio shortly after midnight. I headed to
the headquarters of the AMS intending to spend the night there and do
some work for the newspaper".
US soldiers identified
al-Dhari and the officer told him that he knew his father Shaikh Harith
al-Dhari, secretary-general of the AMS, but said the patrol was searching
for possible attackers who had fired RPG missiles at US forces in the
neighbourhood a few hours earlier.
"I told them
where I had been, that millions around the world would have seen me
live on TV, but they searched the cars and started serious discussions
with their base. We were six in total, they separated us and military
vehicles continued to patrol the area.
"After some
time they searched the cars again much more aggresively this time, and
threw our belongings on the ground. An officer approached me and said
we are going to give you a body scan. Then they said that explosives
residue had been detected on me and two of my colleagues.
"The officer
requested an explanation for them finding evidence of the residue, I
told him that I had been speaking live on air, and that I could not
give an explanation. He said you are not cooperating and we are going
to arrest you.
"They handcuffed
us and blindfolded us and put us in a military vehicle. I could not
see anything, but being a son of Baghdad, I could figure out that we
were heading to the airport area, which was proved right the next morning."
What were conditions
like in the detention centre?
"I spent the
first hours until the morning sitting on a chair. Then they took us
to a prison cell where they did an initial interrogation. Then a doctor
checked us, and said everything is OK.
"But his diagnosis
was wrong, because the next morning an Egyptian doctor came and gave
us another checkup, and found my blood pressure was high, while my colleague
had breathing difficulties.
"He was very
angry and sent every US soldier out of the room, and made another thorough
check. The doctor then wrote a report that we needed medical care.
"At 10 in the
morning, we were introduced to the prison reception. They took our pictures
and fingerprints. We were very tired; we spent the whole night sitting
on a chair with a huge generator roaring in the next room.
"After that
they kept me in a good room, they gave me a copy of the Quran and a
prayer rug. The food was terrible, some cheap soup, a piece of mandarin,
and dry biscuits. That same meal was served as breakfast, lunch, and
dinner."
He spent four days
in prison, and his release was just as curious as his arrest.
"I prepared
myself for a long stay in the detention centre, but I learned after
my release that high-ranking US officials intervened and said they did
not want to lose the involvement and efforts of the AMS."
What subjects did
they bring up during the interrogation?
"Basically,
because the AMS have made efforts in the releasing of several captives
in Iraq, they suspected that we have links with the captors, but the
truth is that the AMS is highly respected and the only link between
us and the them is our appeals in which we remind them of the principles
of Islam which prohibits Muslims from harming people."
"They also
mentioned the names of prisoners in Abu Ghraib and wanted to know if
I knew any of them. The interrogators were keen to find out anything
about the Iraqi resistance."
"They think
because we are a revered Sunni Muslim organisation, we might have information
about the so-called Sunni resistance, but the truth is the resistance
is Iraqi not Sunni."
"They asked
me, why we hate them? I told them that we do not hate the American people,
they are welcomed as tourists, traders
etc., but not as occupiers.
"An interrogator
blamed the Israeli-Arab conflict for the hostility between Arabs and
Americans, and if Israel removes the settlements everything would be
alright."
"I did not
agree with him, and reminded him of Jerusalem, and how it is occupied.
I let him know that Muslims do not mind Jews and Christians living with
them in Jerusalem, but they must ask for permission not come by force."
What was your conclusion?
"I got the
impression that US interrogators and CIA officers have not a clue about
what they are doing. Their questions were shallow and indicated serious
ignorance of the Iraqi scene."
"I also noticed
they are so keen to mock, ridicule, and insult us. Some of them are
good people, and are very angry at [President] George Bush, one of them
told me if he (Bush) loves Iraq so much, why does he not bring his family
and live here?"
"But interestingly,
some of them (US soldiers) are just thieves. They stole my agenda and
wrist watch in front of my eyes."