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U.S. Deaths in Iraq War Reach 4,000; Green Zone Is Shelled
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Marine Maj. Gen. Douglas M. Stone said the military is detaining 50 to 60 Iraqis a day, compared with 20 to 30 a day in April 2007. The growing prison population "is clearly a consequence of the surge," he said, referring to the troop buildup that began last year.
At a military briefing in Baghdad with Iraqi and Arab reporters seeking details about U.S. detention procedures, Stone said detainees were benefiting from about 23 jobs programs. He said most want to go home, but "some have asked to stay in detention."
Iraqi politicians from different sectarian backgrounds have complained that many detainees have languished for months or years without charges and that many are wrongfully accused. The United Nations has also been critical of the procedures.
A U.N. human rights report in April expressed concern about the U.S. military's "indefinite internment of detainees," noting that people are "held for prolonged periods effectively without charge or trial." The U.S. Embassy was harshly critical of the report.
"My answer is that it's looking pretty good," Stone said.
Special correspondents Zaid Sabah and Dalya Hassan in Baghdad, Dlovan Brwari in Mosul and other Washington Post staff in Iraq contributed to this report.
