Two female Iraqi scientist are in custody. They are said to have worked for Saddam’s weapon programs. A group that has killed two US hostages during the last days, and still has one British hostage, has demanded all female prisoners to be freed. It is not known whether they referred to these women. Today there were a couple of announcements on the scientists future.
- Noori Abdul-Rahim Ibrahim, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry, said [Rihab Rashid Taha] will be released soon and on bail (NYT)
- The Iraqi Justice Ministry said one of the two women in U.S. custody in Iraq, Rihab Taha, could be freed later in the day. (Reuters)
- But the U.S. embassy said later that Taha and Huda Ammash, dubbed “Dr Germ” and “Mrs Anthrax” respectively by U.S. forces, would not be released soon. “The two women are in legal and physical custody of the multinational forces in Iraq and neither will be released imminently,” a spokesman said. (Reuters)
- Kassim Daoud, the Iraqi national security adviser, said that the release would be conditional and would not happen “today, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.” He asserted that the woman, one of three prisoners to be released, was now in the custody of the Iraqis, not the Americans, and that “Iraqi judges decided to release them because they didn’t have any evidence.” (NYT)
- Iraqi Minister of State Kassim Daoud told journalists in Baghdad that the Iraqi judiciary had decided that there was not enough evidence to justify the continued detention of the scientists – Rihab Rashid Taha and Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash (BBC)
- Iraq’s Justice Minister Malik al-Hassan told the BBC that he supported the release of Dr Taha (BBC)
- The second woman, Dr Ammash, “may be released soon”, the justice ministry said. (BBC)
- At that time both British and US officials in Iraq claimed to have been unaware of the decision. US military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson said he had no information about a release. (Guardian)
- The U.S. military says it has two Iraqi women in custody, both high-profile security detainees held at an undisclosed location (AP)
- Justice Ministry spokesman Noori Abdul-Rahim Ibrahim announced that “Iraqi authorities have agreed with coalition forces to conditionally release Rihab Rashid Taha on bail.” (AP)
- But soon afterward, a U.S. Embassy spokesman ruled out any immediate release. The two female scientists from Saddam’s regime “are in our legal and physical custody. Legal status of these two and many others is under constant review,” (AP)
- Following the embassy statement, Iraq’s national security adviser, Kassim Daoud, said that Iraqi judges have ordered the conditional release of three prisoners in U.S. custody, including one of two women held by U.S. forces. (WaPo)
- “Iraqi judges decided to release them because they didn’t have any evidence. The judges decided on a conditional release. It will not happen today, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow,” he said. (WaPo)
- Representatives of the Iraqi government and U.S. coalition forces have identified a group of about 14 high-value detainees, including Taha, who may be eligible for release because they are no longer needed for questioning and do not pose a security threat, a multinational force official said on condition of anonymity. (AP)
- The Iraqi government has already assented to all the names on the list, the official said. The list has gone to coalition forces and the U.S. Embassy for final approval. (AP)
- The Iraqi government has also made a special request for the release of Ammash on humanitarian grounds, the official said. … her case requires a Pentagon review. (AP)
- After the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad said there would be no immediate release of either of the two women in U.S. custody, Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said there were no immediate plans to free the detainees. (AP)
- Ayad Allawi, interim Iraqi prime minister, said that any releases had not yet been decided, and that he has the final decision on any prisoners who should be released (NYT)
Sources:
New York Times (NYT) Iraqi Officials Say Female Inmate Is to Be Released Washington Post (WaPo) Two Dozen Killed, 150 Wounded in Iraq BBC Rift over Saddam scientists’ fate Associated Press (AP) U.S.: Iraqi Prisoners Won’t Be Released Reuters Hope Fades for UK Iraq Hostage as U.S. Stands Firm Guardian Chaos surrounds hostage’s fate
Bush Iraq policy:
Keeping just how much trouble we’re in quiet until Nov. 2. But these days, it seems that part of the policy is no more successful than the rest of it. Over the past weeks, the failure of the Bush Iraq policy has become so inescapable that even John Kerry has noticed it.
Iraq situation gets worse — very loudly
Spread the word please.