Mass Graves – Basic Questions

 

 

What is a mass grave?  Unmarked mass graves are located throughout Iraq and contain the remains of countless victims of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime.  Estimates place the number of people executed at 300,000 or more, and some human rights organizations place this number higher.  Iraqi citizens, human rights organizations and coalition forces have received reports of, and located, mass graves in neighborhoods and villages all over the country.   At present, the coalition has received reports of more than 80 mass grave sites, and has confirmed the existence of more than 20.

 

Why are there mass graves?  Saddam Hussein’s regime maintained power through a policy of silencing opposition from the Iraqi people with brutal executions for more than 20 years.  Mass graves in Iraq contain the remains all groups from Iraqi society, including Kurds, Shi’a, Sunnis, Christians and foreign prisoners of war and other civilians who were executed in violation of international law. 

 

Where are these mass graves?  There are graves all around Iraq, all stemming from different periods of killing, and targeted against different populations.  During the 1980s, and the “Anfal Campaign,” the regime systematically executed as many as 180,000 Kurds from Northern Iraq. Many of these executions took place at great distances from their homes and therefore we do not know where we will find these gravesites.   From March 7 – April 6, 1991, the regime quelled an uprising in the South by killing tens of thousands of Shi’a, military, and other locals viewed as sympathetic to the uprising.  Many of these remains are buried in the immediate surroundings of the villages they were taken from.   A Shi’a uprising in the South in 1999 was similarly quelled by the murder of many Iraqi citizens, including students.  For more than 20 years, the regime continued to excecute anyone viewed as political opposition, including teachers and women.  The reality of this brutality and complete disregard for human life is clearly evident today as we uncover gravesite after gravesite.

 

What does a mass grave look like?   A mass grave can appear anywhere in the country, and can be identified by mounds of dirt piled above the ground, deep pits which appear to have been filled in, or citizens digging up the area.   They can be difficult to identify in Iraq, where there is a lot of dirt  and sand, and recent construction and military fortifications which look similar to a gravesite.  Also, many of the graves are old, so there is now grass or water in the area. Oftentimes, we cannot identify a site until someone who knows where it is begins to dig it up.

 

Why are Iraqis digging up mass graves?  Citizens around Iraq have begun to, and will likely continue to dig for remains of their loved ones.  They do this to find answers, to eventually seek justice, or in the hopes of recovering remains to bury in properly marked family graves which is very important in their culture.  It is important to understand that in many cases they have waited for 10, 12, or 20 years for this moment of closure.    

 

What messages have we sent to the Iraqi people about mass graves?  First and foremost, we recognize and understand the past suffering of the Iraqi people, and are committed to their liberation.  We want to preserve the dignity and remains of Iraqi loved ones from further humiliation and mistreatment, and would like to identify as many remains as possible.  Patience is necessary, however, to allow trained experts to recover these remains and assist in identifying all of the human remains found, and to preserve evidence of past atrocities.  Efforts to dig up remains too quickly can be counter-productive to the long-term goals of identification and justice and could be dangerous if there is unexploded ordinance at the site.  Once investigations are complete, Iraqis will be able to hold a proper burial procedure. 

 

Will justice be done?  Any evidence secured from these sites will be turned over to an Iraqi-led transitional justice system for future use in possible trials or other truth and reconciliation process.