Iraqi military units that were trained by the U.S. are now under investigation for war crimes.
The Iraqi government is investigating some of the nation’s most elite units due to numerous videos and photos that show alleged members torturing and executing prisoners.
“As the ISF [Iraqi Security Forces] and militias reclaim territory, their behavior must be above reproach or they risk being painted with the same brush as ISIL [ISIS] fighters,” the U.S. government said in a statement to ABC News on Wednesday. “If these allegations are confirmed, those found responsible must be held accountable.”
Images obtained by ABC show men wearing the insignia of the “Golden Brigades,” Iraqi Special Operations Forces, dragging a suspect around by a rope or cable.
Other images include a man hanging from what appears to be an Iraqi guard tower and a severed head tied to the grill of a U.S.-donated Humvee.
“Usually when forces commit such crimes they try to hide them. What we are seeing here is a brazen, proud display of these terrible crimes,” Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East Executive Director at Human Rights Watch, told ABC.
U.S. and Iraqi authorities are working to authentic the images obtained by ABC as investigations move forward.
“The actions of a small minority, if left unchecked, could do serious harm to the efforts of the Iraqi government,” a Pentagon spokesperson told ABC.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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