Saturday, November 26, 2005

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq abuse 'as bad as Saddam era'

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraq abuse 'as bad as Saddam era': "Iraq abuse 'as bad as Saddam era'
Former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has said that human rights abuses in Iraq today are as bad as those during the rule of Saddam Hussein.

In an interview with the UK's Observer newspaper, Mr Allawi said that Iraqis were being tortured and killed by secret police in secret bunkers.

He said militias operated with impunity inside the interior ministry and had infiltrated the police.

'People are doing the same as (in) Saddam Hussein's time and worse,' Mr Allawi told the newspaper.

Iraq is the centrepiece of this region. If things go wrong, neither Europe nor the United States will be safe
Iyad Allawi

'It is an appropriate comparison. People are remembering the days of Saddam.

'These were the precise reasons that we fought Saddam Hussein, and now we are seeing the same things.'

He also warned of the danger of Iraq disintegrating in chaos.

'Iraq is the centrepiece of this region,' he said. 'If things go wrong, neither Europe nor the United States will be safe.'

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