Iraqi special forces abused civilians during Mosul campaign, PM admits

‘Members of an Iraqi special forces unit abused civilians during the major offensive to retake Islamist-held Mosul, the country’s prime minister said after months of inquiry into disturbing torture allegations first reported by Germany’s Spiegel magazine.
“The [investigation] committee has concluded … that clear abuses and violations were committed by members of [special forces unit] the ERD,” the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement, according to Reuters. The prime minister’s office added the perpetrators would face prosecution.
The Iraqi government launched an investigation in May after German magazine Spiegel published a news story that included disturbing images taken by a freelance photographer who accompanied the soldiers of the elite Emergency Response Division (ERD) unit on their way to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) stronghold Mosul.
In the article, titled ‘Not heroes but monsters,’ Ali Arkady said he witnessed multiple instances of rape, torture and targeted killings by members of the ERD. He added the soldiers had persecuted numerous civilians on “vague” suspicions of links with IS.’
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