Baghdad days

With four days left to the next Iraqi election, we should look at what’s happening to the lives of the six million people who live in its capital, Baghdad.
Three weeks or so ago– in the aftermath of the revelations of the anti-Sunni torture houses in Baghdad, I became very troubled by the situation in the city. I heard several reports from friends of the widespread incidence of sectarian “cleansing” in various city neighborhoods.
But maybe the generally pro-coexistence stance of the Sadrists was sufficiently strong to put a brake on that process? In this nice piece of reporting yesterday, the WaPo’s Anthony Shadid– back in Baghdad! good!– described some rides he’d taken in one of the many passenger minivans that, he says, still traverse the city’s many different kinds of neighborhoods… Go read it to get an idea of how the conversation ran among the religiously and ethnically mixed group of people– okay, make that, men– whom he rode with recently.
But then, on the other hand, there’s this report, in tomorrow’s WaPo… It tells of the revelation of yet another Interior Ministry torture house in the city:

An Iraqi official with firsthand knowledge of the search said that at least 12 of the 13 prisoners had been subjected to “severe torture,” including sessions of electric shock and episodes that left them with broken bones.
“Two of them showed me their nails, and they were gone,” the official said on condition of anonymity because of security concerns…
Investigators said they found 625 prisoners at the center but declined to give details about them. Most of the detainees found at the secret prison last month were Sunni Arabs who had been picked up by forces of the Shiite Muslim-dominated Interior Ministry.
“The team discovered a number of problems, which the ministries of Interior and Human Rights are working together to correct,” the statement said. “The facility was overcrowded: As a result, the Ministry of Justice has agreed to receive 75 detainees from this facility at Rusafa Prison; Iraqi judges released 56 detainees directly following the inspection. . . . Thirteen of the detainees were removed from the detention facility to receive medical treatment.”
…Last week, the Interior Ministry fired its top human rights official, Nouri Nouri, without providing an explanation.
Sunni political leaders charge that similar incidents of torture are occurring at other Interior Ministry detention facilities and have identified some of the sites by name.
Shiite political leaders say the U.S. military frequently visits the facilities and suggest that American authorities would know about any abuse.
Last week, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld ordered military commanders to come up with clear rules for how U.S. forces should respond if they witness detainee abuse. The order followed an exchange between Rumsfeld and Marine Gen. Peter Pace, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, at a news conference Nov. 29.
Pace said then that it was “absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. service member if they see inhumane treatment being conducted to intervene to stop it.”
Rumsfeld said, “I don’t think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it; it’s to report it.”
Pace responded, “If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it.”
U.S. officials have said the FBI and the U.S. military are aiding the prison investigation. Authorities have identified more than 1,000 detention centers across Iraq.

How many? 1,000? Good God almighty.