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Hi, Early times and conflicting reports as to numbers, of these dicoveries in Hilla and also north of Baghdad. Some random thoughts: *Whilst not disputing that Iraq has mass graves, it needs to be remembered that the remains, carefully documented in Basra a few weeks ago and trumpeted as mass slaughter, were Iran Iraq war tragedies, some for repatriation, it seems - not slaughter victims as first trumepted. *If as being said in some reports, there could be the missing Kuwaitis in some of these graves which, again, sketchy, but it seems the CIA backed INC led HRW to - and which has been one of the perennial reasons (the 605 missing Kuwaitis) for keeping on the sanctions - why did not the INC say they knew where they were before? *I seem to remember there were some questions about who is on HRW Board. *I hope that the same care is taken by HRW in exhuming, identifying and returning to their families the conscripts buried alive by US minesweeping gear in the1991 war - if not, why not? *I note they are using 'heavy diggers' and families are rushing to dig with their hands to find their relations. Why is there no scientific/forensic team arranged for something so huge? All evidence will be destroyed in remains so fragile after 12-13 years. *It should not be forgotten that those killed in the 1991 southern uprising, an appalling, bloody massacre, were on numerous occasions killed by Iraqi helicopter gun ships which US planes were overflying to protect. 8ut seems strange that such huge figures can be given over mass graves, newly discovered, with such certainty, without apparently forensic experts there (who would certainly not allow mechanical equipment, human digging) but carefully, painstakingly assemble remains. How do you count nine thousand, thirty thousand etc, how many people are there doing the counting and what their qualifications? All this may be redundant and the country, of course is in chaos. But these finds seem so important, vital, tragic and that they can be wandered over in this way sans scientists and with assessments by virtual lay people - it would seem - beggars a lot of questions. There are deeply cynical inappropriate ones too. No WMD's, no Saddam, but mass graves. Further, BBC correspondents are saying with an absolute: 'graves that go back about twelve years.' Again, it is for a scientist to pronounce. I may be wrong, or again inappropriate on all counts and as I say, no dispute re the uprising in 1991 and subsequent ones and the brutsality of their quashing, but there are a few questions here I feel. best, f. _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk