Investigating Torture: FBI-HSI Investigation Leads to U.S. Citizen’s Conviction for Human Rights Violations in Iraq

"A U.S. Army veteran who established an illegal weapons facility in the Kurdistan region of Iraq— and who proceeded to both direct and engage in the torture of one of his employees—has been sentenced to 70 years in federal prison for those crimes and for additional crimes linked to his role at the facility.

Ross Roggio of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, directed Kurdish soldiers kidnap an employee and hold him hostage at one of their military compounds for 39 days. There, Roggio and the Kurdish military personnel under his corrupt command physically and mentally abused the victim.

The victim was an Estonian national who worked at the factory, but who planned to blow the whistle on the illegal activities going on there, explained Supervisory Special Agent Crystal Stevens of the FBI’s International Human Rights Unit. In response, Roggio not only directed the victim’s abduction and abuse, but also forced fellow employees to watch the abuse as a deterrent tactic.

The abuses first came to light amid a preexisting counterproliferation case against Roggio. After investigators finished interviewing one former factory employee—a woman from Estonia—she turned over a cellphone audio recording of Roggio that implicated him for torture.."
US Tortue in Iraq 

CULTURAL PROPERTY: Protection of Iraqi and Syrian Antiquities

"U.S. agencies and the Smithsonian Institution (Smithsonian) have undertaken five types of activities to protect Iraqi and Syrian cultural property since 2011, which include awareness raising, information sharing, law enforcement, overseas capacity building, and destruction prevention. For example, the Department of Homeland Security reported coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other agencies to open 18 Iraqi and Syrian cultural property cases—such as those regarding smuggling by individuals and international criminal organizations—between 2011 and February 2016. To enhance the capacity of partners overseas, the Department of State (State), the government of Iraq, and others established an archaeological and cultural management training facility in Erbil, Iraq. In addition, to prevent destruction, the Smithsonian and others trained Syrian antiquities professionals to use sandbags and other materials to protect ancient mosaics at a Syrian museum, reportedly resulting in the successful protection of the museum collection when it was bombed..."
Iraqi and Syrian antiquities

Counting Casualties in Syria and Iraq: Process and Challenges

"Casualty estimates for the conflicts in Iraq and Syria are inconsistent and unreliable because of a range of methodological challenges in conducting and reporting counts. Estimates of the number of people who have died during Syria's civil conflict since March 2011 range from 250,000 to 470,000. In Iraq, the estimated range is between 19,000 and 41,650 deaths since January 2014. This product discusses the difficulties of collecting war-related casualty data in both countries and provides an overview of some of the current estimated figures available through selected organizations. CRS is unable to independently track casualties in Syria and Iraq, and cannot verify the data presented..."
Syria & Iraq casualties

Iraq: Politics and Governance

"Iraq’s sectarian and ethnic divisions—muted toward the end of the 2003-2011 U.S. military intervention in Iraq—are fueling a major challenge to Iraq’s stability and to U.S. policy in Iraq and the broader Middle East region. The resentment of Iraq’s Sunni Arabs toward the Shiitedominated central government facilitated the capture in 2014 of nearly one-third of Iraqi territory by the Sunni Islamist extremist group called the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIL, ISIS, or the Arabic acronym Da'esh). Iraq’s Kurds are separately embroiled in political, territorial, and economic disputes with Baghdad, but those differences have been at least temporarily subordinated to the common struggle against the Islamic State.

U.S. officials assert that the Iraqi government must work to gain the loyalty of more of Iraq’s Sunnis—and to resolve differences with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)—if an eventual defeat of the Islamic State is to result in long-term stability. Prospects for greater intercommunal unity appeared to increase in 2014 with the replacement of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki with the current Prime Minister, Haydar al-Abbadi. Although both men are from the Shiite Islamist Da’wa Party, Abbadi has taken some steps to try to compromise with Sunnis and with the KRG. However, a significant point of contention with the KRG remains the KRG’s marketing of crude oil exports separately from Baghdad..."
Iraq

A Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics: Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation New Dawn, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom

"This report presents statistics regarding U.S. military and civilian casualties in the active missions Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS, Afghanistan) and Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR, Iraq and Syria) and, as well as operations that have ended, Operation New Dawn (OND, Iraq), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF, Iraq), and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF, Afghanistan). It also includes statistics on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and amputations. Some of these statistics are publicly available at the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) website and others have been obtained through DOD experts.
For more information on pre-2000 casualties, see CRS Report RL32492, American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics, by Nese F. DeBruyne and Anne Leland..."
military casualties

The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Operations Since 9/11

"With enactment of the FY2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act on January 1, 2014 (H.R.
3547/P.L. 113-73), Congress has approved appropriations for the past 13 years of war that total $1.6 trillion for military operations, base support, weapons maintenance, training of Afghan and Iraq security forces, reconstruction, foreign aid, embassy costs, and veterans’ health care for the war operations initiated since the 9/11 attacks.

Of this $1.6 trillion total, CRS estimates that the total is distributed as follows:
• $686 billion (43%) for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) for Afghanistan and
other counterterror operations received;
• $815 billion (51%) for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/Operation New Dawn
(OND);
• $27 billion (2%) for Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), providing enhanced security
at military bases; and
• $81 billion (5%) for war-designated funding not considered directly related to the
Afghanistan or Iraq wars.,,: 
Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan and other wars

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

"Since the 2011 U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq, sectarian and ethnic divisions have widened,

fueling a major challenge to Iraq’s stability and to Iraq’s non-Muslim minority communities. Many of Iraq’s Sunni Arabs have sided with radical Sunni Islamist insurgents as a means to reduce Shiite political domination. Iraq’s Kurds have been separately embroiled in political disputes with Baghdad over territorial, political, and economic issues, particularly their intent to separately export large volumes of oil produced in the Kurdish region. The political rifts—which were contained by the U.S. military presence but escalated after late 2011—erupted in December 2013 into a sustained uprising led by the extremist group Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)..."

Iraq

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights

"Two years after the 2011 U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, sectarian divisions and the Sunni-led

uprising in neighboring Syria have fueled a revival of radical Islamist Sunni Muslim insurgent

groups that are attempting to undermine Iraq’s stability..."Iraq:politics, governance and human rights

Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights
"Iraq’s political system is increasingly characterized by peaceful competition and formation of
cross-sectarian alliances, although ethnic and sectarian infighting continues, sometimes involving
the questionable use of key levers of power and legal institutions. This infighting—and the belief
that holding political power may mean the difference between life and death for the various
political communities—significantly delayed agreement on a new government that was to be
selected following the March 7, 2010, national elections for the Council of Representatives
(COR, parliament). With U.S. diplomatic intervention, on November 10, 2010, major ethnic and
sectarian factions agreed on a framework for a new government, breaking the long deadlock.
Their agreement, under which Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki serves a second term, was
implemented in the formation of a broad-based cabinet on December 21, 2010..."

Iraq Casualties: U.S. Military Forces and Iraqi Civilians, Police, and Security Forces
"This report presents U.S. military casualties as well as governmental and nongovernmental
estimates of Iraqi civilian, police, and security forces casualties.

For several years, there were few estimates from any national or international government source
regarding Iraqi civilian, police, and security forces casualties. Now, however, several Iraqi
ministries have released monthly or total casualty statistics. The U.S. Department of Defense
(DOD) releases the monthly trend of Iraqi civilian, police, and security forces deaths. In addition,
the United Nations Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has charted the
trend of civilian casualties from August 2007 to April 2009, and the United Nations Assistance
Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) reported on the number of deaths by suicide bombers in 2008.

Nongovernmental sources also have released various estimates of Iraqi civilian, police, and
security forces casualties. This report includes estimates from the Associated Press, the Brookings Institution, Iraq Body Count, the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, Iraq Family Health Survey, the most recent study published in the Lancet, and the British survey firm, Opinion Research Business..."

Country Analysis Brief: Iraq
"Iraq was the world’s 12th largest oil producer in 2009, and has the world’s fourth largest proven petroleum reserves after Saudi Arabia, Canada, and Iran. Just a fraction of Iraq’s known fields are in development, and Iraq may be one of the few places left where vast reserves, proven and unknown, have barely been exploited. Iraq’s energy sector is heavily based upon oil, with approximately 94 percent of its energy needs met with petroleum. In addition, crude oil export revenues accounted for over two-thirds of GDP in 2009."

Ending the War in Iraq (President Obama)
"Earlier today, President Obama sent a message to the White House email list about ending our combat mission and drawing down the number of troops in Iraq. Check out the email below. You can sign up to receive periodic updates from the President and other senior administration officials here..."

Facts and Figures on Drawdown in Iraq
"Troops and Change of Mission

When President Obama took office in January 2009, there were 144,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. At his Camp Lejeune speech on February 27, 2009, President Obama announced that the United States would end its combat mission on August 31, 2010, and retain a transitional force of up to 50,000 U.S. troops to train and advise Iraqi Security Forces; conduct partnered and targeted counter-terrorism operations; and protect ongoing U.S. civilian and military efforts.

- By January 2010, there were 112,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. By the end of May 2010, that number had been reduced to 88,000. General Odierno made the decision in May 2010 that positive developments in the security sector permitted the drawdown to go forward as planned. The final tranche of the drawdown to reach the President’s commitment to end combat operations began in earnest in June 2010. By the end of August 2010, the number of U.S. troops in Iraq will be further reduced to 50,000. On August 31, Operation Iraqi Freedom will end. The transitional mission will be called Operation New Dawn. Consistent with our agreements with the Iraqi government, all U.S. troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

- There are currently 665,000 Iraqi Security Forces who have been leading the effort to secure Iraq since June 2009, when U.S. troops repositioned outside of Iraqi cities. Even as terrorists have sought to exploit the period of government formation that has followed Iraq’s successful election, security incidents remain near the lowest level since we’ve been keeping records. Since the beginning of this year, the U.S. and Iraqi military partnership has resulted in the death or arrest of more than 30 members of the top leadership of al-Qai’da in Iraq.

- The reduction in troops does not mean a reduction in the U.S. commitment to Iraq – it means a change in the nature of our commitment from one led by the military to one that is civilian-led. The transitional force that we will have in place can continue to support Iraqi Security Forces. And we will strengthen the U.S. and Iraqi partnership in fields such as education, the rule of law, trade and technology. To guide the expansion of our relationship, the United States and Iraq signed a Strategic Framework Agreement, which specifies areas for dialogue, exchanges, links, and the transfer of expertise..."

Mental Health Advisory Team VI
"Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to face stress from multiple deployments into combat, but report being more adequately prepared for the stresses of deployments. Those were among findings of two teams of behavioral-health experts who surveyed and interviewed troops in the theater as part of the sixth Mental Health Advisory Team (MHAT).

Another notable conclusion is that “dwell time” at home between deployments is important to Soldier mental health.

“The dwell time effect is pretty strong. It turned out to be more important than some of the other variables,” commented Lt. Col. Paul D. Bliese, director of the division of psychiatry and neuroscience at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). Bliese led the team in Iraq.

“Cumulative time deployed was less important than immediate dwell time. In other words, someone who had a total of 20 months deployed over several years and 12 months dwell time was better off than someone with 12 months of total deployment, but only eight months dwell time,” Bliese added. The team in Iraq found that behavioral-health problems in maneuver units return to near garrison rates (about 10 percent with problems) after 24 months of dwell time, and completely returned after 30 to 36 months of dwell time.

The teams, working in Iraq from February to March and in Afghanistan from April to June, formed the sixth Mental Health Advisory Team (MHAT VI) since the start of the wars, evaluating the psychological health of troops and the behavioral-health care resources in theater. The teams included research psychologists, a social worker, a psychiatric nurse and enlisted behavioral-health specialists. This year sergeants major from WRAIR and U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command also participated..."

The Department of Defense’s Use of Private Security Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Background, Analysis, and Options for Congress
"The United States is relying on contractors to provide a wide variety of services in Iraq and
Afghanistan, including security. Private firms known as Private Security Contractors (PSCs) are
hired to protect individuals, transport convoys, forward operating bases, buildings, and other
economic infrastructure, as well as train security forces. While DOD has previously contracted
for security in Bosnia and elsewhere, it appears that in Iraq and Afghanistan DOD is for the first
time relying so heavily on armed contractors to provide security during combat or stability
operations. As of June 2009, there were over 18,000 armed private security contractors in Iraq
and Afghanistan. Recent contracting trends indicate that the number of such contractors may
continue to increase..."

Iraqi Civilian, Police, and Security Forces Casualty Statistics
"This report presents various governmental and nongovernmental estimates of Iraqi civilian,
police, and security forces fatalities. The Iraq government is releasing increasingly regular data on these deaths. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) releases the monthly pattern of Iraqi
civilian, police, and security forces deaths, and it regularly updates total U.S. military deaths and wounded statistics from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), as reflected in CRS Report RS21578,
Iraq: U.S. Casualties, by Susan G. Chesser. Because the estimates contained in this report are
based on varying time periods and have been created using differing methodologies, readers
should exercise caution when using them and should look to them as guideposts rather than as
statements of fact."

Criminals, Militias, and Insurgents: Organized Crime in Iraq
"Dr. Williams looks in detail at major criminal activities, including the theft, diversion, and smuggling of oil, the kidnapping of both Iraqis and foreigners, extortion, car theft, and the theft and smuggling of antiquities. He also considers the critical role played by corruption in facilitating and strengthening organized crime and shows how al-Qaeda in Iraq, Jaish-al-Mahdi, and the Sunni tribes used criminal activities to fund their campaigns of political violence. Dr. Williams identifies the roots of organized crime in post-Ba’athist Iraq in an authoritarian and corrupt state dominated by Saddam Hussein and subject to international sanctions. He also explains the rise of organized crime after the U.S. invasion in terms of two distinct waves: the first wave followed the collapse of the state and was accompanied by the breakdown of social control mechanisms and the development of anomie; the second wave was driven by anarchy, insecurity, political ambition, and the imperatives of resource generation for militias, insurgents, and other groups. He also identifies necessary responses to organized crime and corruption in Iraq, including efforts to reduce criminal opportunities, change incentive structures, and more directly target criminal organizations and activities. His analysis also emphasizes the vulnerability of conflict and post-conflict situations to organized crime and the requirement for a holistic or comprehensive strategy in which security, development, and the rule of law complement one another..."

Department of Defense Contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan: Background and Analysis
"...The use of contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised a number of issues for Congress,
including 1) whether DOD is gathering and analyzing the right data on the use of contractors, 2)
what steps DOD is taking to improve contract management and oversight, and 3) the extent to
which contractors are included in military doctrine and strategy. This report examines current
contractor trends in Iraq and Afghanistan, steps DOD has taken to improve contractor oversight
and management, and the extent to which DOD has incorporated the role of contractors into its
doctrine and strategy. It also reviews steps Congress has taken to exercise oversight over DOD
contracting, including contracting issues that have been the focus of hearings and legislation."

Iraq: U.S. Casualties
"he following casualty data were compiled by the Department of Defense (DOD), as tallied from the agencys press releases. Table 1 provides statistics on fatalities during Operation Iraqi Freedom, which began on March 19, 2003, and is ongoing, as well as on the number of fatalities since May 1, 2003, plus statistics on those wounded, but not killed, since March 19, 2003. Statistics may be revised as circumstances are investigated and as all records are processed through the U.S. militarys casualty system. More frequent updates are available at DODs website at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/ under Casualty Update. A detailed casualty summary that includes data on deaths by cause, as well as statistics on soldiers wounded in action, is available at DODs website at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm. Table 1. Operation Iraqi Freedom, U.S. Fatalities and Wounded as of June 25, 2009, 10 a.m. EST Fatalities March 19, 2003, to the Present May 1, 2003, to the Present Wounded March 19, 2003, to the Present Hostile 3,455 3,337 In actiona 31,368 Non-hostile 863 829 Not Returned to Duty 13,809 Total 4,318 4,166..."

Country Analysis Briefs: Iraq
"Iraq was the world’s 13th largest oil producer in 2008, and has the world’s third largest proven petroleum reserves after Saudi Arabia and Canada. Just a fraction of Iraq’s known fields are in development, and Iraq may be one of the few places left where vast reserves, proven and unknown, have barely been exploited. Iraq’s energy sector is heavily based upon oil, with approximately 94 percent of its energy needs met with petroleum. According to the International Monetary Fund, crude oil export revenues represented over 75 percent of GDP and 86 percent of government revenues in 2008..."