Come On, We Don't Torture THAT Much

I first posted a blurb on the Iraqis treating Iraqis badly on 4 Nov.(the link to the KR piece is what you seek)

Since then there have been lots of other stories purporting torture: Iraqi/Iraqi style.

Just moments ago, Iraqi's Interior Minister says that these reports have been exagerrated.

A snippet from the WaPo article:

Iraq's interior minister said Thursday that reports of prisoner mistreatment at a secret detention center in Baghdad have been exaggerated, and he denied that he condoned torture.

Allegations of widespread torture and executions at the underground prison are "untrue and inaccurate," Interior Minister Bayan Jabr told reporters at a news conference.

Disclosures about the detention center, which was seized by U.S. troops last weekend, have stirred anger among Sunni Muslims and drawn condemnation from human rights organizations. But Jabr, a member of the Shiite Muslim majority, denied that his ministry targeted Sunnis, who make up the bulk of Iraq's insurgency, and he said the detainees at the prison included Shiites.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari announced Tuesday that U.S. troops had found 173 detainees at the secret prison in the capital's Jadriyah district. He said some of them were malnourished and appeared to have been tortured.

In a strongly worded statement, the U.S. Embassy said Thursday that the abuses found at the prison and sectarian control of such facilities cannot be tolerated.

"We have made clear to the Iraqi government that there must not be militia or sectarian control of Iraqi security forces, facilities or ministries," the embassy said. "We do not tolerate any abuse of detainees in Iraq. . . . The Iraqi government must take measures to ensure this kind of thing does not happen again."

(much more at link)

I have no answers. Just a few questions.

How much torture did take place?

The torture was neither "widespread" nor accurately reported?

Well, that's all well and good, but what metrics does one use to determine these things?

A few simple observations:

I guess it's a good thing that both Sunnis and Shiites were housed in the 'secret detention center'...But unfortunately, both groups were ostensibly tortured during their 'stays.'(unless of course, only Sunnis were tortured, as has been previously reported - it's unclear what the Minister is trying to convey precisely)

Now, as far as the US having the moral authority to tell the Iraqis not to abuse "detainees in Iraq," well, that's something that you, the reader will have to determine if this is to be filed under irony, or hypocrisy.

It's a crazy world.