Camp Bucca
Encyclopedia
Camp Bucca was a detention facility maintained by the United States
military
in the vicinity of Umm Qasr, Iraq
. As of June 2011, a group of entrepreneurial Iraqis and Americans are re-building Camp Bucca as Basra Gateway, a logistics city and environmentally-friendly industrial hub to lead the new Iraq into the 21st century. Owned by the Kufan Group and developed in collaboration with Phoenix Capital, Basra Gateway will begin operations in August 2011, with periodic and extensive renovation expected to begin in 2012. The facility was initially called Camp Freddy and used by British Forces to hold Iraqi prisoners of war
.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/800mp-bde.htm After being taken over by the U.S. military in April 2003, it was renamed after Ronald Bucca, a soldier with the 800th Military Police Brigade and NYC Fire Marshal
who died in the 11 September 2001 attacks.
After the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, many detainees from Abu Ghraib
were transferred to Camp Bucca. After a substantial turn-over in the chain of command at Camp Bucca and substantial amendments to camp policy, the US military held up Camp Bucca as an example of how a model detention facility should be run http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bucca19jan19,1,4521154.story?coll=la-headlines-world. Detainees are now reportedly housed in cinder block housing units with wooden roofing rather than tents, organize and administer their own classes in subjects like literacy and religion, and compete in soccer matches. Cigarettes, tea, and the opportunity to listen to radio and T.V. programs are used as incentives for good behavior. Some detainees are even allowed family visitation from Iraqi relatives not held at the facility.
Additionally, the internment facility has its very own U.S. Army run hospital to serve detainees. It offers comprehensive healthcare. There is an emergency room, internal medicine clinic, optometry clinic, psychiatric services, orthopedic/surgical unit, physical therapy clinic, pharmacy, dental clinic, dietary services and more. Detainees are screened by medics and doctors at the wire, that is right out where the detainees are housed, and then triaged to the hospital for further care. Some detainees have even been flown to larger medical facilities in Iraq to receive cataract surgery. U.S. Army medical staff is also given training on how to provide care while respecting Muslim traditions.
Militants regularly launch rockets into Camp Bucca. The rockets are widely believed to be often provided and set up by Iranians who teach the militants to launch them hours after they've returned to their nearby country (about 25 miles). The lethal explosions average around 5 per month in a period from September 2007 to late April 2008, with the most intense barage coming during The Ramadan period (October) when 12 aerial bombs (Believed to be stolen from a British camp in nearby [about 35–40 miles] al Basrah) landed in a span of 8 days. On 17 September 2009, The US military announced that the base would be closed. In December 2010, the US military handed the base to the government of Iraq, who, on the same day, gave Kufan Group of Iraq a license to invest in the new Basra Gateway, to provide a 21st century logistics hub for Iraq's port.
site in the southern city of al-Mahawil
. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2950398.stm
On 12 January 2004, 7 Detainees escaped during the night, 5 were recaptured.
On 26 January 2004 3 detainees escaped at night during a period of intense fog. An investigation 'concluded that the detainees crawled under a fence when visibility was only 10–15 meters due to fog'. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/umm-qasr.htm
On 19 October 2004, A 26-year-old security internee died of unknown causes. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2004/10/iraq-041020-centcom01.htm
On 31 January 2005, a riot broke out in which detainees threw rocks and fashioned weapons out of tent poles. The riot was dispelled by the use of lethal force. Four detainees were killed and six were injured. As is standard procedure in all cases of prison riots and the use of lethal force, the matter was investigated by the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division. The investigation concluded that a detainee leader had incited the riot by making an accusation that camp soldiers were stepping on Korans during a search for contraband. No soldiers were found guilty of any wrongdoing during the incident.
On 5 February 2005, the tabloid paper New York Daily News
reported that units at Camp Bucca organized and held a mud wrestling
party on 30 October 2004. The party was organized by members of the 160th MP Battalion and attended by members of the incoming 105th MP Battalion, who were arriving to relieve the members of the 160th. At least three female GIs stripped to their undergarments and wrestled in a kiddie-pool full of sand and water in front of a crowd of male GIs, and one GI flashed her breasts. About 30 photos of the party, including one of the flasher, have been leaked to the press. The flasher, 19-year-old PFC
Deanna Allen, was demoted for indecent exposure
, and reportedly later discharged from the military.
On 4 March 2005, Camp Bucca was targeted by 106 mm rocket fire directed from the port of Umm Qasr
. Although no military personnel were injured or killed, a Third Country National
took shrapnel to the leg. Four rockets targeted Camp Bucca, but only one detonated within the boundaries of the base.
On 25 March 2005, a complete escape tunnel
was discovered, though no prisoners had yet managed to escape. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/03/25/iraq.tunnel/
On 1 April 2005, two Iraqis and four US prison guards were wounded in a riot
at Camp Bucca near the southern town of Umm Qasr]. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/04/mil-050404-mnfi-mnci01.htm
On 15 April 2005, a dispute broke out between two groups of detainees at one of the compounds of the Camp Bucca theater internment facility at approximately 11 p.m. The fight left one detainee dead. The fight was confined between the detainees in one compound and was not directed at U.S. forces. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/04/mil-050415-mnfi-mnci03.htm
On 16 April 2005, 11 detainees escaped Camp Bucca by cutting through in the facility's exterior fence and crawling through the unfilled portion of a previously discovered 600 feet (182.9 m) escape tunnel http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/03/25/iraq.tunnel/. The compound's guards, members of the United States Air Force, were unable to see the detainees cutting through the wire due to tower location. All 11 detainees were later captured by the Iraqi police
and returned to Camp Bucca.
On 19 April 2005, a 51-year-old male security detainee at Camp Bucca died of natural causes.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/04/mil-050419-centcom01.htm
On 14 May 2005, a 30-year-old male detainee at Camp Bucca died from a heart attack.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/05/mil-050514-mnfi-mnci02.htm
On 23 May 2005, a fuel truck collapsed the roof of an escape tunnel being dug out of Camp Bucca.
On 27 July 2005, a 30-year-old male security detainee at Camp Bucca died as a result of renal failure and other organ failure due to chronic malaria.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/07/mil-050728-mnfi02.htm
On September 28, 2005, SGT Steve Morin Jr. assigned to the 111th Engineer Battalion and Air Force
Airman 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson
http://www.militarycity.com/valor/1146269.html assigned to the 17th Security Forces Squadron stationed at Camp Bucca were killed in action
when an improvised explosive device
detonated near their convoy vehicle near the Iraqi town of Safwan
.
In October 2005, the International Committee of the Red Cross
began the Family Visitation Allowance Program at Camp Bucca. The program provides monetary assistance to families of detainees held at Camp Bucca to help cover part of the traveling and hotel costs required to visit the facility. The benefits are calculated based on the distance between their home and the city of Umm Qasr.http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/iraq-stories-040406?opendocument In December 2006 a similar program was initiated at Camp Shaibe, the British internment facility in Shaibah, near Al Basrah.http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/iraq-news-131206?opendocument
On 5 October 2005, a 43-year-old male security detainee died of a heart attack.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/10/mil-051005-mnfi03.htm
On 13 October 2005, eligible detainees at Camp Bucca, Abu Ghraib prison and Camp Cropper were allowed to vote in the Iraqi Constitutional Referendum. The rest of the country voted on 15 October 2005. http://www.newsobserver.com/24hour/special_reports/iraq/story/2799924p-11428884c.html
On 23 October 2005, a 73-year-old male security detainee died of natural causes at Camp Bucca.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/10/mil-051024-mnfi02.htm
On 25 October 2005, it was reported that SPC
Christopher T. Monroe assigned to the 785th Military Police Battalion stationed at Camp Bucca was killed when he was stuck by a vehicle operated by Erinys International while pulling security for the United State convoy which was stopped due to an Iraqi vehicle which flipped over while trying to avoid the convoy in the vicinity of Al Basrah, Iraq
. In October 2007, a lawsuit was filed in Houston, Texas
by the father of SPC Monroe against the British private security firm Erinys International
. In the lawsuit, Monroe's father alleges that his son actually died after he was struck by a vehicle operated by Erinys International. The lawsuit alleges Erinys personnel passed through a checkpoint where they were warned that there were more troops ahead of them but despite the warning proceeded in the dark at a high rate of speed with only parking lights on until they struck Monroe. Monroe was dismounted and standing guard near the 5-ton vehicle he was driving providing security after the convoy he was in stopped to render assistance to an Iraqi who had been involved in a car accident. The force of the accident sheared Monroe's right leg off and threw him 30–40 feet in the air. Monroe later "died on a Medavac helicopter en route to Shalib Airbase". In a statement in response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for the company stated "It was a very tragic accident for which Erinys and its employees have been thoroughly exonerated".ref>
On 5 November 2005, a 65-year-old male security detainee died of natural causes at Camp Bucca.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/11/mil-051105-mnfi04.htm
On 12 December 2005, nearly 90 percent of all eligible security detainees in Multi-National Forces-Iraq Theater Internment Facilities participated in the democratic vote on the Iraqi National Ballot.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/12/mil-051212-mnfi03.htm
On 23 December 2005, Camp Bucca received rocket fire from behind an area dubbed the "Sniper House"; no injuries were reported.
On 7 January 2006, SGT Nathan Field and SPC Robert Johnson assigned to the 414th Military Police Company were killed in a non-combat vehicle accident just outside of Camp Bucca.
On 7 March 2006, A 36 year-old detainee died of natural causes.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/03/mil-060307-afps01.htm
On 26 March 2006, A 25 year-old detainee died as the result of injuries suffered in a detainee on detainee fight.http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=751&Itemid=21
On 2 June 2006, The Army opened an Iraqi-based detention center training facility at Fort Leonard Wood
Missouri
called Camp Charlie. http://www.kolr10.com/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=5595 This new facility is modeled after the theater internment facility at Camp Bucca. A similar facility was opened at Fort Leavenworth
in August 2006. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/08/mil-060823-arnews01.htm
On 1 July 2006, Airman 1st Class Carl Jerome Ware Jr. of the 886th Expeditionary Security Force Squadron
assigned to Camp Bucca died of non-combat related injuries. Initial reports stated that the airmen was killed by an accidental discharge of a gun being cleaned by another airman, however in February, 2007, it was reported that Airman 1st Class Kyle J. Dalton, of the 15th Security Forces Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base
, Hawaii
, had been charged on 30 November 2007 with one count of murder
and failure to obey a lawful order in relation to the shooting. Dalton also faced a charge of assault
for a separate incident that occurred on 30 June 2006 involving Ware and another airman. Dalton, who was deployed in the Middle East
at the time the charges were brought, had an Article 32 hearing
and was Court-martialed
on 23 April 2007 at Langley Air Force Base. As part of a plea bargain deal, Dalton pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and violating a lawful general regulation by drawing or aiming a firearm when deadly force was unnecessary. Dalton was sentenced to 10 years in prison, given a dishonorable discharge, reduced in rank from Senior Airman
to Airman Basic
and ordered to forfeit all pay and allowances. Dalton admitted to the court that he tracked Ware with his pistol in the barracks and pulled the trigger thinking the weapon was unloaded. He also admitted that he had previously aimed a loaded M-4 carbine
at another airman.
In July 2006, it was announced that the Army's inspector general had requested an investigation to determine if an Anti-Deficiency Act
violation occurred during the building of the detention facility. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2006/sigir-jul06_appdx-l.pdf The Anti-Deficiency Act provides that no one can obligate the Government to make payments for which money has not already been authorized. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+31USC1341 The inspector general's report was released to Congress on 30 January 2007 and in it concluded: "Army personnel associated with funding of Phases I and II construction of the Internment Facility at Camp Bucca, Iraq, did not implement sufficient controls to ensure military compliance with applicable laws and regulations. As a result, there were two ADA violations with the FY 2004 Army Operation and Maintenance Appropriation. DoD
OGC (Office of General Counsel) is completing its review and expects to sign out the report to the DoD Comptroller
in the second quarter of FY 2007."
11 August 2006, detainees initiated a multiple compound riot that included the burning of their living quarters, burning a Humvee and assaults on other detainees. The reported cause of the riot was detainees being unhappy that their housing areas were searched and that a quran with Takferi writing had been placed in a clear evidence bag that the detainees presumed was a trash bag the riot started around 7 am in compound 10. (Housing areas and compounds are searched on a regular basis to find and confiscate manufactured weapons similar to stateside jails.) the initial incident was stopped with in an hour but around 11 am the TIF exploded with multiple compound riots Multiple weapons were found during initial search, and based on the detainees use of weapons against the guard force, multiple weapons were confiscated in additional searches initiated because of the riot.
On 12 October 2006, an Iraqi detainee died from a heart attack. The detainee had been hospitalized since 5 October after complaining of chest pains. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6413&Itemid=21 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/world/middleeast/15iraq.html?em&ex=1161144000&en=ebec7c6074fc33be&ei=5087%0A
On 16 October, two airmen from the 586th Expeditionary Security Forces
Squadron Area Security Operations team assigned to Camp Bucca suffered injuries when an improvised explosive device exploded near their Humvee in the vicinity of Safwan. Both airmen survived the attack and were later awarded the Purple Heart
medal. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7533&Itemid=18
On 19 October 2006, an Iraqi detainee died from natural causes. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6620&Itemid=21
On 25 November 2006, American forces announced that a detainee died of natural causes. The detainee had been hospitalized since 23 November after complaining of chest pains.http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18487
On 4 December 2006, American forces announced that a detainee died of natural causes.http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7828&Itemid=21 The detainee had been treated in the facility's hospital since 17 November 2006 for kidney and heart problems. Including two detainees that died the previous week at Camp Cropper
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=41995, this was the fourth detainee in coalition custody to die within a two week period.
On 24 December 2006, Two Detainees attempted an escape from one of the U.S. Navy staffed compounds during the dense seasonal fog. One of detainees was allegedly an I.E.D. maker.http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,20976161-1702,00.html?from=public_rss
Joseph D. Alomar, a member of Navy Provisional Detainee BN 2, assigned to Camp Bucca died of non-combat related injuries. The sailor is reported to have died from a gunshot wound to the head. The cause of death is under investigation.
On 11 February 2007 SPC Dennis L. Sellen Jr. of the 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow soldier who was cleaning his weapon after a mission. The incident is currently being investigated.
On 2 March 2007 SPC Christopher D. Young, 20, of Los Angeles, Calif., died in Safwan, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard
, San Pedro, California.
On 15 March 2007 military officials announced plans to once again expand Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper. Officials stated that this increase in capacity would be necessary to handle the detainees generated from the increased security operations in Baghdad
. At the time of the report, Camp Bucca's detainee population stood at 13,800.
On 26 April 2007, an Iraqi detainee died from what MNFI reports as injuries sustained during an apparent assault by other detainees. He is reported to have been the sixth detainee to have died in MNF-I TIFs as a result of detainee on detainee violence in the past year.
On 9 June 2007, 6 detainees were killed, 68 wounded and one Iraqi Corrections Officer was wounded when a rocket struck Compound 8, in the Theater Internment Facility located at Camp Bucca. On 10 June 2007, a seventh detainee, who had been medically evacuated to Balad Air Base, died from wounds he sustained in the attack. On 23 June 2007 an eighth detainee who had been hopitalized in critical condition since the attack, died from cardiac arrest
.
On 21 June 2007 a security detainee died of cardiac arrest during a routine medical transfer from Camp Cropper to Camp Bucca.
On 25 June 2007 a soldier assigned to the 178th Infantry was injured when the vehicle he was driving drove over a buried explosive.
On 1 July 2007, a detainee died from what is being reported as natural causes while in the intensive care unit at the Theater Internment Facility hospital at Camp Bucca.
On 12 July 2007, a detainee died from what is being reported as injuries suffered in an assault by other detainees. This is the second detainee in coalition forces custody to die from detainee on detainee violence within a week. On the same day, the Associated Press
reported that Camp Bucca was among several sites in Iraq that had sensitive information posted on non-secure web sites. The Camp Bucca documents, posted on the web site of CH2M Hill Companies
of Meridian, Colorado
revealed locations of where prisoners are held, locations of fuel tanks, and the locations of security fences, guard towers and other security measures. The company has subsequently added password protection to its site.
In August 2007, two separate news articles reported Camp Bucca's detainee populate stood at approximately 20,000 inmates.
In October 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced it had suspended its visits to Camp Bucca due to the deteriorating security situation in the area. The ICRC visits all detention facilities in Iraq to monitor the conditions detainees are receiving and make recommendations where they perceive improvements could be made. To maintain their neutral status, they refuse coalition security when traveling in Iraq, which causes them to occasionally suspend visits when they deem conditions too hazardous for their personnel.
On 31 October 2007, it was announced that Camp Bucca would be expanded once again to increase its capacity from 20,000 to 30,000 detainees. The $110 million dollar project will be overseen by The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and would include $17.6 million dollar retrofit of “13 existing compounds to add concrete pads to prevent tunneling, better segregation areas, and better shower and latrine facilities” as well as new housing, a waste water treatment plant, a water treatment plant and a $3.2 million brick factory for prisoner labor.
On 20 November 2007, a security convoy operated by personnel from the 887th ESFS was traveling north of Safwaan city, Iraq from Camp Bucca was struck by an IED.
On 23 November 2007, a riot originated in compound 31 then spread to compound 32. The 145th field artillery unit, quelled the riots.
On 24 February 2008, Camp Bucca was attacked with rocket fire that killed one AAFES employee and wounded several other civilian contractors. The rocket attack came less than a week after a convoy from Camp Bucca was attacked by an improvised explosive device. No one was seriously injured in that attack.
On 13 June 2008, members of the 887 ESFS while standing down on a possible IED came under a complex attack which included a secondary and a VBIED and was the first of its kind reported near Camp Bucca, no injuries reported.
In August 2008, it was announced that 6 sailors had been charged and would face courts-martial for abusing detainees at Camp Bucca. The abuse allegedly occurred on 14 May and involved beatings of two detainees and the sealing of eight detainees in a cell filled with pepper spray, with the cells ventilation secured. The abuse apparently occurred after some detainees attacked guards, spitting on them and throwing containers filled with human waste at them. Seven other sailors received non-judicial punishment
for failing to report the incidents. Two had their charges dismissed, the remainder were reduced in rank or faced suspended punishment. In November 2008, the 6 sailors faced a article 32 hearing
at Naval Air Station Jacksonville
on charges of conspiracy, cruelty and maltreatment and making false official statements. Damage Controlman
2nd Class Adam M. White, plead guilty to conspiracy and assault and was sentenced to 89 days’ confinement and reduction of two pay grades. Adams claims he and other sailors participated in the beating of two detainees at the direction of Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic
Tracy Necaise after the prisoners spit and threw feces at guards. Necaise’s attorney blamed upper-level Navy officers for the incident because they assigned the sailors to Camp Bucca without any prior experience working in law enforcement or detention facilities. Necaise and remaining sailors plead not guilty and could face trial in 2009.
The "SUPERMAX" security row known as "Waterfront" manned by the US Navy NPDB (Naval Provisional Detainee Battalion) was in charge of the custody of the most dangerous detainees, and the last to be closed, with Compound 16 having the remaining 180 detainees either transferred to the U.S. military's Camp Cropper detention facility near Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) or to an Iraqi,Navy, and Army manned prison at Camp Taji north of Baghdad.
NPDB 6 was attached to the US Army 306th Military Police Battalion, commanded by LTC Kenneth King. This was the last Navy unit to handle detainee operations in Camp Bucca.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
in the vicinity of Umm Qasr, Iraq
Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr , is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the border of Kuwait by a small inlet...
. As of June 2011, a group of entrepreneurial Iraqis and Americans are re-building Camp Bucca as Basra Gateway, a logistics city and environmentally-friendly industrial hub to lead the new Iraq into the 21st century. Owned by the Kufan Group and developed in collaboration with Phoenix Capital, Basra Gateway will begin operations in August 2011, with periodic and extensive renovation expected to begin in 2012. The facility was initially called Camp Freddy and used by British Forces to hold Iraqi prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/800mp-bde.htm After being taken over by the U.S. military in April 2003, it was renamed after Ronald Bucca, a soldier with the 800th Military Police Brigade and NYC Fire Marshal
Fire Marshal
A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a fire department but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include fire code enforcement and/or investigating fires for origin and cause...
who died in the 11 September 2001 attacks.
After the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, many detainees from Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib prison
The Baghdad Central Prison, formerly known as Abu Ghraib prison is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km west of Baghdad. It was built by British contractors in the 1950s....
were transferred to Camp Bucca. After a substantial turn-over in the chain of command at Camp Bucca and substantial amendments to camp policy, the US military held up Camp Bucca as an example of how a model detention facility should be run http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bucca19jan19,1,4521154.story?coll=la-headlines-world. Detainees are now reportedly housed in cinder block housing units with wooden roofing rather than tents, organize and administer their own classes in subjects like literacy and religion, and compete in soccer matches. Cigarettes, tea, and the opportunity to listen to radio and T.V. programs are used as incentives for good behavior. Some detainees are even allowed family visitation from Iraqi relatives not held at the facility.
Additionally, the internment facility has its very own U.S. Army run hospital to serve detainees. It offers comprehensive healthcare. There is an emergency room, internal medicine clinic, optometry clinic, psychiatric services, orthopedic/surgical unit, physical therapy clinic, pharmacy, dental clinic, dietary services and more. Detainees are screened by medics and doctors at the wire, that is right out where the detainees are housed, and then triaged to the hospital for further care. Some detainees have even been flown to larger medical facilities in Iraq to receive cataract surgery. U.S. Army medical staff is also given training on how to provide care while respecting Muslim traditions.
Militants regularly launch rockets into Camp Bucca. The rockets are widely believed to be often provided and set up by Iranians who teach the militants to launch them hours after they've returned to their nearby country (about 25 miles). The lethal explosions average around 5 per month in a period from September 2007 to late April 2008, with the most intense barage coming during The Ramadan period (October) when 12 aerial bombs (Believed to be stolen from a British camp in nearby [about 35–40 miles] al Basrah) landed in a span of 8 days. On 17 September 2009, The US military announced that the base would be closed. In December 2010, the US military handed the base to the government of Iraq, who, on the same day, gave Kufan Group of Iraq a license to invest in the new Basra Gateway, to provide a 21st century logistics hub for Iraq's port.
2003
On 18 May 2003, U.S. military forces mistakenly released Mohammed Jawad An-Neifus from the Camp Bucca. An-Neifus is suspected of being involved in the mass murder of thousands of Iraqi Shias whose remains were later found at a mass graveMass grave
A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
site in the southern city of al-Mahawil
Al-Mahawil
Al-Mahawil is a Sunni Arab city in southern Iraq in the Babil Governorate....
. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2950398.stm
2004
On 7 January 2004, a detainee escaped from Camp Bucca. Investigating officers concluded that 'the detainee escaped through an undetected weakness in the wire. Contributing factors were inexperienced guards, lapses in accountability, complacency, lack of leadership presence, poor visibility, and lack of clear and concise communication between the guards and the leadership.'On 12 January 2004, 7 Detainees escaped during the night, 5 were recaptured.
On 26 January 2004 3 detainees escaped at night during a period of intense fog. An investigation 'concluded that the detainees crawled under a fence when visibility was only 10–15 meters due to fog'. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/umm-qasr.htm
On 19 October 2004, A 26-year-old security internee died of unknown causes. http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/iraq/2004/10/iraq-041020-centcom01.htm
2005
On 5 January 2005, a 31-year-old security internee died of what appears to be natural causes. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/01/mil-050107-mnfi-mnci04.htmOn 31 January 2005, a riot broke out in which detainees threw rocks and fashioned weapons out of tent poles. The riot was dispelled by the use of lethal force. Four detainees were killed and six were injured. As is standard procedure in all cases of prison riots and the use of lethal force, the matter was investigated by the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division. The investigation concluded that a detainee leader had incited the riot by making an accusation that camp soldiers were stepping on Korans during a search for contraband. No soldiers were found guilty of any wrongdoing during the incident.
On 5 February 2005, the tabloid paper New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
reported that units at Camp Bucca organized and held a mud wrestling
Mud wrestling
Mud wrestling is defined as physical confrontation that occurs in mud or a mud pit. The popular modern interpretation specifies that participants wrestle while wearing minimal clothing and usually going barefoot, with the emphasis on presenting an entertaining spectacle as opposed to physically...
party on 30 October 2004. The party was organized by members of the 160th MP Battalion and attended by members of the incoming 105th MP Battalion, who were arriving to relieve the members of the 160th. At least three female GIs stripped to their undergarments and wrestled in a kiddie-pool full of sand and water in front of a crowd of male GIs, and one GI flashed her breasts. About 30 photos of the party, including one of the flasher, have been leaked to the press. The flasher, 19-year-old PFC
Private First Class
Private First Class is a military rank held by junior enlisted persons.- Singapore :The rank of Private First Class in the Singapore Armed Forces lies between the ranks of Private and Lance-Corporal . It is usually held by conscript soldiers midway through their national service term...
Deanna Allen, was demoted for indecent exposure
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
, and reportedly later discharged from the military.
On 4 March 2005, Camp Bucca was targeted by 106 mm rocket fire directed from the port of Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr
Umm Qasr , is a port city in southern Iraq. It stands on the canalised Khawr az-Zubayr, part of the Khawr Abd Allah estuary which leads to the Persian Gulf. It is separated from the border of Kuwait by a small inlet...
. Although no military personnel were injured or killed, a Third Country National
Third Country National
Third Country National is a term often used in the context of migration, referring to individuals who are in transit and/or applying for visas in countries that are not their country of origin , in order to go to destination countries that is likewise not their country of origin...
took shrapnel to the leg. Four rockets targeted Camp Bucca, but only one detonated within the boundaries of the base.
On 25 March 2005, a complete escape tunnel
Escape tunnel
An escape tunnel is a form of secret passage used as part of an escape from siege or captivity. In medieval times such tunnels are usually constructed by the builders of castles or palaces who wish to have an escape route if their domain is under attack...
was discovered, though no prisoners had yet managed to escape. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/03/25/iraq.tunnel/
On 1 April 2005, two Iraqis and four US prison guards were wounded in a riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
at Camp Bucca near the southern town of Umm Qasr]. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/04/mil-050404-mnfi-mnci01.htm
On 15 April 2005, a dispute broke out between two groups of detainees at one of the compounds of the Camp Bucca theater internment facility at approximately 11 p.m. The fight left one detainee dead. The fight was confined between the detainees in one compound and was not directed at U.S. forces. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/04/mil-050415-mnfi-mnci03.htm
On 16 April 2005, 11 detainees escaped Camp Bucca by cutting through in the facility's exterior fence and crawling through the unfilled portion of a previously discovered 600 feet (182.9 m) escape tunnel http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/03/25/iraq.tunnel/. The compound's guards, members of the United States Air Force, were unable to see the detainees cutting through the wire due to tower location. All 11 detainees were later captured by the Iraqi police
Iraqi Police
The Iraqi Police Service are the uniformed Territorial police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law within Iraq.The current organisation, structure and recruitment practice was guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority following the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
and returned to Camp Bucca.
On 19 April 2005, a 51-year-old male security detainee at Camp Bucca died of natural causes.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/04/mil-050419-centcom01.htm
On 14 May 2005, a 30-year-old male detainee at Camp Bucca died from a heart attack.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/05/mil-050514-mnfi-mnci02.htm
On 23 May 2005, a fuel truck collapsed the roof of an escape tunnel being dug out of Camp Bucca.
On 27 July 2005, a 30-year-old male security detainee at Camp Bucca died as a result of renal failure and other organ failure due to chronic malaria.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/07/mil-050728-mnfi02.htm
On September 28, 2005, SGT Steve Morin Jr. assigned to the 111th Engineer Battalion and Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Airman 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson
Elizabeth Jacobson
Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Jacobson was a member of the United States Air Force Security Forces who was killed in action in Iraq in 2005...
http://www.militarycity.com/valor/1146269.html assigned to the 17th Security Forces Squadron stationed at Camp Bucca were killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
when an improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
detonated near their convoy vehicle near the Iraqi town of Safwan
Safwan
Safwan is a town in southeast Iraq on the border with Kuwait. It was the site of an Iraqi Air Force base.-Gulf War:Safwan is located in the south of Iraq at Iraqi Kuwaiti border , along the infamous Highway of Death from the Gulf War of 1991. The cease-fire negotiations between Gen...
.
In October 2005, the International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
began the Family Visitation Allowance Program at Camp Bucca. The program provides monetary assistance to families of detainees held at Camp Bucca to help cover part of the traveling and hotel costs required to visit the facility. The benefits are calculated based on the distance between their home and the city of Umm Qasr.http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/iraq-stories-040406?opendocument In December 2006 a similar program was initiated at Camp Shaibe, the British internment facility in Shaibah, near Al Basrah.http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/htmlall/iraq-news-131206?opendocument
On 5 October 2005, a 43-year-old male security detainee died of a heart attack.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/10/mil-051005-mnfi03.htm
On 13 October 2005, eligible detainees at Camp Bucca, Abu Ghraib prison and Camp Cropper were allowed to vote in the Iraqi Constitutional Referendum. The rest of the country voted on 15 October 2005. http://www.newsobserver.com/24hour/special_reports/iraq/story/2799924p-11428884c.html
On 23 October 2005, a 73-year-old male security detainee died of natural causes at Camp Bucca.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/10/mil-051024-mnfi02.htm
On 25 October 2005, it was reported that SPC
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
Christopher T. Monroe assigned to the 785th Military Police Battalion stationed at Camp Bucca was killed when he was stuck by a vehicle operated by Erinys International while pulling security for the United State convoy which was stopped due to an Iraqi vehicle which flipped over while trying to avoid the convoy in the vicinity of Al Basrah, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. In October 2007, a lawsuit was filed in Houston, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
by the father of SPC Monroe against the British private security firm Erinys International
Erinys International
Erinys International is a British private security company registered in the British Virgin Islands. The Group operational HQ is in Dubai, UAE and other offices are in Andover, Hampshire and Johannesburg ....
. In the lawsuit, Monroe's father alleges that his son actually died after he was struck by a vehicle operated by Erinys International. The lawsuit alleges Erinys personnel passed through a checkpoint where they were warned that there were more troops ahead of them but despite the warning proceeded in the dark at a high rate of speed with only parking lights on until they struck Monroe. Monroe was dismounted and standing guard near the 5-ton vehicle he was driving providing security after the convoy he was in stopped to render assistance to an Iraqi who had been involved in a car accident. The force of the accident sheared Monroe's right leg off and threw him 30–40 feet in the air. Monroe later "died on a Medavac helicopter en route to Shalib Airbase". In a statement in response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for the company stated "It was a very tragic accident for which Erinys and its employees have been thoroughly exonerated".ref>
On 5 November 2005, a 65-year-old male security detainee died of natural causes at Camp Bucca.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/11/mil-051105-mnfi04.htm
On 12 December 2005, nearly 90 percent of all eligible security detainees in Multi-National Forces-Iraq Theater Internment Facilities participated in the democratic vote on the Iraqi National Ballot.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2005/12/mil-051212-mnfi03.htm
On 23 December 2005, Camp Bucca received rocket fire from behind an area dubbed the "Sniper House"; no injuries were reported.
2006
On 1 January 2006, 3 detainees escaped Camp Bucca by cutting through the facilities exterior fence. Two of the detainees were later captured by the Iraqi police and returned to Camp Bucca.On 7 January 2006, SGT Nathan Field and SPC Robert Johnson assigned to the 414th Military Police Company were killed in a non-combat vehicle accident just outside of Camp Bucca.
On 7 March 2006, A 36 year-old detainee died of natural causes.http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/03/mil-060307-afps01.htm
On 26 March 2006, A 25 year-old detainee died as the result of injuries suffered in a detainee on detainee fight.http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=751&Itemid=21
On 2 June 2006, The Army opened an Iraqi-based detention center training facility at Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood (military base)
Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff, in January 1941...
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
called Camp Charlie. http://www.kolr10.com/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=5595 This new facility is modeled after the theater internment facility at Camp Bucca. A similar facility was opened at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
in August 2006. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2006/08/mil-060823-arnews01.htm
On 1 July 2006, Airman 1st Class Carl Jerome Ware Jr. of the 886th Expeditionary Security Force Squadron
886 Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron
The 886th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron is a composite unit consisting of Security Forces Squadrons from around the world like the 72d Security Force Squadron, Tinker AFB Oklahoma and the 47th Security Forces Squadron, Laughlin AFB Texas...
assigned to Camp Bucca died of non-combat related injuries. Initial reports stated that the airmen was killed by an accidental discharge of a gun being cleaned by another airman, however in February, 2007, it was reported that Airman 1st Class Kyle J. Dalton, of the 15th Security Forces Squadron, Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Air Force Base
Hickam Field, re-named Hickam Air Force Base in 1948, was a United States Air Force facility now part of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lt Col Horace Meek Hickam.- History :...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, had been charged on 30 November 2007 with one count of murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
and failure to obey a lawful order in relation to the shooting. Dalton also faced a charge of assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
for a separate incident that occurred on 30 June 2006 involving Ware and another airman. Dalton, who was deployed in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
at the time the charges were brought, had an Article 32 hearing
Article 32 hearing
An Article 32 hearing is a proceeding under the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice, similar to that of a preliminary hearing in civilian law. Its name is derived from UCMJ section VII Article An Article 32 hearing is a proceeding under the United States Uniform Code of Military...
and was Court-martialed
Courts-martial in the United States
Courts-martial in the United States are criminal trials conducted by the U.S. military. Most commonly, courts-martial are convened to try members of the U.S. military for violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice , which is the U.S. military's criminal code...
on 23 April 2007 at Langley Air Force Base. As part of a plea bargain deal, Dalton pled guilty to involuntary manslaughter and violating a lawful general regulation by drawing or aiming a firearm when deadly force was unnecessary. Dalton was sentenced to 10 years in prison, given a dishonorable discharge, reduced in rank from Senior Airman
Senior Airman
Senior airman is the fourth enlisted rank in the United States Air Force, just above airman first class and below staff sergeant. It has a pay grade of E-4...
to Airman Basic
Airman Basic
Airman Basic is the lowest enlisted rank in the United States Air Force , immediately below Airman. The pay grade for Airman Basic is E-1.As opposed to all other USAF enlisted and officer ranks, Airman Basic has no rank insignia affiliated...
and ordered to forfeit all pay and allowances. Dalton admitted to the court that he tracked Ware with his pistol in the barracks and pulled the trigger thinking the weapon was unloaded. He also admitted that he had previously aimed a loaded M-4 carbine
M4 Carbine
The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...
at another airman.
In July 2006, it was announced that the Army's inspector general had requested an investigation to determine if an Anti-Deficiency Act
Anti-Deficiency Act
The Anti-Deficiency Act , , is legislation enacted by the United States Congress to prevent the incurring of obligations or the making of expenditures in excess of amounts available in appropriations or funds. It is now codified at...
violation occurred during the building of the detention facility. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/2006/sigir-jul06_appdx-l.pdf The Anti-Deficiency Act provides that no one can obligate the Government to make payments for which money has not already been authorized. http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+31USC1341 The inspector general's report was released to Congress on 30 January 2007 and in it concluded: "Army personnel associated with funding of Phases I and II construction of the Internment Facility at Camp Bucca, Iraq, did not implement sufficient controls to ensure military compliance with applicable laws and regulations. As a result, there were two ADA violations with the FY 2004 Army Operation and Maintenance Appropriation. DoD
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
OGC (Office of General Counsel) is completing its review and expects to sign out the report to the DoD Comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
in the second quarter of FY 2007."
11 August 2006, detainees initiated a multiple compound riot that included the burning of their living quarters, burning a Humvee and assaults on other detainees. The reported cause of the riot was detainees being unhappy that their housing areas were searched and that a quran with Takferi writing had been placed in a clear evidence bag that the detainees presumed was a trash bag the riot started around 7 am in compound 10. (Housing areas and compounds are searched on a regular basis to find and confiscate manufactured weapons similar to stateside jails.) the initial incident was stopped with in an hour but around 11 am the TIF exploded with multiple compound riots Multiple weapons were found during initial search, and based on the detainees use of weapons against the guard force, multiple weapons were confiscated in additional searches initiated because of the riot.
On 12 October 2006, an Iraqi detainee died from a heart attack. The detainee had been hospitalized since 5 October after complaining of chest pains. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6413&Itemid=21 http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/world/middleeast/15iraq.html?em&ex=1161144000&en=ebec7c6074fc33be&ei=5087%0A
On 16 October, two airmen from the 586th Expeditionary Security Forces
Security Forces
Security Forces can refer to:*United States Air Force Security Forces*Iraqi security forces...
Squadron Area Security Operations team assigned to Camp Bucca suffered injuries when an improvised explosive device exploded near their Humvee in the vicinity of Safwan. Both airmen survived the attack and were later awarded the Purple Heart
Purple Heart
The Purple Heart is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those who have been wounded or killed while serving on or after April 5, 1917 with the U.S. military. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, New York...
medal. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7533&Itemid=18
On 19 October 2006, an Iraqi detainee died from natural causes. http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6620&Itemid=21
On 25 November 2006, American forces announced that a detainee died of natural causes. The detainee had been hospitalized since 23 November after complaining of chest pains.http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18487
On 4 December 2006, American forces announced that a detainee died of natural causes.http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7828&Itemid=21 The detainee had been treated in the facility's hospital since 17 November 2006 for kidney and heart problems. Including two detainees that died the previous week at Camp Cropper
Camp Cropper
Camp Cropper is a holding facility for security detainees operated by the United States Army near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq. The facility was initially operated as a high-value detention site , but has since been expanded increasing its capacity from 163 to 2,000 detainees...
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=41995, this was the fourth detainee in coalition custody to die within a two week period.
On 24 December 2006, Two Detainees attempted an escape from one of the U.S. Navy staffed compounds during the dense seasonal fog. One of detainees was allegedly an I.E.D. maker.http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,20976161-1702,00.html?from=public_rss
2007
On 17 January 2007, US Navy Petty Officer Second ClassPetty Officer Second Class
Good conductvariation,Petty OfficerSecond Classinsignia&U.S. Coast GuardPetty officer second class is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S...
Joseph D. Alomar, a member of Navy Provisional Detainee BN 2, assigned to Camp Bucca died of non-combat related injuries. The sailor is reported to have died from a gunshot wound to the head. The cause of death is under investigation.
On 11 February 2007 SPC Dennis L. Sellen Jr. of the 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry Regiment was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow soldier who was cleaning his weapon after a mission. The incident is currently being investigated.
On 2 March 2007 SPC Christopher D. Young, 20, of Los Angeles, Calif., died in Safwan, Iraq, of wounds sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to Company C, 3rd Battalion, 160th Infantry Regiment, California Army National Guard
California Army National Guard
The California Army National Guard is the land force component of the California National Guard, one of the reserve component United States Army and is part of the United States National Guard. The California Army National Guard is composed of about 20,000 soldiers...
, San Pedro, California.
On 15 March 2007 military officials announced plans to once again expand Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper. Officials stated that this increase in capacity would be necessary to handle the detainees generated from the increased security operations in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. At the time of the report, Camp Bucca's detainee population stood at 13,800.
On 26 April 2007, an Iraqi detainee died from what MNFI reports as injuries sustained during an apparent assault by other detainees. He is reported to have been the sixth detainee to have died in MNF-I TIFs as a result of detainee on detainee violence in the past year.
On 9 June 2007, 6 detainees were killed, 68 wounded and one Iraqi Corrections Officer was wounded when a rocket struck Compound 8, in the Theater Internment Facility located at Camp Bucca. On 10 June 2007, a seventh detainee, who had been medically evacuated to Balad Air Base, died from wounds he sustained in the attack. On 23 June 2007 an eighth detainee who had been hopitalized in critical condition since the attack, died from cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
.
On 21 June 2007 a security detainee died of cardiac arrest during a routine medical transfer from Camp Cropper to Camp Bucca.
On 25 June 2007 a soldier assigned to the 178th Infantry was injured when the vehicle he was driving drove over a buried explosive.
On 1 July 2007, a detainee died from what is being reported as natural causes while in the intensive care unit at the Theater Internment Facility hospital at Camp Bucca.
On 12 July 2007, a detainee died from what is being reported as injuries suffered in an assault by other detainees. This is the second detainee in coalition forces custody to die from detainee on detainee violence within a week. On the same day, the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
reported that Camp Bucca was among several sites in Iraq that had sensitive information posted on non-secure web sites. The Camp Bucca documents, posted on the web site of CH2M Hill Companies
CH2M Hill
CH2M Hill is an American-based global provider of engineering, construction, and operations services for corporations, nonprofits, and federal, state, and local governments. The firm is headquartered in Meridian, an unincorporated area of Douglas County, Colorado in the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan...
of Meridian, Colorado
Meridian, Colorado
Meridian is a census-designated place in Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The population was 184 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Meridian is located at ....
revealed locations of where prisoners are held, locations of fuel tanks, and the locations of security fences, guard towers and other security measures. The company has subsequently added password protection to its site.
In August 2007, two separate news articles reported Camp Bucca's detainee populate stood at approximately 20,000 inmates.
In October 2007, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced it had suspended its visits to Camp Bucca due to the deteriorating security situation in the area. The ICRC visits all detention facilities in Iraq to monitor the conditions detainees are receiving and make recommendations where they perceive improvements could be made. To maintain their neutral status, they refuse coalition security when traveling in Iraq, which causes them to occasionally suspend visits when they deem conditions too hazardous for their personnel.
On 31 October 2007, it was announced that Camp Bucca would be expanded once again to increase its capacity from 20,000 to 30,000 detainees. The $110 million dollar project will be overseen by The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and would include $17.6 million dollar retrofit of “13 existing compounds to add concrete pads to prevent tunneling, better segregation areas, and better shower and latrine facilities” as well as new housing, a waste water treatment plant, a water treatment plant and a $3.2 million brick factory for prisoner labor.
On 20 November 2007, a security convoy operated by personnel from the 887th ESFS was traveling north of Safwaan city, Iraq from Camp Bucca was struck by an IED.
On 23 November 2007, a riot originated in compound 31 then spread to compound 32. The 145th field artillery unit, quelled the riots.
2008
On 1 January 2008, the base was attacked with rocket fire launched from the nearby city of Umm Qasr, no injuries reported.On 24 February 2008, Camp Bucca was attacked with rocket fire that killed one AAFES employee and wounded several other civilian contractors. The rocket attack came less than a week after a convoy from Camp Bucca was attacked by an improvised explosive device. No one was seriously injured in that attack.
On 13 June 2008, members of the 887 ESFS while standing down on a possible IED came under a complex attack which included a secondary and a VBIED and was the first of its kind reported near Camp Bucca, no injuries reported.
In August 2008, it was announced that 6 sailors had been charged and would face courts-martial for abusing detainees at Camp Bucca. The abuse allegedly occurred on 14 May and involved beatings of two detainees and the sealing of eight detainees in a cell filled with pepper spray, with the cells ventilation secured. The abuse apparently occurred after some detainees attacked guards, spitting on them and throwing containers filled with human waste at them. Seven other sailors received non-judicial punishment
Nonjudicial punishment
Non-judicial punishment in the United States military, is a form of military justice authorized by Article 15 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Non-judicial punishment or "NJP" permits commanders to administratively discipline troops without a court-martial...
for failing to report the incidents. Two had their charges dismissed, the remainder were reduced in rank or faced suspended punishment. In November 2008, the 6 sailors faced a article 32 hearing
Article 32 hearing
An Article 32 hearing is a proceeding under the United States Uniform Code of Military Justice, similar to that of a preliminary hearing in civilian law. Its name is derived from UCMJ section VII Article An Article 32 hearing is a proceeding under the United States Uniform Code of Military...
at Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville
Naval Air Station Jacksonville or NAS Jacksonville is a military airport located four miles south of the central business district of Jacksonville...
on charges of conspiracy, cruelty and maltreatment and making false official statements. Damage Controlman
Damage Controlman
Damage Controlman are the Navy's and Coast Guard’s maintenance and emergency repair specialist.Coast Guard Damage Controlmen assigned to cutters are responsible for maintaining watertight integrity, emergency equipment associated with firefighting and Shipboard flooding; plumbing repairs; welding...
2nd Class Adam M. White, plead guilty to conspiracy and assault and was sentenced to 89 days’ confinement and reduction of two pay grades. Adams claims he and other sailors participated in the beating of two detainees at the direction of Chief Aviation Structural Mechanic
Aviation Structural Mechanic
Aviation Structural Mechanic is a United States Navy occupational rating.-Duties:Aviation Structural Mechanics maintain aircraft airframe and structural components flight surfaces and controls hydraulic and pneumatic control and actuating systems and mechanisms, landing gear systems, air...
Tracy Necaise after the prisoners spit and threw feces at guards. Necaise’s attorney blamed upper-level Navy officers for the incident because they assigned the sailors to Camp Bucca without any prior experience working in law enforcement or detention facilities. Necaise and remaining sailors plead not guilty and could face trial in 2009.
2009
On 17 September 2009 Camp Bucca Closed down Detainee Operations.The "SUPERMAX" security row known as "Waterfront" manned by the US Navy NPDB (Naval Provisional Detainee Battalion) was in charge of the custody of the most dangerous detainees, and the last to be closed, with Compound 16 having the remaining 180 detainees either transferred to the U.S. military's Camp Cropper detention facility near Baghdad International Airport (BIAP) or to an Iraqi,Navy, and Army manned prison at Camp Taji north of Baghdad.
NPDB 6 was attached to the US Army 306th Military Police Battalion, commanded by LTC Kenneth King. This was the last Navy unit to handle detainee operations in Camp Bucca.
External links
- Video of riots at Camp Bucca
- Executive summary of Taguba report MSNBC.com
- Memo: Iraq abuse was 'vigilante justice': Boston.com
- "Female soldiers dress down & get dirty for mud romps": NY Daily News
- Mud-wrestling soldier to be dismissed from service: USA Today
- In Iraq Jail, Resistance Goes Underground: Washington Post
- Detainees Escape From U.S. Military Camp: KATV
- As Bad as the Nazis? What the Red Cross thinks about the U.S. military. Wall Street Journal
- Truck 'finds' escape tunnel at U.S.-run camp in Iraq: The Arizona Republic
- Airmen guard camp, detainees in Iraq
- Umm Qasr and Camp Bucca, GlobalSecurity.org Org
- Iraq Camp Bucca Mud Wrestling Pictures
- Defense IG to ramp up Iraq spending audits GOVEXEC.com
- Bloomington area Soldiers give a Christmas gift to a small boy
- Detainee visitation rules and guidelines
- ICO’s Train with U.S. Military Guidance
- Map & downloadable 3D Walkthrough of Camp Bucca from the Art project Zone*Interdite
- PressTV: US military kills Iraqi prisoners, covers up (warning graphic violence)