logo
If the Dead Come Home: Iraq's Mass Graves

If the Dead Come Home: Iraq's Mass Graves

Al Jazeera19-05-2025

Forensic experts in Iraq meticulously work to identify the remains from mass graves, uncovering the fates of thousands who disappeared during decades of conflict. With rare access to excavation sites, the unfolding story reveals the tireless efforts of DNA specialists and the emotional journeys of families seeking closure.
As bones and belongings resurface, survivors confront the harrowing legacy of the Saddam Hussein era, sectarian violence, and ISIL (ISIS) atrocities. The painstaking process of identification not only brings solace to grieving families but also fuels the broader fight for justice and accountability in a country still grappling with its traumatic past.
If the Dead Come Home is a documentary film by Aaron Weintraub.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Syria says Israeli attack on Deraa causes ‘significant' losses
Syria says Israeli attack on Deraa causes ‘significant' losses

Al Jazeera

timean hour ago

  • Al Jazeera

Syria says Israeli attack on Deraa causes ‘significant' losses

Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned an Israeli strike on the Syrian province of Deraa, saying that it caused 'significant human and material losses', the state news agency SANA reports. The strike came after the Israeli military said that two projectiles had crossed from Syria towards Israel on Tuesday, and fell in open areas, though the Syrian Foreign Ministry said these were 'reports that have not been verified yet'. The ministry reiterated that Syria has not and would not pose a threat to any party in the region. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the projectiles. 'We believe that there are many parties that may seek to destabilise the region to achieve their own interests,' the ministry added. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said he held Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa responsible for the projectiles. 'We consider the president of Syria directly responsible for any threat and fire towards the State of Israel, and a full response will come soon,' Katz said. Syria and Israel have recently engaged in indirect talks to ease tensions, a significant development in relations between states that have been on opposite sides of the conflict in the Middle East for decades. Several Arab and Palestinian media outlets circulated a claim of responsibility from a little-known group named the Muhammad Deif Brigades, an apparent reference to Hamas's military leader who was killed in an Israeli strike in 2024. The statement from the group could not be independently verified. The Israeli army said it attacked southern Syria with artillery fire after the projectiles launched at Israel. Residents said that Israeli mortars were striking the Wadi Yarmouk area, west of Deraa province, near the border with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The area has witnessed increased tensions in recent weeks, including reported Israeli military incursions into nearby villages, where residents have reportedly been barred from sowing their crops. Israel has waged a campaign of aerial bombardment that has destroyed much of Syria's military infrastructure. It has occupied the Syrian Golan Heights since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and taken more territory in the aftermath of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's removal in December, citing lingering concerns over the past of the country's new government. Around the same time that Israel reported the projectiles from Syria, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile from Yemen. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they targeted Israel's Jaffa with a ballistic missile. The group has been launching attacks against Israel in what they say is in support of Palestinians during the Israeli war in Gaza.

Two suspected Ugandan rebels killed in Kampala explosion
Two suspected Ugandan rebels killed in Kampala explosion

Al Jazeera

time7 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Two suspected Ugandan rebels killed in Kampala explosion

Two suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, including a female suicide bomber, were killed in an explosion near a prominent Catholic shrine in Uganda's capital, Kampala, as crowds gathered to mark Martyrs' Day. The blast on Tuesday took place in the upscale suburb of Munyonyo, outside the Munyonyo Martyrs' Shrine, where Ugandans were assembling to commemorate 19th-century Christians executed for their faith. No civilian injuries were reported. 'A counterterrorism unit this morning intercepted and neutralised two armed terrorists in Munyonyo,' said army spokesman Chris Magezi on X. He confirmed one of the assailants was a female suicide bomber 'laden with powerful explosives'. Footage broadcast by NBS Television, an independent outlet, showed a destroyed motorbike and debris scattered across the road. Police Chief Abas Byakagaba told NBS the explosion occurred while 'two people were on a motorcycle,' adding: 'The good thing, though, is that there were no people nearby who were injured.' There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. While Ugandan authorities are still piecing together the events, Magezi suggested the suspects were linked to the ADF, a rebel group that originated in Uganda in the 1990s but later relocated to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The ADF has pledged allegiance to ISIL (ISIS) and was behind a spate of deadly bombings in Uganda in 2021. The group has been accused by the United Nations of widespread atrocities, including the killing of thousands of civilians in the region. Martyrs' Day is one of Uganda's most significant religious holidays, drawing thousands of pilgrims annually. Security forces have increased patrols across the capital in the aftermath of the incident.

Ex-Biden official says ‘without doubt' Israel committed war crimes in Gaza
Ex-Biden official says ‘without doubt' Israel committed war crimes in Gaza

Al Jazeera

time10 hours ago

  • Al Jazeera

Ex-Biden official says ‘without doubt' Israel committed war crimes in Gaza

Matthew Miller, the former spokesperson of the US State Department who spent months defending Israel's conduct in the war in Gaza, has acknowledged that the Israeli military has 'without a doubt' committed war crimes in the Palestinian territory. Miller told the Sky News Trump100 podcast on Monday, however, that he did not believe genocide was being carried out in Gaza. The ex-spokesperson served as one of the public faces of former President Joe Biden's staunch support for Israel as it killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and flattened much of the enclave. United Nations experts and leading rights groups have accused Israel of genocidal acts – an effort to destroy the Palestinian people in full or in part. Miller's comments raise questions on why the Biden administration continued to arm Israel despite US laws that restrict military aid to countries that commit violations of human rights and international law. The former US president's aides repeatedly certified that they could not conclude that Israel is violation the laws of war or restricting humanitarian aid to Palestinians, despite the ample evidence documenting Israeli abuses. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, at least 54,381 Palestinians have been killed and 124,054 wounded. Almost all of the enclave's 2.3 million people have been displaced, while an Israeli blockade threatens famine. During his time with the State Department, Miller regularly clashed with journalists who questioned the US response to Israel's handling of Gaza, including bombings of medical facilities and camps sheltering Palestinian civilians. In one incident last November, Miller was rebuked for laughing during a question about Israel blocking aid to Gaza. US law specifically prohibits security assistance for state that restrict US-backed humanitarian aid in conflict zones. When asked about particular atrocities, including – for example – the killing of six-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab last year, Miller would often say the the US officials brought up the incident with their Israeli counterparts, who are investigating. The spokesperson would then keep invoking these alleged contacts and probes – sometimes months after the incident – to dismiss questions about suspected war crimes by Israel. On the Sky News podcast, Miller appeared to criticise his own pattern of answering questions when he served as spokesperson. 'We do know that Israel has opened investigations. But, look, we are many months into those investigations. And we're not seeing as really soldiers held accountable,' he said. Miller stressed in the interview on Monday that, as spokesman, he was not advocating his own opinion but expressing the official stance of Biden's administration. 'You are a spokesperson for the president, the administration, and you espouse the positions of the administration,' he said. 'And when you're not in the administration, you can just give your own opinions.' Asked about his experience handling the issue, Miller said there were 'small and big' disagreements within the Biden administration over how to deal with Israel. 'There were disagreements all along the way about how to handle policy. Some of those were big disagreements, some of those were little disagreements,' he said. In particular, he hinted at tensions between Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He admitted that 'there probably was' more that the US could have done to pressure Israel to stop the war and prevent the killing of 'thousands of … innocent civilians who didn't want this war'. On Tuesday, the Palestinian group Hamas said Miller's comments further confirm Israel's crimes and underscores Washington's 'direct responsibility as a true partner' in the genocide against Palestinians. 'We call on the international community and international judicial institutions to turn these dangerous confessions into investigations and immediate legal action,' Hamas said in a statement. Raed Jarrar, the advocacy director at DAWN, a US-based advocacy group, said it was 'outrageous' that Miller waited until he was out of office to admit that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza. 'US officials who know atrocities are being committed and continue defending them from behind the podium are not neutral, they are complicit. Miller's silence while in government helped Israel with its genocide. He has Palestinian blood on his hands,' Jarrar told Al Jazeera in an email. 'Anyone guilty of aiding and abetting genocide should be held accountable by the International Criminal Court or other international mechanisms.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store