Camp Bucca
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Camp Bucca ( ar, سجن بوكا, Sijn Būkā) was a
forward operating base A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward Operational level of war, operational level military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support strategic goals and tactical objectives. A FOB may or may not contain an airfi ...
that housed a theater internment facility maintained by the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
in the vicinity of
Umm Qasr Umm Qasr ( ar, أم قصر, also transliterated as ''Um-qasir'', ''Um-qasser, Um 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 sep ...
,
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. After being taken over by the U.S. military (800th Military Police Brigade) in April 2003, it was renamed after
Ronald Bucca Ronald Paul Bucca (May 6, 1954 – September 11, 2001) was a New York City Fire Department Marshal killed during the September 11 attacks during the collapse of the World Trade Center. He was the only fire marshal in the history of the New Yor ...
, a NYC
fire marshal A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a state, provincial or territorial government, but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually in ...
who died in the
11 September 2001 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
. The site where Camp Bucca was built had earlier housed the tallest structure in Iraq, a 492-meter-high TV mast. After the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, many detainees from
Abu Ghraib Abu Ghraib (; ar, أبو غريب, ''Abū Ghurayb'') is a city in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq, located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000 (2003). The old road t ...
were transferred to Bucca, where US authorities hoped to showcase a model detention facility. Nevertheless, Camp Bucca was the scene of prisoner abuse documented over many years by the Red Cross, Amnesty International, and US Army investigators. It housed numerous prominent Islamic extremists, including a significant portion of the leadership of
Al Qaeda in Iraq Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI; ar, القاعدة في العراق, al-Qā'idah fī al-ʿIrāq) or Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia ( ar, القاعدة في بلاد الرافدين, al-Qā'idah fī Bilād ar-Rāfidayn), officially known as ''Tanzim Qaidat a ...
, and
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ( ar, أبو بكر البغدادي, ʾAbū Bakr al-Baḡdādī; born Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri al-Samarrai ( ar, إبراهيم عواد إبراهيم علي محمد البدري السامرائي, ʾIb ...
future leader of the
Islamic State An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
(IS), who enjoyed good relations with camp authorities while there. Bucca has been described as a breeding ground for Islamic extremism, and has been cited as contributing to the emergence of IS. On 17 September 2009, the US military announced that the base would be closed. In December 2010, the U.S. 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 hub for Iraq's port.


Units

* Navy Provisional Detainee Battalion 2 * 800th Military Police Brigade *
160th Military Police Battalion Sixteen or 16 may refer to: *16 (number), the natural number following 15 and preceding 17 *one of the years 16 BC, AD 16, 1916, 2016 Films * '' Pathinaaru'' or ''Sixteen'', a 2010 Tamil film * ''Sixteen'' (1943 film), a 1943 Argentine film di ...
* 160th Infantry Regiment * 178th Infantry Regiment *
179th Infantry Regiment The 179th Infantry Regiment ("Tomahawks") is an infantry regiment of the United States Army's Army National Guard, National Guard. Currently, the 1st Battalion is the only active battalion in the regiment and is organized as a combined arms ba ...
*
185th Infantry Regiment 185th may refer to: *185th (2/1st West Riding) Brigade, formation of the Territorial Force of the British Army *185th Air Refueling Squadron flies the KC-135 Stratotanker *185th Air Refueling Wing (ARW), unit located at Sioux Gateway Airport, Iowa ...
* 586th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron * 886th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron * 887th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron


Significant events


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
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
s whose remains were later found at a
mass grave A mass grave is a grave containing multiple human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. The United Nations has defined a criminal mass grave as a burial site containing three or more victims of execution, although an exact ...
site in the southern city of al-Mahawil.


2004

On 26 January 2004 three 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". On 19 October 2004, a 26-year-old security internee died of unknown causes.


2005

On 5 January 2005, a 31-year-old security internee died of what appears to be natural causes. In April 2005, in Compound 4, a riot broke out in which detainees threw rocks and fashioned weapons out of tent poles. Detainees held a military soldier hostage until 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
Koran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing.: ...
s 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 The New York ''Daily News'', officially titled the ''Daily News'', is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, NJ. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in ta ...
'' reported that units at Camp Bucca organized and held a
mud wrestling Mud wrestling is defined as physical confrontation ( fighting, wrestling, etc.) that occurs in mud or a mud pit. The popular modern interpretation specifies that participants wrestle while wearing minimal clothing and usually going barefoot, wi ...
party on 30 October 2004. The party was organized by members of the 160th MP Battalion. On 25 March 2005, a complete
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 un ...
was discovered, though no prisoners had yet managed to escape. On 1 April 2005, two Iraqis and four US prison guards were wounded in a
riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...
at Camp Bucca near the southern town of Umm Qasr. 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 pm. The fight left one detainee dead, was confined between the detainees in one compound, and was not directed at U.S. forces. 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 escape tunnel. On 19 April 2005, a 51-year-old male security detainee at Camp Bucca died of natural causes. On 14 May 2005, a 30-year-old male detainee at Camp Bucca died from a heart attack. 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. On 28 September 2005, Sergeant Steve Morin Jr. assigned to the 111th Engineer Battalion and
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
Airman 1st Class Elizabeth N. Jacobson assigned to the 17th Security Forces Squadron stationed at Camp Bucca were killed in action when an
improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached to a detonating mechan ...
detonated near their convoy vehicle near the Iraqi town of
Safwan Safwan may refer to: Places * Safwan, Iraq, a town in southeastern Iraq * Safwan Hill, highest terrain feature in the region Institutions * Safwan SC, a football club based in Safwan, Iraq People Given name * Safouane Attaf, Moroccan judoka (b ...
. In October 2005, the
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
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. In December 2006 a similar program was initiated at Camp Shaibe, the British internment facility in Shaibah, near Al Basrah. On 5 October 2005, a 43-year-old male security detainee died of a heart attack. 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. On 23 October 2005, a 73-year-old male security detainee died of natural causes at Camp Bucca. On 25 October 2005, it was reported that Specialist Christopher T. Monroe assigned to the Military Police Battalion stationed at Camp Bucca was killed when he was struck by a vehicle operated by Erinys International while pulling security for the United States convoy which was stopped due to an Iraqi vehicle which flipped over while trying to avoid the convoy in the vicinity of
Al Basrah Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
,
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
. In October 2007, a lawsuit was filed in
Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
,
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
by the father of Specialist Monroe against the British private security firm
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 (Erinys UK Ltd) and Johannesburg (Erinys South Africa Ltd). E ...
. 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 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". On 5 November 2005, a 65-year-old male security detainee died of natural causes at Camp Bucca. 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.


2006

On 7 January 2006, Sergeant Nathan Field and Specialist Robert Johnson assigned to the 414th Military Police Company were killed in a non-combat vehicle accident just outside Camp Bucca. On 7 March 2006, a 36-year-old detainee died of natural causes. 11 May 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 Qu'ran 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. The initial incident was stopped within an hour but around 11 am the theater internment facility exploded with multiple compound riots. Multiple weapons were found during the initial search, and based on the detainees use of weapons against the guard force, multiple weapons were confiscated during additional searches initiated because of the riot. On 2 June 2006, the Army opened an Iraqi-based detention center training facility at
Fort Leonard Wood Fort Leonard Wood is a U.S. Army training installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of The City of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Woo ...
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
called Camp Charlie. This new facility is modeled after the theater internment facility at Camp Bucca. A similar facility was opened at
Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
in August 2006. 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 Hickam Air Force Base is a United States Air Force installation, named in honor of aviation pioneer Lieutenant Colonel Horace Meek Hickam. The installation merged in 2010 with Naval Station Pearl Harbor to become part of the newly formed Joint ...
,
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, had been charged on 30 November 2006 with one count of
murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person wit ...
and failure to obey a lawful order in relation to the shooting. Dalton also faced a charge of
assault An assault is the act of committing physical harm or unwanted physical contact upon a person or, in some specific legal definitions, a threat or attempt to commit such an action. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result in crim ...
for a separate incident that occurred on 30 June 2006 involving Ware and another airman. Dalton, who was deployed in the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
at the time the charges were brought, had an
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 ("Trial Procedure") Articl32(10 U.S.C. § 832), ...
and was
Court-martialed A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
on 23 April 2007 at
Langley Air Force Base Langley Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located in Hampton, Virginia, adjacent to Newport News, Virginia, Newport News. It was one of List of airfields of the Training Section of the United States Army Air Service, thirty-two ...
. As part of a plea bargain deal, Dalton pleaded 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 A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and the ...
, reduced in rank from Senior Airman to
Airman Basic Airman basic (AB) 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 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 The Antideficiency Act (ADA) () is legislation enacted by the United States Congress to prevent the incurring of obligations or the making of expenditures (outlays) in excess of amounts available in appropriations or funds. The law was initially e ...
violation occurred during the building of the detention facility. The Anti-Deficiency Act provides that no one can obligate the Government to make payments for which money has not already been authorized. 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 A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior-level executi ...
in the second quarter of FY 2007." 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. 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. 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 the detainees was allegedly an I.E.D. maker.


2007

On 17 January 2007,
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
Petty Officer Second Class Petty officer second class is the fifth enlisted rank in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, just above petty officer third class and below petty officer first class, and is a non-commissioned officer. It is equivalent to the rank of serge ...
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. On 11 February 2007 Specialist 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 Specialist 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 The California Army National Guard (CA ARNG) is one of three components of the California National Guard, a reserve of the United States Army, and part of the National Guard of the United States. The California Army National Guard is composed o ...
,
San Pedro, California San Pedro ( ; Spanish: " St. Peter") is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located wi ...
. 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 (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
. 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 MNF-I 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 A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...
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 Balad Air Base ( ar, قاعدة بلد الجوية) , is an Iraqi Air Force base located near Balad, Iraq, Balad in the Sunni Triangle north of Baghdad, Iraq. Built in the early 1980s, it was originally named Al-Bakr Air Base. In 2003 the base ...
, died from wounds he sustained in the attack. On 23 June 2007 an eighth detainee who had been hospitalized in critical condition since the attack, died from
cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
. 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 The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
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 project will be overseen by The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers , colors = , anniversaries = 16 June (Organization Day) , battles = , battles_label = Wars , website = , commander1 = ...
and would include $17.6 million 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.


2008

On January 8th 2008 a QRF squad came under attack and hit by an explosively formed penetrator resulting in 3 coalition WIA and 1 Iraqi WIA. The squad was responding to Umm Qasr to check on a British unit that been attacked by rockets. On 24 February 2008, Camp Bucca was attacked with rocket fire that killed one Army and Air Force Exchange Services 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. 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 while the cells' ventilation was 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 Non-judicial punishment (or NJP) is any form of punishment that may be applied to individual military personnel, without a need for a court martial or similar proceedings. United States In the United States Armed Forces, non-judicial punishment ...
for failing to report the incidents. Two had their charges dismissed, and the remainder were reduced in rank or faced suspended punishment. In November 2008, the 6 sailors faced an
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 ("Trial Procedure") Articl32(10 U.S.C. § 832), ...
at
Naval Air Station Jacksonville Naval Air Station Jacksonville (NAS Jacksonville) is a large naval air station located approximately eight miles (13 km) south of the central business district of Jacksonville, Florida, United States., effective 2007-10-25 Location NAS Jack ...
on charges of conspiracy, cruelty and maltreatment and making false official statements. Damage Controlman 2nd Class Adam M. White, pleaded 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 (abbreviated as AM) is a United States Navy occupational rating. Duties Aviation Structural Mechanics maintain aircraft airframe and structural components including flight surfaces and controls, hydraulic and pneum ...
Tracy Necaise because 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 the remaining sailors pleaded not guilty and could face trial in 2009.


2009

On 17 September 2009 Camp Bucca closed down detainee operations.


Prisoner abuse scandals

Camp Bucca was the scene of egregious abuse of prisoners by military personnel from its establishment in 2003 until its closure in 2009.ARTICLE 15-6 INVESTIGATION OF THE 800th MILITARY POLICE BRIGADE, US Army, 2004. https://fas.org/irp/agency/dod/taguba.pdf In 2003, prisoners freed from Camp Bucca described "detainees punished by hours lying bound in the sun; being attacked by dogs; being deprived of sufficient water; spending days with hoods over their heads." After leaked pictures of abuse from another US prison in Iraq,
Abu Ghraib Abu Ghraib (; ar, أبو غريب, ''Abū Ghurayb'') is a city in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq, located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000 (2003). The old road t ...
, stirred outrage and attention to that prison, one former Camp Bucca prisoner said, "I wish somebody could go take a picture of Camp Bucca." A 2003 report by Amnesty International found that prisoners at Camp Bucca "were held in tents in the extreme heat and were not provided with sufficient drinking water or adequate washing facilities," and that "they were forced to use open trenches for toilets and were not given a change of clothes -- even after two months detention." A 2004 report by
US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
investigators found "egregious acts and grave breaches of international law" at Camp Bucca. A 2004 report by the
International Committee of the Red Cross The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC; french: Comité international de la Croix-Rouge) is a humanitarian organization which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is also a three-time Nobel Prize Laureate. State parties (signato ...
stated that Camp Bucca described
Geneva Convention upright=1.15, Original document in single pages, 1864 The Geneva Conventions are four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish international legal standards for humanitarian treatment in war. The singular term ''Geneva Conven ...
violations at Camp Bucca and stated that "inmates were routinely treated by their guards with general contempt, with petty violence such as having orders screamed at them and being cursed, kicked, struck with rifle butts, roughed up or pushed around. They were reportedly handcuffed in the back and hooded for the duration of the interrogation and were prohibited from talking to each other or to the guards." A Red Cross representative said that their report documented a "broad pattern" of abuse, as opposed to isolated incidents. A 2006 report by Amnesty International contained alleged violations of the
Fourth Geneva Convention The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, more commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in Augus ...
by US military personnel at Camp Bucca."Beyond Abu Ghraib: detention and torture in Iraq." Amnesty International, March 2006. https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/76000/mde140012006en.pdf These allegations include that "internees at Camp Bucca are alleged to have been exposed deliberately to extremes of both heat and cold, by being made to wait for hours in the heat of the sun while their accommodation was searched and forcibly showered with cold water and exposed to cold air conditioners." In 2007, a Canadian citizen and US resident who had been a prisoner at Camp Bucca described abuse by military personnel. The prisoner, Hossam Shaltout, called Camp Bucca a "torture camp" and said that prisoners were beaten and sexually humiliated. Shaltout said that his arms and legs had been hogtied by US soldiers who then placed scorpions on his body. In 2008, six
US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...
personnel were charged and later convicted of abusing Camp Bucca prisoners after they beat the prisoners and locked several overnight in a room that had been filled with pepper spray.


Role in the growth of ISIS

Camp Bucca has been described as playing an important role in shaping the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
. The detention of large numbers of Ba'athists and Islamists during the
Iraqi insurgency Iraqi insurgency may refer to: * Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011), part of the Iraq War ** Iraqi insurgency (2003–2006), 2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency ** Iraqi civil war (2006–2008), multi-sided civil war in Iraq * Iraqi insurgency (20 ...
provided them with the opportunity to forge alliances and learn from each other, combining the ideological fervour of the latter with the organizational skills of the former. Former Camp Bucca detainees who went on to become leaders in the
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
include
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ( ar, أبو بكر البغدادي, ʾAbū Bakr al-Baḡdādī; born Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri al-Samarrai ( ar, إبراهيم عواد إبراهيم علي محمد البدري السامرائي, ʾIb ...
, the former leader of the ISIL before his death in October 2019;
Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi ( ar, أبو إبراهيم الهاشمي القرشي, Abū Ibrāhīm al-Hāshimī al-Qurashī; born Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi (); 1 or 5 October 1976 – 3 February 2022) was an Iraqi Isla ...
who succeeded him;
Abu Mohammed al-Adnani Taha Sobhi Falaha ( ar, طٰهٰ صُبْحِيِّ فَلَاحَةٍ, Ṭāhā Ṣobḥī Falāḥa; 1977 – 30 August 2016), known as Abu Muhammad al-Adnani al-Shami ( ar, أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ ٱلْعَدْنَانِيُّ ٱلشَ ...
, spokesperson and senior ISIL leader;
Abu Muslim al-Turkmani Fadel Ahmed Abdullah al-Hiyali (died 18 August 2015), better known by his noms de guerre Abu Muslim al-Turkmani ( ar, أبو مسلم التركماني), Haji Mutazz, or Abu Mutaz al-Qurashi, was the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) go ...
, al-Baghdadi's deputy;
Haji Bakr Samir Abd Muhammad al-Khlifawi, better known by the pseudonym Haji Bakr and sometimes his '' kunya'' Abu Bakr al-Iraqi, was a senior leader of the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), heading its Military Council and leadi ...
, who spearheaded ISIL's expansion into Syria;
Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi Adnan Ismail Najm al-Bilawi Al-Dulaimi ( ar, عدنان إسماعيل نجم البيلاوي الدليمي, extra= 1971 – 4 June 2014), better known by the nom de guerre Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi al-Anbari ( ar, أبو عبد الرحمن ا ...
, the military leader responsible for planning the seizure of Mosul; and Abu Ayman al-Iraqi, another senior military leader. Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who founded the Syrian Al Qaeda affiliate
al-Nusra Front Al-Nusra Front or Jabhat al-Nusra ( ar, جبهة النصرة لأهل الشام, Jabhat an-Nuṣrah li-Ahl ish-Sham lit. ''Front of the Supporters of the People of Syria/the Levant''), known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham ( ar, جبهة فتح ال ...
, was also a Camp Bucca detainee.


See also

* Abu Ghraib prison * Lisa Girman *
List of United States Military installations in Iraq The United States Department of Defense has a large number of temporary military bases in Iraq, most a type of forward operating base (FOB). Depending on their size or utility, the installations were called: Camp, Forward Operating Base (FOB), C ...
*
List of United Kingdom Military installations used during Operation Telic The British Armed Forces had several temporary military bases in Iraq and Kuwait between 2003 and 2009, most were controlled by Multi-National Division (South-East) Multi-National Division may refer to: Bosnia *Multi-National Division (North) (B ...
(2003)


References


External links


Kufan Group current developer of Camp Bucca

Video of riots at Camp Bucca

Executive summary of Taguba report
MSNBC.com
Memo: Iraq abuse was 'vigilante justice'
Boston.com

* ttps://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-02-18-mud-soldier_x.htm?csp=34 Mud-wrestling soldier to be dismissed from service: USA Today
In Iraq Jail, Resistance Goes Underground: Washington Post


* ttp://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0523iraq-tunnel23.html Truck 'finds' escape tunnel at U.S.-run camp in Iraq: The Arizona Republic
Airmen guard camp, detainees in Iraq






GOVEXEC.com
Bloomington area Soldiers give a Christmas gift to a small boy

Detainee visitation rules and guidelinesICO’s Train with U.S. Military Guidance
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100204102220/http://www.zone-interdite.net/P/zone_1181.html , date=4 February 2010 B Installations of the United States Army in Iraq Prisoner-of-war camps Military installations closed in the 2010s