A war crimes probe has concluded that ISIS committed seven types of international crimes during the camp Speicher massacre that occurred six years ago, the UN Security Council was told on Monday.
The mass killing, in which an estimated 1,700 unarmed, predominantly Shiite soldiers from Camp Speicher - a former US base outside the city of Tikrit - were killed, became a symbol of the insurgent’s brutality against Iraqis.
The UN team known as Unitad, which was set up in 2017 to hold ISIS accountable for its crimes, says its information gathering has increased significantly in the past six months due to advanced technology.
“Unitad categorises seven types of international crimes committed by ISIS against innocent Iraqis during the Camp Speicher massacre,” Karim Khan, the head of the team said during a virtual UN session.
"We remember the victims and remain committed to investigate the incident, collect evidence and build case files in line with international standards to support courts in Iraq to hold criminals accountable and bring justice to victims," Mr Khan said.
Images of soldiers, who were shot dead in their hundreds, were posted online by ISIS and ranked as one of the deadliest single acts of bloodshed during the last decade of conflict in Iraq.
The fall of Tikrit in 2014 was part of the ISIS onslaught that stunned Iraqi security forces and the military, which melted away as the militants advanced and captured key cities and towns in the country's north and west.
As the news spread, 3,000 soldiers from all over Iraq were ordered by their superiors to change in to civilian clothes and to leave the camp.
Those carrying weapons were told to leave them behind.
Many of the soldiers were captured by the insurgents, who took them to various locations around Tikrit and executed them one by one.
Videos showed masked gunmen bringing the soldiers to a bloodstained concrete river waterfront inside the presidential palace complex in Tikrit, shooting them in the head and throwing them into the Tigris River.
Mr Khan said that the key next step of the "legal characterisation" of crimes will be demonstrated through forensic evidence.
"All crimes will be accounted for," he said.
Mr Khan said the team's task is not to uphold the "memory of tragedies" but to create the evidence base for independent and fair criminal trials.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Small%20Things%20Like%20These
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Tim%20Mielants%3Cbr%3ECast%3A%20Cillian%20Murphy%2C%20Emily%20Watson%2C%20Eileen%20Walsh%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
LAST-16 EUROPA LEAGUE FIXTURES
Wednesday (Kick-offs UAE)
FC Copenhagen (0) v Istanbul Basaksehir (1) 8.55pm
Shakhtar Donetsk (2) v Wolfsburg (1) 8.55pm
Inter Milan v Getafe (one leg only) 11pm
Manchester United (5) v LASK (0) 11pm
Thursday
Bayer Leverkusen (3) v Rangers (1) 8.55pm
Sevilla v Roma (one leg only) 8.55pm
FC Basel (3) v Eintracht Frankfurt (0) 11pm
Wolves (1) Olympiakos (1) 11pm
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Neil Thomson – THE BIO
Family: I am happily married to my wife Liz and we have two children together.
Favourite music: Rock music. I started at a young age due to my father’s influence. He played in an Indian rock band The Flintstones who were once asked by Apple Records to fly over to England to perform there.
Favourite book: I constantly find myself reading The Bible.
Favourite film: The Greatest Showman.
Favourite holiday destination: I love visiting Melbourne as I have family there and it’s a wonderful place. New York at Christmas is also magical.
Favourite food: I went to boarding school so I like any cuisine really.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi
Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.
