Baghdad, Al Mahmoudiya
April 16, 2008

Iraqis were shocked yesterday, when they discovered the biggest mass grave in the contemporary history of their country. The mass grave made of 4020 bodies, mainly women, youngsters and some men from the Mahmoudiya district and its surroundings.

Local Eyewitnesses from the area asserted that these bodies were victims of the Jaysh Al Mahdi militia, the Badr militia of the SIIC and Al-Dawa party militia, in the year 2005 and 2006.

A source close to the enquiry being conducted regarding this biggest mass grave, said that the lieutenant 45 from the 6th division had refused to open another enquiry regarding another mass grave found at al Amin Mosque which was discovered some hours before and comprised 114 bodies of young men from Mahmoudiya, over and above the stumbling upon of yet another mass grave comprising 100 bodies found in the garbage dumping grounds in Mahdmoudiya.

Furthermore, some Iraqi parties accused the Iraqi forces of covering up and manipulating the figures regarding the mass graves they stumbled upon. One of the generals leading one of the Iraqi forces, Ali Al-Farraji had stated in the past that " that his team had stumbled upon 4 bodies in the Mahdmoudiya area and that yet another mass grave discovered 3 weeks ago in the same area, had 40 bodies only, all killed over a year ago."

Moreover, sources close to the enquiry asserted that inhabitants of the Mahmoudiya district, have on several occasions, during the course of last year, notified some armed forces in the militias as well as some religious parties of the existence of these mass graves, however, these forces and parties proceeded to cover up the story. This same source also added that this mass grave was truly shocking, and contained thousands of bodies. Over 4020 have been unearthed so far but more bodies are suspected to be further found.

Some political leaders have tried downplaying the importance of these mass graves as well as the carnage that has been committed against the Iraqi people in Mahmoudiah and its surroundings.