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As a kid growing up in South Portlands Ferry Village, Sgt. Jason Swiger was a constant presence on the little playground across the street from his house on School Street.

He and his siblings played cars in the park, lining up popsicle sticks to make roads. They went down the short slide in his yellow Tonka truck and played baseball on the grass. They climbed trees and played hide-and-seek, manhunt and tag. As a teenager, Swiger would climb to the highest point on the playground and jump off, uninhibited by fear.

Later, home on leave before a deployment with the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army, he climbed again to the top of the playground.

He sat there for the longest time just watching the kids play. He was making sure everything was good and making sure his park was good, said Jennifer Kirk, a friend of the Swiger family who grew up a few doors down.

Swiger, a paratrooper known for his generosity and larger-than-life personality, was 24 when he was killed in action by a suicide bomber in Baqubah, Iraq, on March 25, 2007. He and three other soldiers had left the protection of their Humvee to hand out candy to children after their convoy stopped.

Swiger died as he lived: extending his hand in friendship.

Sixteen years after his death, Kirk pushed the city to replace the worn-out playground and name the park for Swiger to ensure he and his sacrifice are not forgotten. The city spent just over $92,000 through a Community Development Block Grant and matching city funds to install a new playground.

I think that would be a beautiful way to keep his memory alive and highlight the joy that park brought to his childhood, Swigers widow, Alanna, wrote to the City Council before the unanimous vote to name the park for him.

Last week, the city officially opened the new playground at the Sgt. Jason W. Swiger Memorial Park, where a plaque reminds people to always extend your hand in friendship. Swigers family and friends gathered at the ribbon cutting to celebrate and share stories about the little boy with a wide smile who grew up to be their hero.

HE HAD NO FEAR

Rebecka Swiger Mendoza cant look at the park without thinking of her younger brother and the countless hours they spent playing there.

We were always playing from sunrise to sunset, she said. My mom would say, When the streetlights come on, you come in.'

It seemed like the six Swiger children, their cousins and friends were always there at the park, first climbing all over the original wooden playground, then later on the new playground installed after their mother helped raise money to pay for it by making and selling a neighborhood cookbook.

Swigers mother, grandmother and aunt were a constant presence, too. They sat on the front porch of the family duplex to watch all the neighborhood kids play, handing out Band-aids, popsicles or a warning to behave as needed.

Swiger was always running around and constantly played pranks on his friends and family. He was an eloquent writer who wrote stories, poems and kept a journal. He was a talented artist and covered his schoolwork with drawings. He loved listening to music and sang karaoke with his mom and sister at the Amvets in Westbrook.

There wasnt a kid in the neighborhood who didnt want to play with Jason, said his cousin, Dawn Swiger Maietta. Jason made everyone feel welcome.

He was also a daredevil. One time he climbed to the top of a 60-foot pine tree at the edge of the park, nearly giving their mother a heart attack as she watched him make his way back down, his sister said. As a teenager, he jumped trains and rode them to Old Orchard Beach.

Jason was always looking out for the underdog, Mendoza said. He would pick the person who would normally be picked last to make them know they belonged.

When Swiger was 9, he went to visit an uncle, Carl McAfee, who had served two tours in Vietnam as an Army paratrooper. From his uncles backyard near an Army base, Swiger watched paratroopers drop from training planes.

He got to see them parachuting and said, Thats what I want to do, And that was it, Mendoza said. He had no fear.

Swiger enlisted in the Army at 17, before graduating from South Portland High School. His mother, Valorie, agreed to sign for him so he could enlist early. He was so proud of his military service that he wore his uniform when he went back to the high school to talk to students and teachers.

Swiger, who had married Alanna the year before, was on his third tour in Iraq in 2007 and traveling through Dayala Province between two U.S. camps when the convoy stopped. He got out to hand out candy when a motorcyclist approached and blew himself up. Swiger and three other soldiers were killed.

The devastating news was delivered to the Swiger family in Maine by Swigers young widow, who lived in North Carolina.

He gave his all to the country, not just his life, Mendoza said. It was something he loved and wanted to do from the bottom of his heart. He wanted to be in the military. That was his life.

After his death, hundreds of yellow ribbons were hung around the city. More than 400 mourners holding small American flags and wearing yellow ribbon pins packed the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception for his funeral.

HES STILL ALIVE WITHIN US

It was a nightmare that you dont wake up from. It still hurts every day, Mendoza said. When you lose someone like that, you dont get to say goodbye.

Mendoza and Maietta say they think about him every day, telling so many stories to their children that they feel like they knew him. Maiettas daughter, Jaelynn, is named for him.

He is even more present in Mendozas mind on Memorial Day and in summer when the family gathers for cookouts. That time of year was always special for her and her brother because they both had July birthdays and liked to climb to the top of the playground to watch fireworks.

Hes still alive within us, Mendoza said. Memories just flood right in.

When Kirk told the Swiger family about the idea to fix the playground it was falling apart and unsafe, she said and name the park for Swiger, they were immediately on board. Streets around the city are named for people killed in action in Vietnam. But nothing was named for Swiger, and Kirk wanted to make sure his memory stays alive even after those who knew him are gone.

Maietta said seeing the playground dedicated to her cousin brings tears of joy.

If he were still here and he knew this was happening, it would be an honor for him, she said.

For Mendoza, driving through her old neighborhood feels like coming home and she knows her brother would love to see kids still playing in the space where they made so many memories together.

Any kid that goes to play there from here on out should feel special because Im pretty sure hes still there sometimes, she said.

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South Portland dedicates park to paratrooper killed in Iraq 16 years ... - Press Herald

F.A. works as a teacher in the Karrada district of Baghdad, and says her brother almost ended her life following a verbal argument over the way she wore her hijab. He had choked her, she asserts, and the marks of his hands are still on her neck. According to the teacher, she repeatedly reached out to the community police to report the mistreatment she had experienced and request her brother be kept away from her due to the abuse he subjects her to. Eventually, she received the following response: "We are fasting, go solve things amongst yourselves, why dont you?", or more accurately, "We are not inclined to listen to your complaint".

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Iraq has witnessed a sharp increase in cases of violence against women an increase that was especially pronounced during the past year. Social media platforms have been inundated with images, videos, and content reflecting womens anger and dissatisfaction with the situation, along with comments expressing their outcry and rejection of the hostile behaviors and domestic violence they are being subjected to. In most cases, it has been noted that authorities suddenly become involved and investigate the circumstances only after the case starts receiving wide media attention.

Established by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior in 2008, the community police in Iraq was tasked with the main role of supporting families, resolving social altercations, and protecting human rights, vulnerable groups, and minorities. It was initially considered a progressive step towards supporting and assisting women, and this has been the case in many instances. However, the harsh reality remains that many women in Iraq continue to live in tragic conditions.

Through photos of the torture and psychological exhaustion evident on their faces and bodies, Iraqi women share messages laden with sorrow and anger amongst themselves. Whether to share the burden of their suffering, seek help, or curse out their abusers, many women seem to share their stories in search of a little consolation or assistance. However, even that aspiration is not always achievable in light of the authorities inaction and failure to protect them as first-class citizens.

In this regard, the Head of Cyber Monitoring at the Community Police of al-Najaf Province, Asmaa al-Talqani, says, "The role of the community police is to resolve issues in a friendly and educational manner, without the need to resort to police stations or the judiciary. This helps to alleviate the burden caused by the daily and continuous influx of reports received by the police. We engage directly with the complainant as soon as we receive the necessary information."

Al-Talqani discusses the challenges they face that impede their work, with the most prominent ones being the tribal nature of Iraqi society and the difficult mindset of the local community. This necessitates "communicating with them for days, solely to persuade them to refrain from harming or even killing the runaway girl, for example."

Many cases have occurred where community police returned girls to their families, such as the case of Tayiba al-Ali. Community police and the local police personally communicated with her family after she informed them that she would be killed by her own family. The authorities obligated the family to sign a pledge to not harm her. Tribal parties also intervened in an attempt to calm the situation. However, the case ended tragically with Tayiba being strangled to death three days later, on February 2nd.

According to al-Talqani, "We have limited powers, and when we encounter cases where individuals refuse to return, we hand them over to the judiciary, and they are then referred to the shelters and homes in the province. However, we cannot forcibly take abused girls against their families' will, as we don't have any legal provisions that align with such action."

She adds, "Our mission is to contain the situation and prevent it from escalating. We provide guidance to parents regarding psychological support and how to deal with victims of domestic violence and extortion, within the limits of our authority. Then we follow up on the case using our own methods, and we are serious about our work. However, there is no work that is free from problems and pressures. There may be minor failures, but women should not hesitate to file reports and complaints or contact us."

There will be no full rights for an individual without them realizing their need for those rights themselves, and without government institutions focusing on granting those rights. Social security cannot be provided to a victim who lives in fear in her own home more than she fears strangers in the streets. A woman may receive hits and kicks, but she cannot make a call or file a complaint seeking refuge for herself. The possibilities here are limited and unsafe, as they are subject to certain powers and conditions. Obedience and silence are the absolute necessity for women to stay alive. This is how this society has built its walls around women, making them completely helpless and powerless over time.

A study on violence against women in Iraq, published on the United Nations Women website, indicated that the absence of a deterrent law to protect women and girls from domestic violence, weak law enforcement institutions, and the proliferation of weapons outside the scope of state control, are all factors that have led to the escalation of violence against women and girls.

In the same judicial study, the investigation found that court decisions tend to be lenient in some of the penalties imposed on perpetrators of domestic violence crimes, and most of these cases end in reconciliation.

M.A., a teacher at the University of Basra, says she called the community police line several times after hearing her neighbor's screams, and she received the following response: "You think we don't have any work to do besides you?" Then the line was disconnected. Two days later, in the same area in Basra province, a banner was put up in mourning of H.A., her 20-year-old neighbor whom she used to occasionally run into by chance when she'd return from university. She says, "No one spoke about her death, and we didn't know the cause."

"The circumstances of death here are mysterious and ambiguous most times, but the features of death are the same on women's faces. Sometimes, when a woman tries to file a complaint against an abusive father or brother, she may be met with religious advice and preaching, as if the community police have suddenly become the morality police," says A.J., a 23-year-old student at the College of Arts in Baghdad. She explains how she reported her father's threats to kill her, and her report was met with these words: "It's just an angry outburst; do not be afraid. These problems happen within families."

For her part, Nourhan, a 19-year-old student at a Baghdad high school, provided us with information and pictures she had stored in the past years about an attempted assault by her younger brother. She would repeat, "He's a monster, not a brother." She spoke of several attempts to report the abuse, but she would hesitate when picking up the phone. Every time she wanted to speak up about what happened, she would get scared and back down, like any other girl who sees the conditions of women and hears about their fates when facing the perpetrator or facing death.

Nour's testimony ends with a bitter smile and a derisive joke, the kind that a person rarely forgets, "If something happens to me, seek justice for me, reclaim my rights, and don't remain silent," as if seeking justice and reclaiming rights after death will produce a result. But if the girl reclaims her rights, will she reclaim her life?

Basma al-Zaidi, the Director of the Women's Affairs Section in the Community Police within the Baghdad Police Directorate, says that "the community police's performance and tasks are humanitarian missions aimed at preserving human rights and promoting civil peace within its authorized powers."

She recounts that during her work in the Women's Affairs Section, she encountered many success stories of battered and abused women who had run away. However, "there are some cases that require days or months to be resolved completely. We try to convey to people that the solutions provided by the community police are friendly and reconciliatory, and that our work is based on the principle of restorative justice between the parties, rather than engaging in conflict and dispute and exacerbating the situation."

As for the reports and appeals received via the hotline, she says, "We do our part by responding to the reports immediately, and if the case needs to be referred to another institution, we also guide and direct the informant to the judiciary within our knowledge and capabilities. We have units and patrols that work on a daily and regular basis to reduce the cases of running away and suicide that have been prevalent among women and teenagers recently. We encourage a culture of reporting cases of violence and are confident that we will do our best and everything in our power."

In a conversation with Iraqi researcher Janan al-Jabri, she focused on mentioning the basics, which is that when we call something a person's right, we mean that society should protect it by law enforcement, education, and upbringing. So how come the relevant authorities are unable to provide full assistance due to the lack of fair laws that enable them to perform these tasks? When it comes to a battered or fleeing woman, the authorities she sought help from might return her to her family, like what had happened last month as reported in the media when the community police returned four abused girls to their homes fearing tribal retribution after obtaining written commitments from their families to not harm them, regardless of the consequences the fleeing women might face upon their return. Where should women turn to in such cases? What are the alternatives?

The community police mentions that they monitor these cases upon their return, but there are reservations due to the confidentiality of their work, and sharing the details of these cases without the consent of the families is not allowed. They also address the ethical aspects of their work, which require them to adopt a certain methodology that has to be near-hidden from the public eye. For example, we asked a group of young people working in the medical field about cases of suicide or abuse that reach hospitals and what actions and procedures they take in turn. The collective response was, "Most of the girls who attempted suicide refuse to have their parents and families with them in the hospital room. They just scream and cry most of the time, and the abusers are often the ones accompanying them. Therefore, we only treat them. As for reporting, it doesn't help because we are harmed, and the patient is harmed even more. Her life may even be in danger."

One nurse mentioned that she once tried to file a report about a married woman who was brutally abused in a bloody and horrific way, with blue bruises on her face along with jaw fractures, but she didn't complete the report out of fear of legal accountability and violating the patient's privacy.

After a long conversation with a member of the division who receives the reports, he stated, "There are what we call empty reports that take up time from police work when they do not deserve it. We are asked to sort out these reports so that we can focus on the urgent tasks. There are cases when we try to call those who filed the reports, but their devices are either off or busy. What can we do in such situations?"

He adds, "We know that blame will always be placed on us under all circumstances, while the real delay and incompetence is not in our system or the police's response, but rather in the government system that is still revising drafts laws without passing any of them to advance or progress our work".

These are endless narratives about the realities experienced by women in every part of the country, some of which are recorded in memoirs and others shared as anecdotes. The reality remains as it is between the testimonies of victims and the discussions among personnel in security and government institutions. How can we obtain our rights and address these cases without waiting for a response from a call that may see our lives end before we can hang up, or even fail to make the call in the first place?

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A broken shield for women? Community policing in Iraq fails the ... - Raseef22

Summary

The United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh/Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant is reporting for the tenth time to the Security Council, marking new key outcomes towards the fulfilment of its mandate in respect of accountability for core international crimes committed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Daesh).

Following previously reported investigative achievements, the Team successfully launched new lines of inquiry on the development and use of biological and chemical weapons, the destruction of cultural and religious heritage and the crimes committed against various communities of Iraq. The Team has started to be engaged in building criminal case files with its Iraqi counterparts investigative judges, prosecutors and forensic and law enforcement experts against Daesh/ISIL perpetrators who escaped from Iraq and are residing in third States.

The Team, confident in the future adoption of a domestic legal framework to prosecute Daesh/ISIL members for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, is aiming to work with the Iraqi judiciary on key evidence and leads that could support charges related to core international crimes.

The Team will continue to share its expertise and knowledge with relevant jurisdictions, within and beyond Iraq, to hold Daesh/ISIL members accountable for such crimes.

The major evidence-digitization project led by the Team is continuously being implemented and UNITAD is assisting its counterparts in the digitization of records at several courts in Baghdad, Tikrit, Anbar, Ninawa, Kirkuk, Tazah Khurmatu and Erbil. This support includes the provision of training on the management of key evidence, as well as on the physical archiving of records.

The Team is highly dedicated to uninterruptedly providing its expertise, information, and equipment to Iraqi counterparts, in particular in the framework of its digitization project.

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Tenth report of the Special Adviser and Head of the United Nations ... - ReliefWeb

The following report is now acomplimentaryoffering from MEMRI's Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM). For JTTM subscription information,click here.

The Sabereen News Telegram channel, which supports Iran-backed militias in Iraq, reported on May 31, 2023 that the Russia-backed Wagner PMC group had posthumously awarded a Russian medal and Black Cross ribbon to an Iraqi fighter named Abbas Abu Dharr Witwit, who was reportedly residing in Russia.[1]

For more about the involvement of jihadi groups in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, see MEMRIs studyThe Jihadi Conflict Inside The Russia-Ukraine War.

According to the post, Witwit who was killed on April 6, 2023 had a residency in Russia. "The Wagner Company grants the families of an Iraqi martyr the most prestigious medal of courage given to a resident of Russia who met martyrdom during the confrontations to liberate the city of Bakhmut," said the post.

The channel also shared a video of a Wagner representative giving the medal and the ribbon to a man who is identified in the post as Witwit's parent. In the video the father who spoke in Arabic language, praised his son, saying that "he was a hero, and he died like a hero, for the sake of freedom,a multipolar world and against the [powers] of arrogance."

The Putin's Friends in Iraq Telegram channel shared an English-language post reading: "[Witwit] selflessly gave his life while defending the ideals of freedom, justice and a multipolar world that America does not control. He dedicated his life to fighting against oppression, imperialism, and injustice. Believing that every person has the right to live in a world free from tyranny and fear, he devoted himself to the cause of defending these values and making them a reality."[2]

Witwit is a well-known Iraqi Shiite tribe that descends from Hilla city in Babil Province and Kurbela Province.

Over the past months, there have been several reports of jihadis who spent years fighting in Iraq and Syria now fighting in Ukraine, on both sides of the conflict.[3]

[1]Telegram, May 31, 2023.

[2]Telegram, May 31, 2023.

[3]See MEMRI JTTM Report:The Jihadi Conflict Inside The Russia-Ukraine War, May 22, 2023.

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Telegram Outlets Linked To Iran-Backed Militias In Iraq: Wagner ... - Middle East Media Research Institute

Now is not the time to be complacent, or to take for granted that Iraq has turned a corner, said the UN Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert.

Achievements range from fighting corruption to advancing energy independence, said Ms. Hennis-Plasschaert, who also heads the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), briefing on recent developments.

But going forward, she said, critical actions must tackle outstanding issues, including forging an agreement on a functioning budget and ensure the long-awaited provincial council elections occur by the end of 2023.

Turning to the Kurdistan region, she said disagreements between the two ruling parties in recent months drove the region close to the brink amid an increasingly reckless and irresponsible political situation.

Among a range of concerns, she raised the issue of the long-overdue parliamentary elections.

Time is of the essence, she said, adding that agreement on outstanding electoral issues must urgently be found. Another postponement would be detrimental to public trust.

Despite repeated declarations of commitment from Baghdad and Erbil, she remained disappointed over the scant progress made so far, in implementing the 2020 Sinjar Agreement, which outlined a road map for reconstructing the north of the country.

Such stagnation creates further space for spoilers to exploit the situation to their own ends, and it blocks thousands of displaced Sinjaris from returning to their areas of origin, she said.

A recent rise in tensions between communities in Sinjar was in large part further fuelled by online disinformation targeting the Yazidi community.

While local leaders from all sides have collectively worked to dispel this spike in tensions, she said, challenges to reconciliation will persist until meaningful steps are taken, including those towards a unified administration, stable security structures and reconstruction.

Be it the budget, questions surrounding hydrocarbon resources, disputed territories, the implementation of the Sinjar Agreement, or any other outstanding issue for that matter, she said it remains essential to move beyond ad hoc engagements between Baghdad and Erbil.

Developing countries, like Iraq (pictured) lack the resources to invest in recovery, climate action and the SDGs.

Water represents the most critical climate emergency for Iraq. By 2035, it is estimated that Iraq will have the capacity to meet only 15 per cent of its water demands. Around 90 per cent of Iraq's rivers are polluted, and seven million people are currently suffering from reduced access to water. This is a significant multiplier of threats to Iraqs stability.

Welcoming the priority placed on the issue of water security by Iraqs Government, she said plans for the extensive updating of water management systems are said to be underway, which will be vital in meeting demands driven by population growth and urbanization.

The fair sharing of resources among Iraqs neighbours is equally important, she said. If water access becomes a competition, everyone loses; bold domestic actions and close regional cooperation offer the only winning solution.

Regional security, economic and political developments will continue to impact Iraq, she said, emphasizing that the importance of the Governments efforts to scale up diplomacy with and among its neighbours in a number of areas, from border security and trade to water-sharing and climate issues.

Underlining the need for active, empowered and protected civic space, she expressed hope that Iraqs leaders and authorities publicly embrace civic engagement, and the freedom of expression at that, to avoid fomenting a renewed sense of isolation and disillusion among Iraqi people, particularly the younger generation and women.

Accountability, rule of law, and respect for human rights are equally essential to preventing recurring cycles of crises, she said.

Turning to the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-party nationals and of Kuwaiti property as a result of Iraqs short-lived invasion of the country in 1990, she noted progress in locating witnesses and possible burial sites and welcomed welcome the Prime Ministers decision to establish a committee to continue these efforts.

However, she said her Officer continues to await progress on the retrieval of missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives.

These gains could be easily spoiled, whether through unchecked corruption, interference from within, intrusion from the outside, a groundswell of disillusion or political horse-trading against the common good, she said.

Iraq has tremendous potential, she said. Through ambitious Government plans, provided they are fully implemented, many drivers of instability can be addressed.

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Despite gains, Iraq has not yet 'turned the corner', Security Council hears - UN News