Abu Ghraib prison reopens, renamed
Daylife/AP Photo by Karim Kadim
Iraqi officials have formally reopened Abu Ghraib prison, which became synonymous with abuse under the U.S. occupation, and in addition to a fresh coat of paint, gave it a new name.
The prison on the western outskirts of Baghdad earned global notoriety after U.S. jailkeepers filmed themselves tormenting and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners less than a year after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein…
Renamed Baghdad Central Prison, it already has around 400 inmates, said prison director general Alsharif al-Murtadha Abdul al-Mutalib…
The Iraqi authorities running the new prison appeared intent on constructing an entirely different image now.
The newly minted Baghdad prison has modern medical and dental facilities, a computer chatroom and a courtyard for visiting families that contains a children’s playground and a water fountain.
Inmates will be able to sew their own clothes in a small sewing factory. The prison also has a mosque and a hair salon that would not look out of place in a city street outside.
As the new prison slowly fills, there remains questions about what will be done with prisoners still held by the American military. 14,000 of them.
