Negroponte's death squads

Just a quick update on the apparent implementation of Negroponte's "Salvador Option." Short version, when Negroponte was promoted to DNI, there were a number of stories that he was proposing the "Salvador option" to resolve Iraq. Negroponte was one of the dirty warriors for Reagan/Bush I in Central America who oversaw the formation of "strike squads" which were really death squads. So, everytime I see a story like this, I am reminded of the dirty wars of Central America.

The commandos are part of the Iraqi security forces that the Bush administration says will gradually replace American troops in this war. But the commandos are being blamed for a wave of kidnappings and executions around Baghdad since the spring. ....

For three hours, the raiders burst into Sunni homes, handcuffed dozens of men and loaded them into vans. They ended the assault and drove out of the neighborhood just before the dawn call to prayer, which would bring men into the streets, walking to the local mosques, Abu Yusuf said.

Two days later and 90 miles away, residents of the desert town of Badrah, near the Iranian border, found the bodies of 36 of the men in a gully, their hands still bound and their skulls shattered by bullets. Two were the cousins who had phoned him the warning, Abu Yusuf said.

One of the trademarks of the Iraqi death squads is finding the bodies with their hands bound. So, remember when you come across these stories, US forces are not doing this, but Bush administration officials are supporting this as policy in an effort to regain control of their poorly chosen war.