Over 300,000 Iraqis may be in mass graves, says HRs official

By: Hamoud Kufi

BAGHDAD, Iraq: A top human rights official in the US-led civilian administration Sandy Hodgkinson said ousted Saddam Hussein regime is believed to have buried as many as 300,000 opponents in 263 mass graves that dot the Iraqi land.

Hodgkinson said the administration has been sending forensic teams to investigate those grave sites reported to American officials. So far, the existence of about 40 graves has been confirmed.

“We have found mass graves with women and children with bullet holes in their heads,” she said.

US President Bush has referred to Iraqi mass graves frequently in recent months, saying they provide evidence that the war to drive Saddam from power was justified.

But some human rights activists have criticized the US-led administration in Iraq for moving too slowly to protect gravesites and begin excavations.

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