Will they get away with murder?As the world absorbed the impact of images bearing witness to torture in the fight against Daesh, the leader of an Iraqi special forces unit with blood on its hands gleefully admitted to the worst, boasting that the disclosure of his “mistakes” will make him only more famous.The staggering sense of impunity among at least some fighters that Canada and its coalition-partners have singled out for praise in the battle against Daesh (also known as ISIS) emerged early Friday, as Capt. Omar Nazar of the Iraqi Emergency Response Division took proud ownership of the damning evidence exposed in separate investigations by the Toronto Star and ABC News.“We have made mistakes, but they are all directed toward the enemy, ISIS, and I’m proud of those mistakes,” Nazar told ABC’s Nightline in Arabic.Claiming an ability to tell in 10 minutes or less who is loyal to Daesh and who is not, Nazar said he operated under orders to take no prisoners. When confronted with brutal images gathered over a span of months by Iraqi photographer Ali Arkady — including a video clip of Nazar and a second ERD soldier, Cpl. Haidar Ali, gunning down an unidentified suspect — Nazar explained human rights do not apply to ISIS.“He is not human,” Nazar said of the slain suspect. “He is a monster.” The execution, he said, “is not considered murder.” Nazar sidestepped a question on whether Iraqi authorities would now follow through on promises to investigate his unit, saying the outcome would only enhance Nazar’s already substantial cult-hero status in Iraq.“I’m already a star in Iraq and Ali (photographer Arkady) would only make me a bigger star by doing this. Why? Because my country is longing for someone who would help it get rid of terrorism.”Nazar’s comments came amid a chorus of worries that, as dawn rises over the first day of the holy m ...
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