The Deceit of Human Rights Watch

Burned bodies in a farm building - Libya 2011

This is from an old post but an example of how HRW's researchers gladly accept the most preposterous 'witness' testimony to back their agenda.

HRW Report Link here

29th August 2011 - Media report on a warehouse in Libya where the charred skeletal remains of unidentified humans remain. HRW pin the carnage on the Khamis Brigade, a supposed elite force in the Libyan army.

So what do HRW use to support their claim? The following testimony from a guy who claimed to have escaped during the execution.

Let's analyse the witness statement.

Witness: Four soldiers climbed on the top of the warehouse, and another soldier opened the door. They started shooting at us through the roof. It was made of sheet metal. The guy at the door was throwing in grenades…I saw bullets and heard people saying Allahu Akbar, and that’s all. I saw [eight people] fall down. When [the guards] were refilling their ammunition, I ran out the door and jumped over the wall. I was not wounded, hamdullah. They just shot and killed us…

How does the witness know the precise number of soldiers that had climbed on the sheet metal roof. Has he got special vision?
Why does he need to tell us that the roof was sheet metal? As proof that he was there?
So, a guy was at the door throwing in grenades. I'll admit I'm not an expert on grenades but wouldn't this be shaking the crap off the roof? Wouldn't the explosions also come back on the soldier that was at the door?
The witness claims he escaped while the gunmen were reloading. So all 4 gunmen just happened to be re-loading at the same time. And presumably the guy at the door tossing in grenades also took a break.
He claims he ran out of the door. The same door that the soldier with the grenades was occupying or maybe another back door which they provided so prisoners could leave when they liked?

He's been in a warehouse being shot at by 4 soldiers, grenades being thrown in by a fifth, run out the door, climbed over a wall and miraculously has absolutely no injuries.

Witness: After I escaped, I saw one of the soldiers finish off anyone who was wounded lightly. He would just finish them off. I saw him from far away. He was wearing trouser fatigues and a civilian top. I recognized him. He was one of the ones guarding us. His name was Brahim and he was from Tajoura … After I escaped on August 23, I hid in a house outside the compound for three days, and saw that the guards were still there. 

Ok, he's just escaped from a horrific scene with his life and decides he wants to observe what else is happening there. Like you do. How could he see what was going on in the warehouse from being outside it, let alone from 'far away'.
He continued to observe the compound (for whatever reason) for 3 days to assure us that it was still controlled by Gaddafi's troops. Verifying that the rebels couldn't have done this. That the rebels just turned up as the place was burning. How convenient.
Now, about the fire:
 
Within three days the same warehouse was set on fire but the cause is unknown, Human Rights Watch said.

I can only guess the bodies were set on fire to cover up the crimes. There has to have been an accelerant used as even the bones are charred. Now, if the Khamis Brigade or other Gaddafi troops had done this and then wanted to cover up why would they be spray painting their name all over the building? Does that seem logical?

Here's another possible scenario: Rebels/Special Ops took over the compound, rounded up Gaddafi's troops and/or black Libyans/migrants. Killed (Tortured/mutilated?) and then tried to burn the evidence. Then stuck some graffiti on the walls so people, who think Murder She Wrote is a complicated whodunnit, would pin it on the Khamis Brigade.

If HRW can base a verdict on such testimony then it clearly shows they're either extremely incompetent or have a serious bias.

Please don't take this as an extreme example. Read other HRW reports and you'll see the same absurdities. They back up their agenda with nonsense and then claim to have facts. They know full well that the vast majority of people are never going to scrutinise their 'facts'. In fact it's rare that someone will even visit their website. The majority of their spin is sold through the mainstream media.


Video of some of the black Libyans/migrants who were killed/lynched by the angelic anti-Gaddafi rebel forces NATO supported. Note this is from the same area. Executed even while they were laying in the hospital. The rebels telling the media they were killed by the Libyan army.

So any investigation into these crimes, anyone to be prosecuted? No, the rebels were all given an amnesty from prosecution by the newly installed puppet government. Where are the Amnesia International and HRW campaigns for justice? Nowhere.