Camp Speicher Massacre

Iraqi artist depicts Speicher massacre

Camp Speicher Massacre, a tragic event that occurred in Iraq in June 2014, was perpetrated by ISIS against Shi'as. Subsequent to the massacre, ISIS forces captured between 1,700 to 4,000 Iraqi soldiers and mercilessly killed those who were Shia among them.

Individuals affiliated with the Ba'ath Party of Iraq, along with survivors from the family of Saddam Hussein (5th President of Iraq 1979-2003), have faced allegations of collaborating with ISIS in this heinous act. Following the slaughter, ISIS forces callously buried the victims' bodies in mass graves or callously discarded them into the Tigris River. Disturbingly, according to reports, a group of captives were even buried alive.

Daesh (ISIS) produced and released a film depicting this horrifying massacre. This grave human catastrophe has been cited as one of the motivations for Iraqis to form al-Hashd al-Sha’bi (The Popular Mobilization Forces). In the aftermath of the incident, the Iraqi government discovered numerous mass graves containing the remains of the victims. Some of the accused individuals involved in the massacre were arrested and subsequently subjected to sentences of death or imprisonment.

Importance

Camp Speicher massacre has been regarded as the most significant blow to ISIS during its existence. Certain sources even deem this incident as the most substantial terrorist attack since the 9/11 attacks. The total number of individuals killed in the Speicher Massacre far exceeds the combined casualties by ISIS terrorist operations in Europe. The highest recorded statistics of deaths in this tragedy is 2,500 individuals out of 4,000 prisoners.

The Event

Images released by ISIS in executions of the soldier, known as the Speicher Massacre.

According to an account from one of the survivors of the massacre, at 10:00 P.M. on June 12, 2014, despite the occupation of Mosul and Salahuddin provinces by ISIS, approximately three thousand individuals were transported to the Speicher base. This base is the largest air base in Iraq and is situated in the Salahuddin province. Per the base commander's orders, all the staff were granted a fifteen-day leave the following day. However, after the soldiers left the base, they were apprehended by armed ISIS forces and taken to the presidential palace in Tikrit. Within the palace, following extensive investigations and interrogations, the Shia individuals were segregated from the non-Shias, subsequently facing fatal consequences.

The remaining individuals were awaiting the verdict of the ISIS Sharia Court. According to certain sources, the armed forces responsible for transporting the soldiers to the presidential palace were drawn from the armed nomads of the region, and subsequently, the prisoners in the presidential palace surrendered to ISIS forces.

ISIS took control of the airstrip of Camp Speicher on June 12, 2014. After this, Iraqi forces engaged in clashes with Daesh (ISIS).

Some Arab tribes convened a meeting to discuss the fate of the captured soldiers within the presidential palace. Arguing that the Ba'athist government would soon regain control of Iraq, they decided to carry out a massacre of the Shias, with the aim of reducing the Iraqi Shia population. Based on this decision, the killing of Shia captives commenced on June 12. On June 13, ISIS entered the presidential palace, and the prisoners were handed over to them. ISIS commanders conducted a Shari'a court session, which led to the sentencing of the Shiites to death, while Sunnis who expressed remorse were released.

ISIS produced videos depicting the mass execution of soldiers and shared these recordings online. The soldiers were executed by gunshot to the head near the Tigris River, and their bodies were disposed of in the river. In other locations, the soldiers were handcuffed and then shot. A group of soldiers who managed to escape from ISIS captivity later encountered sectarian violence from Arab clans, resulting in their deaths. ISIS buried the victims in mass graves, and in some instances, they were buried alive.

According to Iraqi news sources, as of March 21, 2018, approximately 1,150 bodies from the Speicher massacre had been examined.

Victims

The count of soldiers taken captive by ISIS from Camp Speicher has been reported with a variation. Reports range from 1,700 to around 4,000 unarmed military trainees who were stationed at the camp during the time of its capture. However, according to the official statement from ISIS, they claim that 1,700 Shias were victims of this massacre. Human Rights Watch records the overall death toll from this assault as 2,134 individuals.

Consequences

Victims' Bodies

Hundreds of families waiting for confirmation of their loved ones among the Speicher victims

Following the liberation of Tikrit from ISIS in March 2015, numerous mass graves containing the remains of those who fell victim to the Speicher massacre were uncovered. As of June 10, 2015, the graves held the remains of 597 individuals killed in the Speicher tragedy, while an additional eighty bodies of violence victims were located along the Tigris Riverbanks. The most sizable mass grave found to date contained the remains of four hundred individuals who lost their lives in this massacre.

Suspected Involvement

Based on certain evidence and statements, individuals from the local nomadic community and military personnel with Ba'athist affiliations are believed to have collaborated with ISIS in carrying out this massacre. Certain nomads and factions linked to Al-Qaeda, as well as several survivors from Saddam Hussein's family, have been accused of being involved in this crime.

On August 27, 2014, the Iraqi government announced the formation of a special security force named "Majmu'at al-thar li shuhada' Speicher” (Al-Thar Group for the Martyrs of Speicher) to identify the perpetrators of this massacre. In February 2015, the first group of individuals accused of being involved in this incident, totaling thirty people, was arrested.

A few months later, the initial court verdicts were issued for the criminals in the case. On June 9, 2015, twenty-four criminals were sentenced to death. In the subsequent months and years, extending up to 2020, news regarding the arrest and trial of the individuals accused in connection to the Speicher Massacre was repeatedly covered by various news sources.

Iraqi soldiers carry coffins containing the remains of ten of their comrades killed in the Speicher massacre

Actions

According to Voice of Iraq, in response to the Speicher massacre, Moqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the al-Sadr movement, formed a militia named "Saraya al-Salam" in May 2014. This militia was created through the merger of several other militia groups. Alongside this development, the fatwa of jihad against ISIS issued by Ayatollah Sistani also played a significant role. This fatwa mentioned the Shia religious authorities as the primary motivation for the Iraqi people to unite and form the Iraqi People's Mobilization (al-Hashd al-Sha'bi) against ISIS. The International Shia Rights Watch organization designated the day of the Speicher massacre as "International Shia Rights Day."

In the Realm of Art and Media

Several documentaries have been created concerning this event. These include accounts like the memoirs of a war correspondent detailing the actions of an Iraqi woman named Umm Qusay, as well as productions like "ISIS, from Paris to Speicher" and the extensive documentary "Inja zaman istade” (Here Time Is Stopped), produced by Fotros Media.

Furthur Information

• Here Time Is Stopped (Documentary)