Annotation:
This report provides an overview of ways in which the US-led invasion into Iraq has impacted that countrys respect for human rights, focusing on the rights of women and girls, freedom of expression, the torture of detainees, and marginalized communities. The report reveals that, while progress has been made, Iraqs transition to a functioning and sustainable democracy is far from over. The first section of the report, which addresses the rights of women and girls, describes how the invasion into Iraq caused the deterioration of security in that country, which resulted in a rise in tribal customs and religiously-inflicted political extremism. The report describes that it is common for militias, insurgents, Iraqi security forces, and multinational forces to rape and kill women and girls. The report further notes that women and girls are not safe in their own homes either, as they are regularly physically punished and sometimes killed by their own fathers, brothers and husbands for actions that allegedly shame the family, and that they are unable to seek protection from the all-male police and other security forces as that would likely result in further harassment and abuse.