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1631-HQ-1462938 missing from a rural village in the Al-Madhatiyya district located approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Al-Hillah. According ro[ | three of his brothers were arrested on March 23, 1991, when IocalI Ba’ath officials demanded that all local villagers attend a meeting at the local Ba’ath party headquarters and arrested approximately fifteen people. His brothers, SUBHAN, age 54, age 44, and age 36, all farmers, were arrested and never seen again. himself was briefly arrested with the other three but was released just as they were taken to Al-Mahawil military base because he was a soldier on activ blitary duty who had not abandoned his post during the war. identified the remains of his brother, SUBHAN, among the bodies recovered from the Al-Mahawil mass grave based upon the identity documents he found on the remains. Two other relatives of were also arrested around the same time. the 21 year-old son of his brother[/__Jand age 22, were soldiers returning to duty. _A person who said he was an eyewitness to their arrest tola[ __] that the two were arrested at a Ba’ath Party operated checkpoint on their way to their military division. [HRW interview with two cousins remain missing, but as they were arrested around the same time as relatives whose remains have been identified in the mass grave, the family believes they were likely executed and buried around the same time. a 40 year-old teacher, described for HRW what happened when loyalist Iraqi forces entered his district in March, 1991: the military entered Al-Shamali [the northern part] on March 15 and the cleansing operation started in the villages. They destroyed many houses in the villages using bulldozers. They cut down the palm trees and the orchards. They chased and traced all the sons of my tribe. They arrested many people who were on the street, even people just passing through the area. They distributed checkpoints all over and con led oy ay 3 [HRW interview wits Poneto May 16, 2003] Nine relatives a arrested on the same day in March, 1991. is only rother,[ sd a 25 year-old army deserter, was arrested at his home by a group of Ba’ath party members, security officials, and police officers; his 31 year-old cousin fn army officer, was also arrested at his ome; his father’s uncle, MUHAMMAD OBAID HUSSEIN, age 54, was arrested at his home along with his three sons, 23 year-oldf a soldier, 83 ota ~~ OD O