Identifying dead from Iraq's mass graves

Date: 19 April 2011

BU lecturer leads the retrieval of human remains in Iraq mass graves.

Ian Hanson, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Archaeology in BU’s School of Applied Sciences, is at the forefront of the International Commission on Missing Persons (IC-MP) training to assist Ministry of Human Rights teams to retrieve human remains from mass graves in Iraq.

Having investigated mass graves since 1997 and written on the subject with BU forensics lecturers Paul Cheetham and David Schofield, Ian is a leading proponent in mass graves research, and is currently on sabbatical as he assists the IC-MP investigation.

It is estimated that there are 300,000 to 1 million missing persons in Iraq from the Saddam Hussein era, with their remains likely to be located in marked and unmarked mass graves. Naturally local communities continue to search for lost friends and family, yet Ian acknowledges a ‘real need for qualified professionals’ to effectively lead the searches.

In 2004-05 Ian and his forensic science colleagues at Bournemouth University hosted the first bespoke training programme for Iraqi doctors, scientists and investigators to begin formally learning the skills they would need to support and lead future investigations.

Since April 2009 Ian has spent a great deal of time in Iraq, developing further programmes that introduce new trainees to investigations, the law and science involved in recovering evidence from the many mass graves that remain in the country, and to establish competency and protocol for global scientific and legal standards. Given the scale of the exercise Ian estimates that endeavours are likely to continue over the next 30 years.

Part of the programme also includes working to explain and educate the Iraqi Government, NGOs and other agencies from Ministers down on the requirements and the scale of work required in gathering evidence and identifying missing persons. Training and implementing management strategies for heads of departments and managers on the support requirements for investigations is also a vital part of the work, as well as implementing best practice forensic science processes. Liaising with Ambassadors, diplomats and Consular staff from the main funders of the USA, UK, EU and UN, the programme has increased its scope, resources and length.

Ian suggests that, given recent ‘events’, it may be necessary to repeat the work he is doing in other Middle East countries such as Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria.