Camp Justice
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| Also known as | Camp Al-Adala; Camp Banzai (until mid-September 2004); Camp Hunte (2003); Old Iraqi Defense Intelligence Agency compound; Forward Operating Base Justice; Joint Security Station Justice (2011) |
|---|---|
| Location | Kadhimiya district, northern Baghdad |
| Type | Joint Iraqi-U.S. base; later Joint Security Station |
| Category | U.S. installation in Iraq |
| Opened | 2003 (as Camp Hunte); built up in 2004 |
| Closed or transferred | 2011, handed back to the Government of Iraq as Joint Security Station Justice |
| Coordinates | 33.38200, 44.35300 (33°22′55.2″N 44°21′10.8″E) |
Overview
Camp Justice was a joint Iraqi-U.S. military base in the Kadhimiya district of Baghdad. Before 2003 the site housed Saddam Hussein's 5th Department and was used for Iraqi intelligence operations; it was known as the Old Iraqi Defense Intelligence Agency compound.
U.S. forces first called the site Camp Hunte, after Spc. Simeon Hunte, and then Camp Banzai. In mid-September 2004 it was renamed Camp Justice as part of an effort to give Army facilities around Baghdad friendlier names. The Central Criminal Court of Iraq, set up by the Coalition Provisional Authority in 2003 to try serious offenses, held proceedings at the camp.
The camp became known as the place where former regime leaders were executed. Saddam Hussein was hanged there at about 05:50 local time on 30 December 2006. Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar followed on 15 January 2007, former vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan on 20 March 2007, and Ali Hassan al-Majid, known as 'Chemical Ali,' on 25 January 2010.
In 2011 the base, by then Joint Security Station Justice, was handed back to the Government of Iraq. The site has since held the Shaaba Khamsa death-row facility for women; in 2014 it held 36 women and some children in space meant for 25.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2003 | The former intelligence compound came under U.S. control and was named Camp Hunte; the CPA established the Central Criminal Court of Iraq, which held proceedings at the camp. |
| 2004 | Renamed from Camp Banzai to Camp Justice in mid-September; Shiite pilgrims crowded outside the main gate that month. |
| 2006 | Saddam Hussein was executed at the camp on 30 December. |
| 2007 | Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar were hanged on 15 January; Taha Yassin Ramadan was hanged on 20 March. |
| 2008 | Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division operated from FOB Justice in Kadhimiya. |
| 2010 | Ali Hassan al-Majid ('Chemical Ali') was hanged on 25 January. |
| 2011 | Joint Security Station Justice was handed back to the Government of Iraq. |
Units stationed at Camp Justice
Units documented in public sources as based at or operating from Camp Justice. This list is not complete; units rotated frequently and many smaller elements were never reported. Veterans can add their unit on the message board below.
| # | Unit | When | Role at the base | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (3rd Platoon, Company D) | September 2008 | Operated from Forward Operating Base Justice in Kadhimiya | link |
| 2 | Iraqi military | Not specified | Shared the base with U.S. forces | link |
| 3 | Central Criminal Court of Iraq | From 2003 | Court established by the Coalition Provisional Authority that held proceedings at the camp | link |
Notable events and facts
- Saddam Hussein was executed at Camp Justice on 30 December 2006.
- The camp was named Camp Hunte in 2003 after Spc. Simeon Hunte before becoming Camp Banzai.
- Three senior former regime officials were hanged at the camp in 2007, and Ali Hassan al-Majid was hanged there in January 2010.
- The site later held Iraq's death-row facility for women, which was overcrowded as of 2014.
Photographs
Roll call: who served at Camp Justice
No names have been added yet. This roll call is built from the people who served here, one post at a time.
Message board: Camp Justice
Served here? Share a memory, name your unit, or send a correction. Posts are reviewed before they appear. The full community board is on the Message Board page.
Sources
- Camp Justice (Iraq) - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Justice_(Iraq)
- Wikimedia Commons: Crowds outside Camp Justice Iraq. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crowds_outside_Camp_Justice_Iraq.jpg
- Wikimedia Commons: Iraqi Police, U.S. Soldiers Presence Patrol DVIDS115549. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iraqi_Police,_U.S._Soldiers_Presence_Patrol_DVIDS1