The Beeb reports the discovery of what could be the single largest mass grave discovered in Iraq thus far.

BBC correspondent Barbara Plett says the remains of up to 3,000 people had been found so far, and the total uncovered could be as many as 15,000.[...]

Among the remains are thought to be the bodies of political prisoners killed after a Shia Muslim uprising against Saddam in 1991 but also entire families.

BBC correspondents say the stench at the site is unbearable and a group of US marines who visited said it was like looking into hell.

Human rights groups believe that up to 200,000 people may be buried in sites across the country.

Fifteen thousand people. When they discovered the grave of the 1,000 buried near Basra, I was horrified. But I can’t even envision something of this magnitude, much less the 185,000 more the report indicates. No wonder we can’t find a WMD cache; it must pale in comparison to the size of graves holding so many slaughtered bodies.

And they’ve lain in the desert, buried like this for 12 years or more? Correct me if I’m wrong – and I’m sure someone will – but doesn’t the Koran have rather stringent instructions for the burial of the dead?