Torture, Abu Ghraib and the American Way

[darrels joy]

Abu Ghraib and the American Way
President Bush went on Al Arabiya television this morning and strongly denounced the abuse of Iraqi prisoners:

First, I want to tell the people of the Middle East that the practices that took place in that prison are abhorrent and they don't represent America. They represent the actions of a few people. Secondly, it's important for people to understand that in a democracy that there will be a full investigation. In other words, we want to know the truth.

In our country, when there's an allegation of abuse--more than an allegation in this case, actual abuse, we saw the pictures--there will be a full investigation and justice will be delivered. We have a presumption of innocent until you're guilty in our system, but the system will be transparent, it will be open and people will see the results.

This is a serious matter. It's a matter that reflects badly on my country. Our citizens in America are appalled by what they saw, just like people in the Middle East are appalled. We share the same deep concerns. And we will find the truth, we will fully investigate. The world will see the investigation and justice will be served.

NBC News has obtained a copy of the Army's investigation into the abuses, conducted by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba. Excerpts:

6. I find that the intentional abuse of detainees by military police personnel included the following acts:

a. Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet;

b. Videotaping and photographing naked male and female detainees;

c. Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing;

d. Forcing detainees to remove their clothing and keeping them naked for several days at a time;

e. Forcing naked male detainees to wear women's underwear;

f. Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed and videotaped;

g. Arranging naked male detainees in a pile and then jumping on them;

h. Positioning a naked detainee on a MRE Box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture;

i. Writing "I am a Rapest" (sic) on the leg of a detainee alleged to have forcibly raped a 15-year old fellow detainee, and then photographing him naked;

j. Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee's neck and having a female Soldier pose for a picture;

k. A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee;

l. Using military working dogs (without muzzles) to intimidate and frighten detainees, and in at least one case biting and severely injuring a detainee;

m. Taking photographs of dead Iraqi detainees.

Reuters reports that Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who is in charge of reforming the U.S. military detention system in Iraq, offered both an apology and a promise: "I would like to personally apologize to the people of Iraq for the actions of a small number of leaders and soldiers who have violated our policies," he said. And: "I will personally guarantee that this will not happen again in any of the operations we have for detention and intelligence gathering."

All in all, we'd have to say the American system is working rather well. The abuses have led to a thorough investigation, an apology, a vow from the president himself that justice will be done, and a promise that reforms are in the works so this won't happen again. The New York Times has an interview with Hayder Sabbar Abd, who says he spent six months in U.S.-run prisons. Most soldiers "treated him well and with respect," he says, until November, "when punishment for a prisoner fight at Abu Ghraib degenerated into torture":

That night, he said, he and six other inmates were beaten, stripped naked (a particularly deep humiliation in the Arab world), forced to pile on top of one another, to straddle one another's backs naked, to simulate oral sex. American guards wrote words like "rapist" on their skin with Magic Marker, he said.

The Times says Abd plans to travel home to Nasiriya, but he won't stay there:

He said he would be too ashamed. He wants the American government to pay compensation. He said he felt he needed to move out of Iraq, and despite it all, he said he would not refuse an offer to move to America.

He wants to move to America. That says it all, doesn't it?

[MORTARDUDE]

Have been reading and watching this story develop. From the President's press secretary's briefing this morning..this had apparently been going on since almost a year ago, and the information was all over the place. I guess my question is..why weren't the ones who did this punished long before all of this got into the worldwide press ?

Larry

[darrels joy]

Some were.

Prison Investigations Moved Swiftly, Officials Say
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 3, 2004 ? Once military authorities received information about possible prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, investigations moved swiftly, Defense Department officials said today.

A soldier, disturbed by the goings-on at the prison, went to officials with his allegations Jan. 13. The next day, Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 7, launched a criminal investigation.

The criminal investigation has resulted in the Army charging six soldiers from the 800th Military Police Brigade with a variety of offenses. The soldiers still are serving in Iraq ? although not as military police ? and will remain there until the investigations are complete. The offenses against them include conspiracy, dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment, assault, and indecent acts with another.

There are four other investigations into the "heinous" acts that allegedly took place in the prison, said a senior defense official on background.

A second investigation, recently completed by Army Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba, looked into procedures used at the prison. Taguba is the deputy commanding general for support at the 3rd Army, Fort McPherson, Ga. While classified, that investigation is "damning," said one official. Six noncommissioned and commissioned officers have received letters of reprimand following that investigation.

The Army inspector general's office has launched a third investigation, which began in February. That group will look at "detention operations around the world" to ensure humane, normal policies are being followed.

Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, ordered a fourth investigation to assess the state of training of Army Reserve units. The 800th is an Army Reserve unit based at Fort Totten, N.Y.

A final investigation is looking into the possible involvement of military intelligence personnel in the abuse. Army Maj. Gen. George Fay, the service's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, is leading that inquiry.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2...200405039.html