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HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees

by TChris

A new report by Human Rights Watch, relying on interviews with members of the 82nd Airborne, concludes that "Army troops subjected Iraqi detainees to severe beatings and other torture at a base in central Iraq from 2003 through 2004, often under orders or with the approval of superior officers."

Three U.S. army personnel—two sergeants and a captain—describe routine, severe beatings of prisoners and other cruel and inhumane treatment. In one incident, a soldier is alleged to have broken a detainee’s leg with a baseball bat. Detainees were also forced to hold five-gallon jugs of water with their arms outstretched and perform other acts until they passed out. Soldiers also applied chemical substances to detainees’ skin and eyes, and subjected detainees to forced stress positions, sleep deprivation, and extremes of hot and cold.

Mistreatment was ordered by Military Intelligence personnel as an interrogation tactic, but was also used to "relieve stress," according to the soldiers.

The accounts show that abuses resulted from civilian and military failures of leadership and confusion about interrogation standards and the application of the Geneva Conventions. They contradict claims by the Bush administration that detainee abuses by U.S. forces abroad have been infrequent, exceptional and unrelated to policy.

The Pentagon, trying to sell the belief that a few rogue soldiers engaged in abuse without the knowledge of their superiors, labored to keep the truth from reaching the public.

The officer who spoke to Human Rights Watch made persistent efforts over 17 months to raise concerns about detainee abuse with his chain of command and to obtain clearer rules on the proper treatment of detainees, but was consistently told to ignore abuses and to “consider your career.” He believes he was not taken seriously until he approached members of Congress to raise his concerns. When the officer made an appointment this month with Senate staff members of Senators John McCain and John Warner, he says his commanding officer denied him a pass to leave his base.

While the administration wants the world to believe that abusive treatment of prisoners is contrary to policy, the officer who spoke to Human Rights Watch disagrees:

“[In Afghanistan,] I thought that the chain on command all the way up to the National Command Authority [President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld] had made it a policy that we were going to interrogate these guys harshly. . . . We knew where the Geneva Conventions drew the line, but then you get that confusion when the Sec Def [Secretary of Defense] and the President make that statement [that Geneva did not apply to detainees] . . . . Had I thought we were following the Geneva Conventions as an officer I would have investigated what was clearly a very suspicious situation.”

Forced to confront this latest scandal, now that it's been made public, the Army has launched a criminal investigation. Will its object be to limit the exposure of top Pentagon officials while casting the entire blame on soldiers in the field?

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  • Display: Sort:
    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#1)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:16 PM EST
    From the summary:
    When the Abu Ghraib scandal broke in April 2004, senior officials in the Bush administration claimed that severe prisoner abuse was committed only by a few, rogue, poorly trained reserve personnel at a single facility in Iraq. But since then, hundreds of other cases of abuse from Iraq and Afghanistan have come to light, described in U.S. government documents, reports of the International Committee of the Red Cross, media reports, legal documents filed by detainees, and from detainee accounts provided to human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch.
    Once again the Pentagon will be investigating themselves. Shameful.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    Regressive right attack on Human Rights Watch in five, four, three, two...

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#3)
    by Sailor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    "hey, she had it coming to her dressing like that" [/wingnut response]

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    Racist soldiers blowing off steam. Where is their command? Behind them, handing them the pincers. Ku Klux Klan kudoes all around. Gotta save the Iraqis by bombing their families into tiny pieces. Shock and Awe even though they have no WMD at all. All in the racist handbook. 130,000+ dead. No word yet on how many had their nipples twisted off with channel locks, by some maniac with an American flag on his arm.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    Oh, correction. I meant LEERING maniac with an American flag on his arm. Gouging out Emmet Till's eye and taking a torch to some Iraqi's nuts -- no difference. God don't make soap for racism. What good is He? According to the Perverted Lovers of the Old Black Book, He is standing behind the commander, handing him the justification.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    Since what we have here is a "he said," could we have some documentation/information on the accusers?

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    Considering that "he said" is a Captain in the 82nd airborne, I'm willing to take him at his word as an officer and a gentleman, until proven otherwise. Especially as it appears he was thwarted repeatedly in attempts to bring this to public light. The fact he approched one of the few honorable (though I disagree with some of his views) members of the Senate in John McCain speaks volumes as well. I'm sure the sleaze machine will work overtime to find some dirt on these soldiers/whistleblowers so Busheveks don't have to worry their empty little heads about this. PPJ- Still waiting on your follow up to your absurd response in the Fri. open thread. Edger also came up with the links you requested. Your serving of crow awaits. Enjoy. ;) Have a lovely Sunday. I'm off to a temple of St. Lombardi of Green Bay for Sunday services.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#8)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:17 PM EST
    Adept Havelock, As you advised me, PPJ moves his goalposts frequently. Don't hold your breath. If there were video footage of Bush eating babies he PPJ would ask for proof.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#9)
    by The Heretik on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:18 PM EST
    Curious if anyone thinks our moral rot self inflicted by such incidents would be worth it if the war in Iraq could be "won?"

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#10)
    by soccerdad on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:18 PM EST
    Curious if anyone thinks our moral rot self inflicted by such incidents would be worth it if the war in Iraq could be "won?"
    I would posit that few see this as moral rot, although well they should. American history proves that the citizens, in general, care not for such issues as long as it doesn't impinge on their life or life style. Most are perfectly happy to turn such matters over to the government.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:18 PM EST
    "If there were video footage of Bush eating babies he PPJ would ask for proof." Or ask how they taste.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:18 PM EST
    "American history proves that the citizens, in general, care not for such issues as long as it doesn't impinge on their life or life style." That's a slander, soccerdad. PLENTY of citizens, in general, rise up to fight injustice and seek a better government. And a lot of people have been KEPT OUT of the system by everything including lynching. The people aren't to blame for racism. The racists are.

    Re: HRW Reports Severe Abuse of Iraqi Detainees (none / 0) (#13)
    by soccerdad on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:18 PM EST
    PLENTY
    is consistent with my use of "in general". I fully realize that there are people who fight injustice, but most citizens will be unconcerned/unaware unless it directly affects them.
    The people aren't to blame for racism. The racists are.
    and so are those who tolerate its existence.