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Britain's Torture Trial

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 03:46:32 PM EST
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Shocking images as a trial of British soldiers begins on charges of abusing Iraqi prisoners. Disgusting acts. Like this:

...a grimacing Iraqi who had been strung up in a cargo net made from thick rope which had been hung from a forklift truck.

[You can view the photos here.] Here's a sample:

Just as shocking is that the allegations only became known because of a camera store that developed the photos for a solder --the prisoners never told:

The abused Iraqis pictured never came forward and the allegations only came to light when another fusilier, Gary Bartlam, 20, took his film to be processed at a shop in his home town of Tamworth. Police were called and the soldier was arrested.

And later convicted. In the trial that began this week,

The soldiers face a maximum of two years in prison for each of the charges apart from the lesser charge of battery.

Learning from the Bush/Rumsfeld play book, British military officials are using the "few bad apples" refrain:

The army's legal adviser during the war, Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholas Mercer, told the court it had been made "absolutely clear" to soldiers that they must "treat persons who fall into their power humanely and protect them from the dangers of war". He said that looting in Iraq was "epidemic and psychotic" but soldiers had been briefed that prisoners should either be released or handed over to the Royal Military Police as soon as possible.

War really brings out the best in people (not.)

Update:
Counterpunch analyzes the charges against the British soldiers.

< Officials to Rumsfeld: Bring On the Troops | Terror Alert in Boston >

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    Britain's Torture Trial | 7 comments (7 topical)
    Re: Britain's Torture Trial (none / 0) (#1)
    by Darryl Pearce on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 04:13:42 PM EST
    Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair. ...everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned

    Re: Britain's Torture Trial (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 05:05:33 PM EST
    Look I love you. but this is normal work for any Army, its called getting the population under control and psyhology control and political moral control, and its all normal business, its done here and all over the world. anyway what do you what?

    Re: Britain's Torture Trial (none / 0) (#3)
    by Repack Rider on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 06:57:28 PM EST
    this is normal work for any Army, its called getting the population under control Are you suggesting that the Iraqi population is "under control"? Because if it is, I would hate to see it get "out of control". Of course, I wasn't aware that the mission that was "accomplished" was to get the Iraqi population "under control". Is this the latest talking point, since all the rest turned out to be lies?

    Re: Britain's Torture Trial (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 09:19:31 PM EST
    To: repack...YES, Stop prison rape stop government rape free the u.s. army prisoners being hold by the terrorists Bush in the terror camps called,...u.s. prisons. Be a Real American not a follower of the main terrorists bush and bin laden and family, ask why are our borders open at time of war? and have a nice day, love is all you need.

    Re: Britain's Torture Trial (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jan 19, 2005 at 09:53:14 PM EST
    Perhaps this sort of behavior is merely a symptom of both wannabee empires and hasbeen empires. After all, you can't have empire without torture to back it up.

    Re: Britain's Torture Trial (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 20, 2005 at 01:13:47 AM EST
    Lavocat, now you are talking my way! empire anyone? stop prison rape inside the camps. Help!

    Re: Britain's Torture Trial (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jan 20, 2005 at 09:27:07 AM EST
    Fred: if you don't mind my asking, who are you (roughly) and where do you post from? Just curious. My position has always been that we are the domestic subjects of empire. Sort of a more subtle version of Rome but with the technology. Instead of yesterday's legions, today it's multinationals. But it remains cultural and economic imperialism backed up by brute force. Only the names change.

    Britain's Torture Trial | 7 comments (7 topical)