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Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody

by TChris

Via RawStory, a BBC News report tells us that nearly a hundred prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan have died in U.S. custody.

Of the 98 deaths, at least 34 were suspected or confirmed homicides, the programme said.

The Pentagon promised to take the report seriously.

Accountability? Not likely. Not likely at all.

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  • Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#1)
    by Al on Tue Feb 21, 2006 at 11:31:45 PM EST
    And yet, I have faith in America. I think that some day, good, decent Americans will prevail. That day is distant; and there is a lot of work to be done. But if you are horrified by this, and will have nothing to do with it, please take comfort in the fact that you are right, and you will prevail. We shall overcome.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#2)
    by profmarcus on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 04:05:32 AM EST
    it's interesting that it doesn't seem to matter how many people are finally speaking up, what their concerns are, how important or influential they are (or were) or how many times they repeat themselves, bushco rolls right along, stopping only briefly to spin or deny... i gotta ask, what will it take to force these bastards against the wall...? every other post i've read for the past five years asks the question: "has bushco finally met its waterloo...?" no, obviously they haven't, but the slide keeps getting both steeper and slipperier... Visit my blog: And, yes, I DO take it personally

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#3)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 05:36:26 AM EST
    Prison is a very dangerous place. Do you have any proof that the US killed these people?

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 05:44:57 AM EST
    Do you have any proof that the US isn't responsible for their death, PPJ?

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#5)
    by jen on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 06:23:13 AM EST
    JimakaPPJ wrote:
    Prison is a very dangerous place. Do you have any proof that the US killed these people?
    It was the responsibility of whoever was running the prisons to make it safe. Every death is a failure.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#6)
    by Johnny on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 07:11:30 AM EST
    DA, you goofed and asked Jim to prove a negative. He loves that. Better to ask him if he feels the deaths could have been prevented.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#7)
    by desertswine on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 07:37:46 AM EST
    Well, this doesn't count the people we handed over to the warlords of the Northern Alliance, does it? It doesn't count if we hand them over for someone else to kill, right?

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#8)
    by jen on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 08:54:04 AM EST
    ooops, the first two lines of my last post after the colon should have been in quotes. I goofed.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#9)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 10:19:54 AM EST
    Dark Avenger - I'm not the one making the claim. You are. I mean, what shall I accuse you of? Johnny - Yes, a good giggle is helpful on some days. Could we have prevented them? Now let's see. Almost a 100 dead. Let's say 98. Thirty four suspected homicides... Now how many were? Unknown...? Hmmmm, Glad to know you are so concerned. Next thing I know you will be wanting to let them buy control of our ports.. Oh, you're not? Gee. Now I'm confused.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#10)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 10:45:04 AM EST
    wouldn't it be scary to think of ppj in any position where he had power,like if he was a jail guard or cop. he seems to enjoy torture and people being killed in jail.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#11)
    by Johnny on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 10:56:46 AM EST
    Could we have prevented them? Now let's see. Almost a 100 dead. Let's say 98. Thirty four suspected homicides... Now how many were? Unknown...? Hmmmm, Glad to know you are so concerned. Next thing I know you will be wanting to let them buy control of our ports.. Oh, you're not? Gee. Now I'm confused.
    Your assuming again Jim, which is in very poor taste, even for you. If you can (which is impossible) show me where I am either for or against giving control of ports away, feel free.
    Now I'm confused.
    Naturally. So, maybe a better question for you would be "Should these deaths have been prevented?"

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#12)
    by Jlvngstn on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 10:57:55 AM EST
    Glad to know you are so concerned. Next thing I know you will be wanting to let them buy control of our ports..
    I thought the UAE was buying the company, not Iraq and AFghanistan. Now i am confused.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 11:28:01 AM EST
    Like this guy here? Oh, and in answer to this: it's called 'sarcasm'. I don't think of you as being in the same catagory as the actual thing which I've seen driven around town here.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#14)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 06:08:14 PM EST
    Johnny - History is full of preventable deaths. Jlvngstn - That's plain to see. Dark Avenger - Like when I say: "I like you soooooo much??" et al - Being a fan of geopolitics and knowing that a friend of my enemy is my friend, something the Left doesn't have a clue about, I'll take all the help I can get. But just because you roll your hat into the 20 mission crush and act like you have been there and back don't think that I don't know that you've spent your life drinking coffee in the line shack. ;-)

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#15)
    by Johnny on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 06:18:24 PM EST
    Johnny - History is full of preventable deaths.
    Thanks for the non-sequitor. So, do you think these should have been prevented?

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#16)
    by jimakaPPJ on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 08:41:23 PM EST
    Johnny - I think all deaths should be prevented if they are worthy of being prevented. Now given that all deaths can't be prevented, that assumes that someone is going to have to make a value judgment. In this case I have no knowledge of what was involved. Neither do you.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#17)
    by Sailor on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 08:59:41 PM EST
    I think all deaths should be prevented if they are worthy of being prevented.
    Well, that's ppj in a nutshell. Jeebus, they didn't not 'prevent' the deaths, they caused them. We've seen the pix, we've read the admissions.
    In this case I have no knowledge of what was involved. Neither do you.
    But that never stopped him from being certain of everything else that goes on in gitmo, abu ghraib, afghanistan ... etc.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Feb 22, 2006 at 10:06:08 PM EST
    Dark Avenger - Like when I say: "I like you soooooo much??" No, more like when you wrote:
    Do you think I'm supposed to ignore your, and her comments?
    Link That's the PPJ we all know and giggle about. Being a fan of geopolitics I'm certainly glad you stuck to the truth here and didn't use the term "well-informed" and knowing that a friend of my enemy is my friend, something the Left doesn't have a clue about Yes, I would say that the position you've just stated isn't a position of the Left, but carry on, oh clueful one:
    But just because you roll your hat into the 20 mission crush and act like you have been there and back don't think that I don't know that you've spent your life drinking coffee in the line shack.
    Gee, you can tell all that just from what people say in their comments here. It's too bad that you can't use this 'talent' to make money, unless you have already and are just shy about who the paymasters(or -mistresses) are who reward your 'ability' so well. Oh, and as I stated before, if you know so much about all of us, tell me what color my vehicle is that I drive to work every day. If you know about where and when people 'drank coffee", then my challenge should be a slam-dunk for someone who displays the 'gifts' we see operating here everyday. TTFN.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#19)
    by Johnny on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 06:18:01 AM EST
    Johnny - I think all deaths should be prevented if they are worthy of being prevented
    What defines "worthy"? A trial? Proving beyond a doubt their guilt? Cuz that just ain't happening... Unless you are sure about what isactually going on in there. But you don't.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#20)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 06:43:16 AM EST
    Dark Avenger - You do specialize in misunderstanding. You are very good at it. So let me be plain. You don't know what you are talking about in these attacks. But, if it makes you feel good, enjoy. Why? Because I love you soooooo much. Now, go down to the Line Shack and tell the Chief to give you some coffee. sailor - What we have is a bunch of claims and very little "proof" all presented with a great deal of caterwauling. et al - My apologies for trying to use satire and sarcasm. Knowing my audience, I should have known it wouldn't work.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#21)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 09:31:01 AM EST
    You do specialize in misunderstanding No, you are the master, I am but dust beneath your feet in this area, o wise one. You don't know what you are talking about in these attacks. Speaking of folks not knowing what they're talking about.......... But, if it makes you feel good, enjoy. Why? Because I love you soooooo much. Like when you posted: DA - Are you daft or just totally in denial? Of course, it turned out that I wasn't the one who was daft or totally in denial, YMMV. Now, go down to the Line Shack and tell the Chief to give you some coffee. Now, go back and show us that you understand falsifiability, and I'll tell the Chief to have your Postum ready, as caffeine obviously makes you too excited to use reason, facts or logic in your posts......

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#22)
    by john horse on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 02:22:09 PM EST
    Eric Alterman has a link to the Human Rights First study of detainee deaths in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here are the facts. "In only 12 of 34 cases has anyone been punished for the confirmed or suspected killings. Beyond those cases, in almost half of 98 known detainee deaths since 2002, the cause was never announced or was reported as undetermined."

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#23)
    by Johnny on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 02:27:00 PM EST
    A couple things spring to mind.. What is the average age of those men who are terrorists? 20? 25? Not exactly a group of people known to die of "undetermined" causes...

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#24)
    by jondee on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 02:37:09 PM EST
    Three more years for these slimeballs to get ready for the Mussolini steeple chase through the streets; thankfully theres alot of available lampposts.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#25)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 02:40:09 PM EST
    Dark Avenger - Please, quit belitting yourself. It hurts me to hear such things from someone I love sooooo much. And thank you for linking us back to what I said about the confirmation of Judge Janice Rogers Brown:
    Posted by PPJ aka Jim June 8, 2005 05:30 PM She was born a sharecropper's daughter. What a great country.
    Now go on down to the Line Shack and ask the Line Chief to let you bum a cup of coffee. He told me you haven't paid your coffee mess dues. BTW - I see you didn't mention anything that had to do with the thread. Looks kinda trollish to me.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#26)
    by jondee on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 02:45:05 PM EST
    ppj, we all know you approve so why the "theres no proof" dumb act? After all, torturers are the enemy of your enemy; right?

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#27)
    by john horse on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 03:28:03 PM EST
    Here is what Human Rights First has documented in their report (see link above) which was based in part on information obtained through the Freedom of Information Act: death of detainees by torture abuse or force by their captors, including twelve specific cases, death by unknown, "natural" or other causes, including nine specific cases, specific examples of failure of investigation, and specific examples of failure of accountability. You can read the report for yourself or take the Bush administration's word for it that "we don't torture". Just be aware of what side is providing documentation to back up what they say.

    Re: Nearly 100 Detainees Died in U.S. Custody (none / 0) (#28)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Feb 23, 2006 at 08:39:06 PM EST
    Now go on down to the Line Shack and ask the Line Chief to let you bum a cup of coffee. Hey, if you want decaf for yourself, I'll tell him, o fount of wisdom ;) He told me you haven't paid your coffee mess dues. How long have you been having these imaginary conversations, PPJ? I thought now that you could afford your meds, you'd be takin' them regularly, like you told the good doctors at the VA you would.
    I see you didn't mention anything that had to do with the thread. Looks kinda trollish to me.
    PPJ, again, I defer to your vast expertise, both theoretical, and operational, in this particular area. I mean, I'm trying to give you props, and you're just attempting to bust my gonads here. Did you take an extra mean pill today or what? TTFN.