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Military Interrogator: "I Tortured People"


Tony Lagouranis interrogated prisoners in Iraq. He says "I tortured people."

At Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, the site of the 2003-04 abuse scandal, Lagouranis used to relax in the old execution chamber. He and a friend would sit near the trapdoor and read the Arabic scratched into the wall. They found a dirty brown rope. It was the hangman's noose. "If there is an evil spot in the world, that was one of them," Lagouranis said.

At Abu Ghraib and sometimes at the facilities in Mosul, north Babil province and other places where Lagouranis worked, the Americans were shot at and attacked with mortar fire. "Then I get a prisoner who may have done it," he said. "What are you going to do? You just want to get back at somebody, so you bring this dog in. 'Finally, I got you.' "

Now, he's tortured. This is a long article, but it doesn't make me any more sympathetic towards Lagouranis than I was towards Charles Graner.

Why are we hearing about this now? Because his book is about to be published.

More...

Lagouranis's tools included stress positions, a staged execution and hypothermia so extreme the detainees' lips turned purple. He has written an account of his experiences in a book, "Fear Up Harsh," which has been read by the Pentagon and will be published this week.

If it was vetted by the Pentagon, do you think we're getting the full story? I don't. It's not a book I'll be buying or reading.

You're not convinced? Here's more:

"At every point, there was part of me resisting, part of me enjoying," Lagouranis said. "Using dogs on someone, there was a tingling throughout my body. If you saw the reaction in the prisoner, it's thrilling."

And we're supposed to enrich him by buying his book? Count me out.

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  • Display: Sort:
    scumbagginess (none / 0) (#1)
    by baba durag on Mon Jun 04, 2007 at 01:08:31 AM EST
    He loved that evil little thrill that crossing the line of what's right brought him.  That way lies the death of the soul, and people like Bush.

    I'll pass too, Jeralyn.

    Sickening (none / 0) (#2)
    by HK on Mon Jun 04, 2007 at 04:45:28 AM EST
    I find even the parts of the book quoted here sickening, but even though we are not getting the full story, is it not good that at least we are getting some of it?  I don't agree for one minute with torture, but if it happens then people should know about it.  I also think that it is admirable that this guy has admitted to doing what he did and feeling the way he did, although it okay and it doesn't make me like him.

    I would not buy this book either, but I would consider it if all of the profits went to Amnesty International.  The fact that they aren't makes me doubt very much that his intentions in writing the book were honourable.  

    wow (none / 0) (#3)
    by Jen M on Mon Jun 04, 2007 at 06:30:44 AM EST
    The Washington Post exposes the obvious.

    How astonishing.
    Never would have guessed.

    Now... can we find NEWS?

    he's looking for absolution (none / 0) (#4)
    by Molly Bloom on Mon Jun 04, 2007 at 08:49:08 AM EST
    publishing a book is not the way to get it. Not at this point.