US troops suspended for POW abuse

[Judi Lynn]

US troops suspended for POW abuse
February 24, 2004 - 8:05AM


Seventeen US soldiers have been suspended of duties pending the outcome of the investigation into allegations of abuse of Iraqi prisoners, a US officer said.

The 17 include a battalion commander and a company commander, Colonel William Darley said. He gave no further details.

Last month, Lieutenant-General Ricardo Sanchez, commander of US forces in Iraq, ordered a criminal investigation into reports of abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison on the western outskirts of Baghdad.

The announcement followed allegations by Amnesty International and former prisoners of harsh treatment of detainees arrested by US and coalition forces since the Iraq war began last March.
(snip/...)

http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/02/24/1077497546240.html

[bobbieinok]

1. meanwhile, at Gitmo.....

....

[Cooley Hurd]

2. Not only is it a case of gross human rights abuse...

...but, tactically, it's a stupid thing to do. When stories of the abuse hit the streets of Baghdad, it will only inflame the anti-coalition sentiment and strengthen the resolve of the insurgents.

Nice going, Jackasses.

[jamesinca]

3. Does this somehow become a war crime

Will it go a long way into fixing what is broken in Iraq if these people are tried and imprisoned, if the Geneva convention is upheld and it is made very public. Yes that is right, make examples of these people. Maybe they would gain a little respect in the minds of the Iraqis.

I forgot, Bush put it in a condition of this war that American will not be held to international standards and trials for this type of thing. So I guess it all falls on the Bush administration to do what is correct. Sorry Iraq, we invaded your country, killed 8,000+ of your people and abused a few more that will teach ya. Good will to all and to all a good night.

[strategery blunder]

4. Does this mean...

that Bush will be censured for ordering abuse of "enemy combatants?"

oops, I shouldn't expect too much from his puppet Congress.

[newyawker99]

10. Hi chair094!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[strategery blunder]

11. Thanks for the warm welcome!

[Mari333]

5. How far off the deep end are the soldiers going

they are reservists, many of them not in the least bit worldly, and angry in general..they have been taught that Iraqis arent human, they are angry and want to come home, and they are reservists..basically a lot of dumb teenagers in many cases..Ive seen these kids, they are just angry teenagers many of them
who knows whats going on that makes them do this..sounds like Vietnam all over again folks and I roll my eyes as to the thought of my stepson as an MP losing it over there too..Im not kidding..hes a teenager with a gun.

[saigon68]

12. They are Thugs and Hooligans

And a Battalion CO at least an O-4 or 0-5. disgraceful Nazi criminals.

They may be "reservists" but they are regular forces on duty. If some "reservist" killed my child I would be looking for Revenge.

A bad war for oil---That's all it is </Rant>

[TacticalPeek]

6. Bad leadership.

Each individual is ultimately responsible for their own actions, but:

Going into this, as we formed up and departed Kuwait, many brass hats rallied the trops with "Remember 9/11", "Fight to defend your wives and mothers", "Never forget New York, and the Pentagon, and Pennsylvania", and similar horseshit.

If half the people in the US believe Saddam and his minions sent those planes into the buildings and dirt, imagine what percentage of the troops in theater are similarly deluded. For example, Corporal Ed Chin who draped the flag over the Saddam statue to the cheers of Chalabi's shills:

“That was the same flag (that flew over the Pentagon on September 11th), and me
being from New York, it kind of all goes together a bit.” American Flag Flap, ABCNews

Troops are highly motivated and trained to do what their leaders expect of them. If they expected flowers to be thrown at them and instead got RPG's and IED's, they should blame the fools who sent them there, not the Iraqi prisoners. Its somewhat encouraging that the battalion CO is included in the investigation, since we know the fish rots from the head.

[Solly Mack]

7. My husband reported soldiers within his company for war crimes

They, along with several Marines , were investigated and so far charges are still pending.

The Marines were opening fire on anyone and everyone they saw-whether friend or foe. They were supposed to be giving warning shots as well as verbal warnings-instead, they were just gunning people down. (Yes, women, children and men alike)

The soldiers within his company were abusing POW's.

Yeah, I'm not supposed to be telling this but considering the treatment my husband is receiving for doing the right thing, fuck protocol.



As for my husband-well, let's just say his command isn't too pleased with him and are giving him a very hard time of it.

[Mari333]

8. God almighty Solly

and who knows whats going on even more so that we dont know about.
and these guys will come back and live in the horror of what they did, daily. And there will be very little help for them. Your husband is a hero.

[Solly Mack]

9. He told me about it back when he came home on leave in Nov.

and I've kept it to myself these last few months-but as the situation gets worse for him because he did report them, my anger grows.

I told him 3 things before he left

Keep your self-respect, keep your dignity, and maintain your humanity at all cost...well, we are finding out that cost now.

It was only as an after-thought that I said "live" -because I couldn't imagine his living at the cost of abusing another.