U.S. Officer Tells of Violence, Death at Iraq Prison

[Barrett808]

U.S. Officer Tells of Violence, Death at Iraq Prison
Reuters
Wednesday, May 5, 2004; 11:36 PM
By Adam Tanner

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A former U.S. military commander in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison described on Wednesday a chaotic atmosphere of disdain for Iraqi prisoners in which U.S. guards killed at least four during two riots.

Army National Guard Lt. Michael Drayton commanded the 124-person 870th Military Police Company from November to March at the prison, which is the subject of intense focus after pictures of Iraqi prisoners being abused appeared last week.

"You got to understand, although it seems harsh, the Iraqis they only understand force," he told Reuters in an interview. "If you try to talk to them one on one as a normal person, they won't respect you, they won't do what you want, prisoner or just normal person on the street."

"So you've got to be forceful with them in some ways."

(more)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5977-2004May6.html

[Webster Green]

1. What a fucking asshole.......

Probably a baby killer. wonder how many women he raped while he was over there. I wish I had his e-mail address.

[saigon68]

9. Remember NOW Support the Troops

I said here a long time ago--there are large factions of the professional military who are out of step with prevailing standards in this country.

Many of them are Thugs and Hoodlums hiding behind shined shoes and cleanly pressed uniforms. This TURD is one of them.

[TahitiNut]

2. "they won't do what you want, prisoner or just normal person on the street

????

When was the last time this asshole obeyed some foreigner's orders in his home town? Hell, we even argue with our own police. What a freaking dip shit!

This attitude comes down right from the top. There's no doubt about it.

[daleo]

3. "If you try to talk to them one on one as a normal person"

A revealing choice of language. So he thinks Iraqis are "abnormal people". It is easier to mistreat people that you have dehumanized.

[LittleApple81]

7. Do you think soldiers are speaking to people in ENGLISH with

no translation? Because ALL NORMAL people in the world must speak English. Otherwise they are subnormal. I remember some years ago they were giving out pamphlets at the door of one of our supermarkets where these religious nuts said Jesus spoke English...

[burrowowl]

4. Excuse me a moment while I pick my jaw up off the floor

"You got to understand, although it seems harsh, the Iraqis they only understand force," he told Reuters in an interview. "If you try to talk to them one on one as a normal person, they won't respect you, they won't do what you want, prisoner or just normal person on the street."

This guy is suffering from: they aren't really human beings, only Murikans are human beings. Does he beat his dog, his wife, his children, his parents, does he suffer from road rage, etc.

"You have to understand that a majority of Iraqis have no education at all and plus for the last 30 plus years, all they understand is terror and force and abuse," Drayton said. "You tell an Iraqi to do something and he wouldn't do it...you can only yell at them until you are blue in the face."

Many Iraqi's are propbably a hell of a lot more educated than this a$$hole. Iraqis can answer: what is the oldest code of law written down? on Jeopardy. This guy could only answer a question: Who serves the Whopper? He could answer BurgerKing.

Now that my jaw has risen from the floor, I think I'll go puke.

[nodictators]

10. How come Jessica Lynch and Thomas Hamill were treated better...

...by the Iraqis than the Iraqis at Abu Ghraib were treated by the US MPs, and their commanders?

If there are subhumans, then it must be those who violated the Geneva Conventions:

http://www.icrc.org/ihl.nsf/0/6756482d86146898c125641e004aa3c5?OpenDocument

Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Geneva, 12 August 1949.

Preamble

The undersigned Plenipotentiaries of the Governments represented at the Diplomatic Conference held at Geneva from April 21 to August 12, 1949, for the purpose of establishing a Convention for the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, have agreed as follows:

Part I. General Provisions

Article 1. The High Contracting Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances.

Art. 2. In addition to the provisions which shall be implemented in peace-time, the present Convention shall apply to all cases of declared war or of any other armed conflict which may arise between two or more of the High Contracting Parties, even if the state of war is not recognized by one of them.

The Convention shall also apply to all cases of partial or total occupation of the territory of a High Contracting Party, even if the said occupation meets with no armed resistance.

Although one of the Powers in conflict may not be a party to the present Convention, the Powers who are parties thereto shall remain bound by it in their mutual relations. They shall furthermore be bound by the Convention in relation to the said Power, if the latter accepts and applies the provisions thereof.

Art. 3. In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each Party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following
provisions:

(1) Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, colour, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) taking of hostages;

(c) outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) the passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court, affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

On edit: minor format changes

[NNN0LHI]

5. I can't wait to have Lt. Michael Drayton and his ilk as my neighbors soon

Should be interesting.

Don

[Piperay]

6. Oh yeah, they are not

even human beings as far as this asshole is concerned, he acts like they are some sub-species less than animals. :mad:

[BonjourUSA]

8. In France, we listened to our officers saying the same about Algeria

In army nothing like that can be done without orders or commandment agreement.

In all armies in the world of a democratic country or not, if you say to a soldier who feels threatened in an enemy territory : "you must get informations", you have to be aware the worst is possible.