U.S. Drops Army Brigade From Medal List (800th MP Brigade)

[Barrett808]

U.S. Drops Army Brigade From Medal List
By JIM KRANE
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq --
The prisoner abuse scandal has so tarnished the Army's 800th Military Police Brigade that soldiers slated to receive an Army Bronze Star medal have been dropped from the list, the brigade's commander, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, said Sunday.

"The vast majority of fine, outstanding soldiers in the brigade are paying dearly," Karpinski told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

After the Army started its investigation into abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib penitentiary, "many, many" of the soldiers' recommendations for the Army medal were downgraded, said Karpinski, whose 2,800-member brigade operated 12 U.S. prisons and detention camps across Iraq, including the sprawling Abu Ghraib facility west of Baghdad.

The Bronze Star denotes heroism, outstanding achievement or meritorious service.

An Army report into the abuses at the prison, written by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, faulted Karpinski and other commanders in the brigade and its subordinate battalions, saying leaders paid too little attention to the prison's day-to-day operations. Previous abuses of prisoners or lapses at the prison went unpunished or unheeded, the report found.

(more)

http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040509/API/405090656

[saigon68]

1. Maybe a Commemorative Patch

Of an unmuzzled working police dog, biting a Naked POW in the Crotch.

To sew on the right shoulder of their Class "A" uniform. LOL

[parasim]

2. Yeah, maybe they should give out anti-medals.

Like maybe "The Black Heart" or something

or "The Cold Heart"

[Eye and Monkey]

13. Stripes. They should be awarded stripes.

[cliss]

3. Do they have to return the medals they've already received?

Jeez, talk about backlash. And this Brigadier General Karpinski has the nerve to comment about it.

I say these lower-level soldiers are feeling the displaced wrath of the American public right now, when the blame belongs elsewhere.

I've read that many towns are taking down their yellow ribbons, and now our soldiers are looked upon with suspicion and shame.

Worse than VietNam?

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. MUCH worse than Vietnam, at least for the US's image in the World

.
.
.

The abuse images are permanently embedded in people's minds, as well as millions of hard drives around the world.

Imagine the "collection" of images that could have been circulated during the Vietnam disgrace if today's technology was available back then.

The US can bluster and wiggle all they want.

The world won't believe them.

The old adage that "A picture is worth a thousand words" is proving true.

People can believe the photos, and the world is already tired and distrustful of US officials' "doublespeak".

US credibility is at an all-time low.

All their bribes, bullets and bombs won't fix this.

The World watched the "rise" of the US empire.

Now the World awaits the end of the story.

How many more must die first?

(sigh)

[saigon68]

7. Ooh no not close

I was treated like shit for years. While SMART guys like Wolfowitz, Cheney and all the rest of the Chicken Hawks assumed their positions of power, money and influence. They SHIT on us at every turn.

Now the motherfuckers want my son---

NO CHANCE that ain't gonna happen. Our next war will be fought in the streets of a AMERIKA

[htuttle]

4. The whole brigade should be disbanded and scattered

...as should any unit found acting in such a manner. And there are a LOT of them.

We should take some cues from Canada on this:

The Killings in Somalia
http://www.newsworld.cbc.ca/flashback/1996/somalia2.html

[LizW]

6. Wait. Myers said it was only

6 or 7 "bad apples" and that we shouldn't judge the others by the bad acts of a few????

I think this seals Rumsfeld's fate. If they go to this length to punish the MPs, but not the decision-makers who were setting up these situations and letting this crap continue, there's going to be hell to pay.

[acmavm]

8. Maybe instead of a medal they could give the guilty ones a dog tag.

With a choke chain to wear it on.

[saigon68]

9. LOL

too cool

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. What absolute hubris to be concerned about recognitons

at this time for this band of coward sadistic thugs.

[riverwalker]

11. the military might turn on them

when they realize Doug Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, for what they really are, and how they have been had. The neocon's arrogant assumption that the military are all ignorant kool aid drinkers might backfire on them.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. This is a bad move

this is what happened at Tailhook... folks this is NOT good, for troop morale, for the prisoners sake (why give a &^I*^) and teh Army

Just another miscalculation, and didn't Rummy promise Cunningham not another Tailhook?

Rolls eyes...

Why should the troops come forwards now with more tales of horror if all they can expect is this? BIG MISTAKE by the brass, but not surprised that the brass is dong this.

For once I do agree with Brigadier Karpinsky, they are making a huge mistake... her view of things though, are different than mine...