Pay attention people! WaPo reports: Child Abuse at Abu Ghraib

[NightOwwl]

An Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib prison scandal has found that military police dogs were used to frighten detained Iraqi teenagers as part of a sadistic game, one of many details in the forthcoming report that were provoking expressions of concern and disgust among Army officers briefed on the findings.

Earlier reports and photographs from the prison have indicated that unmuzzled military police dogs were used to intimidate detainees at Abu Ghraib, something the dog handlers have told investigators was sanctioned by top military intelligence officers there. But the new report, according to Pentagon sources, will show that MPs were using their animals to make juveniles -- as young as 15 years old -- urinate on themselves as part of a competition.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A27048-2004Aug23.html?nav=hcmodule

This is huge. This could bring Bush down.

[sandnsea]

1. Aaaah, now I understand

The new reports about teen-agers with rifles, fighting in Iraq? To offset the child abuse story. They've got guns, they're shooting at us, they get what they give. That'll be the right wing angle.

Who broke that kids with guns story first? Anybody remember?

[unslinkychild1]

6. Telegraph (UK)? n/t

[Nordic]

2. sorry, the media is too busy covering the swift boat liars

can't have any truth getting in the way of a good rumor-mongering

[vetwife]

3. I thought the breaking story of the horse stuck in mud was ridiculous

The media is a joke ! I am waiting anyday now for CNN or Fox to break in and say..George Bush just cut the cheese and feeling quesy.
Doctors say it was too many pizzas. Gastreologists being called in or Benny Henn...No decision yet from the White house. News at 11.

[Warren DeMontague]

4. Ahhh, they'll keep this contained...

As long as they manage to continue to do two things.

1) Successfully argue that this is a "few bad apples" (or, as the case may be, a few more bad apples)... Judging from this report, that's the story and they're sticking to it. And I don't see that changing or any evidence coming to light to the contrary, under tightly controlled military justice circumstances.

2) Keep additional photographic or video evidence from surfacing. Again, reading about it is one thing. They know that graphic evidence is another story. They'll sit on it as long as they can, and with the level of complicity the media has demonstrated since Nick Berg's head was cut off, that will be indefinitely.

Do I believe this "could bring bush down"? Yes. But not under current circumstances. The story is too tightly controlled.

You notice that the WaPo speaks of one "substantiated claim of a male sodomized at Abu Ghraib". What they're not telling you is, that I'm willing to bet that's the 14 year old Boy Sy Hersh talks about seeing, and/or hearing evidence of the same.

It's shocking, it's obviously real, but as long as they sit on the evidence and pretend that this was "Animal House by the Night Crew", the political ramifications, and thusly the chances to assign blame where it is actually warranted, are extremely limited IMHO.

[NightOwwl]

5. Well, Seymour Hersh's book is out on September 13.

It's possible he has additional evidence.

[Heath.Hunnicutt]

7. Talking points I came up with:

1. If the military is going to blame this on youth and a collegiate atmosphere, they may have a point.

Prior to McGovern raising the draft age, it had been 21.

These days, we need to move the draft back and also not allow kids under 21 to register without a parent or judge's signature.

Did you know the military recruits in high schools and parents cannot stop their children from signing up the day they turn 18?



2. The Swift Vets cannot deny war atrocities happen. The last time they did happen was about a year ago, according to the digital cameras.