Marine admits role in death of prisoner

[UpInArms]

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/military/20040826-9999-1mc26horse.html

excerpt:

Instead of facing court-martial, a possible criminal conviction and potential prison time, Roy, 35, received a fine and reduction in rank from lance corporal to private first class.

<snip>

In his testimony yesterday, Roy described Hatab as an inmate with an attitude problem who resisted attempts to strip-search him and balked when ordered to stand for 50 minutes of the hour.

The so-called 50/10 policy, Roy said, was ordered by a special Marine intelligence unit to soften up prisoners for questioning.

<snip>

Compliance techniques, Roy said, included applying force to various pressure points, a method he and his other correctional officers in New York used "to get protesters or unresponsive people to rise to their feet."

<snip>

Roy said he and Pittman began beating Hatab in the early-morning hours of June 4, when Hatab refused to stand and later became entangled in some razor wire inside his cell.

...more...

some razor wire inside his cell??!?

:wtf:

[saigon68]

1. SUPPORT THE TROOPS?

disgusting

[JI7]

2. yes, SUPPORT the troops

by holding people like this guy accountable, and holding the policymakers at the top accountable for not doing something about what was going on even when they knew about it.

[saigon68]

9. THEY DEMOTED HIM ONE PAY GRADE

Man--- that's punishment </sarcasm>

[UpInArms]

11. please explain

how this is "holding accountable"?

Instead of facing court-martial, a possible criminal conviction and potential prison time, Roy, 35, received a fine and reduction in rank from lance corporal to private first class.

Sounds like he is still a member of our armed forces - a fine and reduction in rank?????

[JI7]

17. it's not, that's why i said we have to support troops by holding

guys like this accountable and especially holding the policymakers at the top accountable.

my point is that we should say we are supporting the troops by holding people like this accountable.

[UpInArms]

21. the sad facts of the matter just disprove that we are holding

these people accountable - we are encouraging and covering up and giving no real coverage to the acceptable practices of criminal behavior - no one is being held "accoutable" from the lowest to the highest levels.

[Search Party]

3. SHAME

:kick:

[Ripley]

4. I'm sick of this story being so splintered!!!

One minute I hear a General on NPR saying it was just a few bad apples playing pranks by making them stand around nude. The next minute I see a story like this that clearly spells out so many violations of the Geneva Convention.

There must be a whole freaking orchard of rotten fruit in the Marines.

[thebigidea]

5. I guess he mistakingly accidently murdered himself while shaving

[Ripley]

7. No.

It was his fault he was clumsy and fell into the razor wire while accidently ramming the Marine's fist with his solar plexus.

[yellowcanine]

6. So...they tried to make him stand by beating the shit out of him???

Seems logical to me. Who's to say it wouldn't work? Lot of Monday morning quarterbacking here. How could the guards know he would die if they beat the shit out of him? He probably dove into that razor wire himself just to make the guards look bad.

[Solon]

8. This marine is a clear and present danger to the security...

of the United States and should face prison time for treason against the Constitution and participating in an illegal action.

[kikiek]

10. That's what I thought! And became entangled? It makes me sick

that this Marine got off so lightly. Maybe he thought they were following orders, but at what point does common sense prevail? It also angers me that they have been put in positions like this in the 1st place. I can't shake the sinking feeling that as we psychologically harm a whole new generation we are lining up the next one to send right behind them. It is hard to believe that people who are so gung ho for war ever think of what we do to the minds of those who have to actually fight them.

[gratuitous]

12. What do you bleeding hearts want?

The guy was fined and busted down to PFC! Hasn't he suffered enough? We're at war, in case you didn't know. And everything's different after 9/11. And the prisoner had an attitude problem! So there! He should have taken his strip-search and torture like a man, instead of coppin' a 'tude.

By the way, what was the dead guy in for? Did he blow up the UN headquarters? Kill a hundred soldiers? Answer the door when the military came a-knockin'?

[kikiek]

13. Choice number 3. We were liberating him I am sure. He should

have just liberated.

[thebigidea]

14. geez, that's all you get for murder? I guess Graner will be pleased.

[saigon68]

15. Ah Yes "CHUCK GRANER" and his "PET CORPSE"

[thebigidea]

16. I'm surprised they don't switch to fines for civilian murder cases

It really would strike fear into the hearts of criminals. "Maybe I shouldn't kill Bob. After all, if I'm caught - I could get a fine... and how will I be able to put in that swimming pool I wanted?"

[UpInArms]

18. what a novel concept!

we can just do away with any type of prison sentences!

if murder keeps one on a payroll and just demotes them, then murder on the streets could really become more like "Death Race 2000"!

We can assign points and credits and demerits for hitting, killing and maiming!

[saigon68]

19. I'm a big fan of the USMC tattoo on chuck's arm

Guess we know where he went through basic.

[Judi Lynn]

20. I found a story which was a little less slanted in favor of the Marines

Posted it this morning at:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x777700