Torture of Iraqis was for "stress relief"

[BloodyWilliam]

Dear lord.

http://www.sundayherald.com/52035

<5-graf snip>

“Some days we would just get bored so we would have everyone sit in a corner and then make them get in a pyramid. We did that for amusement.”

Iraqis were “smoked” for up to 12 hours. That would entail being made to hold five-gallon water cans in both hands with out-stretched arms, made to do press-ups and star jumps. At no time, during these sessions, would they get water or food apart from dry biscuits. Sleep deprivation was also “a really big thing”, the sergeant added.

To prepare a prisoner for interrogation, military intelligence officers ordered that the Iraqis be deprived of sleep. The sergeant said he and other soldiers did this by “banging on their cages, crashing them into the cages, kicking them, kicking dirt, yelling”.

They’d also pour cold water over prisoners and then cover them in sand and mud. On some occasions, prisoners were tortured for revenge. “If we were on patrol and caught a guy that killed our captain or my buddy last week … man, it is human nature,” said the sergeant – but on other occasions, he confessed, it was for “sport”.

Many prisoners were completely innocent and had no part in the insurgency, he said – but intelligence officers had told soldiers to exhaust the prisoners to make them co-operate. He said he now knew their behaviour was “wrong”, but added “this was the norm”. “Trends were accepted. Leadership failed to provide clear guidance so we just developed it. They wanted intel . As long as no PUC came up dead, it happened. ”

</snip>

We cannot call ourselves superior by any measure of the world if this is how we behave, and if this is how we justify it.

[Why Syzygy]

1. These juvenile deliquents

would not have even realized if a prisoner HAD intel.

What a bunch of monsters. Scares the sh*t outa me.
Our lives are in those hands?

[indepat]

3. Does supporting the troops mean supporting this type of behavior by the

troops?

[Why Syzygy]

9. I support the troops

for their intended purpose. Defend the Constitution of the United states. That ain't it. It defiles our Constitution.

edit to add:
And did you notice? Some are still claiming this was not "torture".
Yet there have been nine court marshalls. Why are they prosecuting if there was no "torture"? Anyone know that answer?

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Bad managers. Good managers would have channeled that differently

[BloodyWilliam]

4. "Managers" and "Channeling?!"

This is about soldiers in a shitty war torturing prisoners because it makes them feel better. There are no saints, and a fuckload sinners.

[BlueEyedSon]

5. I suppose there is a "chain of command" and "orders" (what to do

and what NOT to do). These low-level soldiers got their ideas and limits from above, I want to see an accounting.


The "blowing off steam" defense is bullshit. Let them beat, or fuck, or whatever, each other.

[BloodyWilliam]

6. I'm "mad as hell" and "not going to take it anymore."

Heh, sorry.

I just can't believe that this is happening here. We're SUPPOSED to be better than this, but instead we're in a situation where 39 prisoners have DIED because of torture (deaths that, according to the 1995 US War Crimes act, should be met with capital punishment for the torturers), and the first bill "our president" his threatening to veto in his entire damn White House career is one that stipulates that we do NOT, as a policy, torture people!

[BlueEyedSon]

7. Peace. 8^)

[Toots]

8. knew their behaviour was “wrong”, but added “this was the norm”.

This I believe totally....