Guav (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} throwingstardna) wrote,@ 2004-04-29 14:03:00 |
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| Current music: | The Gentleman Soldier - The Pogues |
insomnia writes:
Last night, CBS' 60 Minutes Two aired allegations—supported by numerous photographs and witnesses—that document numerous cases of torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners inside Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Amongst the photographs were pictures of prisoners with wires attached to their genitals, prisoners stacked in a pyramid, prisoners forced to simulate oral sex on others, and prisoners who appear to have been beaten to death.
The New York Times is now covering this story. A total of 17 soldiers, including a brigadier general, have been removed from duty as a result, and Court-Martials are in the works for at least six soldiers. At least one of those charged blames the military for staffing the prison with reservists, not providing them with procedures for running the facility, and not educating them on the proper treatment of prisoners.
More bad and potentially inflammatory news at a bad time. The pictures are already circulating out there and other articles are already in the works, so it's a safe bet that the pictures will be broadcast on Arab television very shortly—just like they were on CBS.
Of course, there is deafening silence over at
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conservatism and the other bastions of righteousness, although you can rest assured that if our POWs were ever treated like this, they'd be howling like rabid banshees—as would I. Like Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt very correctly stated:
"If we can't hold ourselves up as an example of how to treat people with dignity and respect, we can't ask that other nations do that to our soldiers."
There are pictures:
This Iraqi prisoner had electrical wires wrapped around his arms, his legs, and his testicles. He was told that if he stepped off the box, that he would be electrocuted.
They were forced to get up on one of another in a pyramid, with bags over their heads.
They're in that pyramid, bodies stacked up on one another, and those two soldier guards are grinning like it's some big fun game to play with the prisoners.
They were forced to perform oral sex on each other at gunpoint.
A big, wide smile on the woman's face as she does a thumbs-up and points at the exposed genitals of the Iraq man with his two other prisoners sitting on the ground with bags over their heads.
Again, there are the smiles and the thumbs-up gesture while the Iraqi man huddles on the bodies of his other prisoners in that pyramid.
This is the body of an Iraqi man who died of beatings at the hands of the American soldiers.
What the FUCK were they thinking?
