Navy investigates Iraq prisoner photos
Saturday, December 4, 2004 Posted: 6:21 PM EST (2321 GMT)
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy is looking into whether photographs on the Internet that seem to show Navy SEALs posing with Iraqi prisoners show any evidence of prisoner abuse, Navy officials said.
About 200 photos were posted on a Web site that now cannot be accessed. A senior Navy official said only a few of the pictures seem suspect, and none can be determined to clearly show abuse without knowing the context.
The Associated Press released photos that show what seems to be commandos sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees, hooded prisoners in the back of a truck with someone's foot on one of the people, a prisoner at gunpoint, a smiling military member with hooded prisoners in a photo "date stamped" May 2003, and U.S. military personnel constraining someone.
The official said pictures may show "inappropriate conduct" -- with members of a SEAL team "hamming it up" -- but that doesn't necessarily equate to abusive behavior.
If the preliminary investigation suggests criminal wrongdoing, the Navy Criminal Investigative Service will be called in.
Jeff Bender, a Naval Special Warfare Command spokesman, said an Associated Press reporter informed the command last week about unofficial photos depicting Naval Special Warfare members with detainees.
The SEALs -- which stands for Navy Sea, Air, Land -- are part of the Naval Special Warfare Command.
"Some of the photos appear to show detainees following their capture or during transit by Naval Special Warfare forces in 2003," Bender said. "The matter is currently under investigation by Naval Special Warfare to determine if the Naval Special Warfare personnel acted properly.
"There are strict Navy regulations prohibiting the photographing of detainees for other than official purposes. Additionally, prior to deployment, Naval Special Warfare personnel are instructed that taking unofficial photographs of POWs and detainees is prohibited."
Bender said the number of people involved remains under investigation. The Navy is still working on identifying the personnel involved and cannot say whether they remain in Iraq or not.
The Associated Press said one of its reporters found more than 40 photos posted on a "commercial photo-sharing Web site by a woman who said her husband brought them from Iraq after his tour of duty."
Images of Iraqi prisoners abused by U.S. military personnel at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq that surfaced earlier this year shocked the world and led to courts-martial.
Washington Producer Sharona Schwartz and Senior Pentagon Correspondent Jamie McIntyre contributed to this report.
Reply With Quote