OUTRAGE AT AMERICAN TORTURE OF IRAQI PRISONERS
Apr 30 2004
From Anthony Harwood, US Editor, In New York
VIDEO footage of US soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners of war horrified America yesterday.
The TV stills showed a hooded captive standing on a box with wires attached to his hands, and naked prisoners stacked in a human pyramid while jeering troopers look on laughing.
Six soldiers now face court martial and jail. One allegedly boasted that the captives "broke within hours". Seven others, including a general, are suspended from duty and may be disciplined.
ORDEAL: Prisoner on box with wires attatched to his hands
Shocked Army spokesman Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt said: "I can't make excuses for this. We're appalled. These photos are dismaying."
TV network CBS said the prisoners were filmed late last year at notorious Abu Ghraib jail, Saddam's former torture HQ in western Baghdad, where the US is holding 4,400 detainees.
The prisoner standing on the box was told that if he fell off he would be electrocuted. One of the men in the "pyramid" had an Arab insult written in English on his skin.
HUMILIATION: Soldiers grin behind the pyramid of captives
Other captives were forced to pose in humiliating positions, some of them simulating sex acts, as soldiers gave the thumbs up.
Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Chip, who is accused of striking detainees and ordering them to beat each other, was seen sitting on a prisoner.
He allegedly boasted in an email to his family: "We had a very high rate with our styles of getting them to talk. They ended up breaking within hours."
Yesterday Frederick said he would deny abuse, claiming he was not shown Geneva Convention rules on how to treat captives.
VILE: Iraqi PoWs are forced to parade before their jeering captors
He said: "We had no support, no training whatsoever.
"I kept asking my chain of command for things like rules and regulations. It just wasn't happening." The soldiers, from the 800th Military Police Brigade, were arrested after the video images were sent to a friend who handed them to authorities.
The friend told investigators: "There are some things going on at Abu Ghraib that I can't live with."
Brig Gen Kimmitt said: "These pictures may reflect the actions of individuals. But, by God, it doesn't reflect my army.
"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."
Former Marine Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cowan warned: "We'll be paid back for this after these people are let out."
BRUTAL: Woman soldier points at genitals of hooded and naked Iraqis
The charges faced by the six soldiers include dereliction of duty, cruelty, maltreatment, assault and indecent acts with another person.
Among the officers under investigation is 800th Brigade's commander, Brigadier General Janice Karpinski.
CBS broadcast the pictures on its show 60 Minutes early yesterday. Last night they were shown on the BBC 6 O'Clock News.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews...name_page.html
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supposed to be better than that?
