Army report documents mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners(CNN has copy)

(CNN) -- U.S. Army soldiers have committed "egregious acts" and "grave breaches of international law" at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, according to a classified report by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba made available to CNN.

An investigation report said key senior leadership of the Army's 800th Military Police Brigade and the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade failed to comply with established regulations, policies and command directives in preventing detainee abuses at Abu Ghraib prison and Camp Bucca from August 2003 to February 2004.

~snip~
Taguba's investigation details alleged events at Abu Ghraib that took place between mid-2003 and early 2004.

An earlier incident at Camp Bucca was also noted as a case of alleged abuse in which lessons were not learned or passed along to MPs.

On May 12, 2003, four soldiers reportedly abused numerous detainees who were being transferred from Talil Air Base. Formal charges and court martial have been recommended in the Camp Bucca case.

The investigation recommends reprimands and disciplinary action for a dozen officers and senior noncommissioned officers on charges ranging from lack of leadership and failure to take proper disciplinary action to the negligent discharge of weapons and drunkenness -- not all related to the abuse of prisoners.

~snip~
more: http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/04/iraq.abuse/

- Threatening with a 9 mm pistol.

- Pouring cold water on naked detainees.

- Threatening males with rape.

- Beating with a broom handle and a chair.

- Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick.

- Threatening with military dogs.

- Attaching wires to extremities, including the penis.

- Accusing prisoners of being homosexual.

- Forcing detainees into compromising positions while naked.

<snip>

"We are Muslims. We don't go naked in front of our families. But there we were, naked in front of American women and men," he said, adding that this treatment went on for about four hours as punishment for beating a fellow prisoner suspected of spying for the Americans.

He also said guards "hit you hard in sensitive places, in the kidney, in the chest, in the throat."

"Our bodies were full of bruises. They didn't let us out of the cells until all our wounds had healed."

They are intending to use Karpinski as the scape goat!

A commander is responsible for everything his or her unit does or fails to do. Generals like Schwartzkoph and Franks got the cheers for the actions of their subordinates. Likewise, had the units failed in their missions, they would have been held accountable.

Karpinski is the one who is responsible. She is the Brigade Commander, responsible two levels down (since she is the senior rater or reviewing officer of the commanders of each battalion and company in her command). Had her people done super wonderful stuff, she would have gotten the accolades. Her people swam in the sewers; she should expect to be covered in filth herself.

Rumy or Bush. I hope she tells all she knows about the Indy Contractors teaching the troops torture techniques with WH approval.

Re: Beirut: After the Beirut debacle, Ronald Reagan, took full responsibility for those under his command. Thats the way it done!

our legacy in IRAQ-NAM

When the POW had a PLASTIC FLASHLIGHT RAMMED UP HIS RECTUM ???

When a GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG BIT HIM IN THE TESTICLES ???

When the POW had a 220 Volt wire attached to the TIP OF HIS PENIS ???

When Lynndie England was encouraged to help the POWs obtain erections so they could perform
ORAL SEX ACTS ON EACH OTHER and the PERKY PRINCESS OF ABU GHRAIB
PRISON COULD SHOUT "HE'S GETTING HARD"???

When a POW was beaten to death, HIS BODY PACKED IN ICE and TAKEN OUT IN THE
DESERT AND DUMPED ???

When a Civilian Interrogator ANALLY RAPED A 16 YEAR OLD BOY IN FRONT OF GI
WITNESSES and is going to get a free pass because he was under NO ONES JURISDICTION ???

My God hast thou forsaken us ???

I heard on IMUS this morning that ms. lynndie and her fiance HAD SEX in front of the prisoners. That was from the pentagon correspodent Jim Mik.

:puke: :puke: :puke:

imagine the stories they'll be able to tell their child, the night you were conceived ..... :puke:

Conceived in the 51st State.

Please post, if so. What's fair is fair.

That's one helluva legacy. :puke:

....where is junior? Running around the fucking country laughing, joking and campaigning his ass off, why isn't he in Washington taking the heat?

maybe someone should notify her local Child Protective Services? This kid definitely should be monitored through a High Risk Program.

Has the mother been interviewed by Katie Couric et al yet? I'm curious as to whether she stands by her original statement.

Seriously??? Oh. My. God.

Hate to come in so late to this discussion... but, Oh. My. God.

Yes its all true

I'm sure a variant of this will be on a poster

Thanks for your spirit !!!!

just when I thought it could not get any worse. She is one sick person.

Just what the fuck does Richard Meyers have to do to lose his job? The lack of a military response on September 11th wasn't enough. Is not reading a report such as this for over four months serious enough? I doubt it.
I am disgusted.

Absolutely no one accepts responsibility for anything.

This disgusts me more than anything that I can remember.

Just a thought...do you think the release of this is in any way connected with a military retaliation against *?

consiering the official line from the WH is "just a few rotten apples".

Someone had to have given it to them.

:shrug:

to the White House. So the copy CNN say they have may be a watered down version.

Abusive force or just following orders?

http://www.bushflash.com/kills.mpeg

French media is covering it. Is any one else?

This isn't Bush. This isn't his Cabinet. This isn't even "just following orders" -- people don't smile like that carrying out their boss's dumb ideas.

These are the troops we've been urged to "support" in an unending mantra. This is the job they think they're supposed to do, and that belief is shored up by every half-hearted justification tossed out in the military's defense by people back home, and every assurance (effectively policy now on both sides of the political fence) that this war had to be fought and must continue to be fought.

Some will complain that you can't tar the whole by the actions of the few ... but consider, these are just the ones we caught. By the time you see the first roach or rat, the house is likely already infested.

I fear we've crossed the tipping point in American culture -- from now on, rather than presuming the goodness of man unless evidence suggests otherwise, I will be safer presuming my fellow Americans are devoid of the simple human decency I once took for granted until I have confirmation otherwise. I don't see that confirmation forthcoming very often.

It seems you have not followed very closely what is really happening among a growing number of soldiers and their families.

I suggest that you visit the numerous websites of soldiers and their families who are opposed to the occupation of Iraq.

They say "support our troops, bring them home now" and you say "don't"?

In the vast majority of contexts, the mantra "support our troops" is used as an argument to the proposition of withdrawing any forces from the Middle East, or any criticism of what those forces are 'accomplishing' there. It's used to imply that any lack of 'resolve' on the home front -- i.e. disagreement with our conducting an invasion in the first place -- is some kind of attack on the troops. Though in an absolute sense, more and more people are coming to the plain realization that the only thing which endangers our troops is sticking them somewhere they're going to get shot at, I think it's fair to say that "... bring them home" is still hardly the default sense of "Support the troops!"

In plainer language: if I'd meant "don't bring them home", I'd have frickin' said "don't bring them home".

It is myopic in the extreme for anyone to fail to recognize how wildly adaptable they are to such indoctrination. Virtually everyone is susceptible to the kind of indoctrination that would yield these behaviors!

Consider the average person in the military. Subordinate one's self to people with emblems on their clothing - wanting to wear the same emblems. Civilian equivalent? Kill people for their logo'd clothing.

Every time a person feels "proud" to receive some ridiculous 'award' from a SUPERIOR, that "superior's" power over others is enhanced.

There's is no greater "peer pressure" than being in a combat zone and fearful that your peers won't be there when you come under attack. People in a war zone don't fight for "the flag." They don't fight for "mother-pie and apple-hood." They fight for their buddies. Combat is a very "here and now" experience. Compliance and conformity equate to survival and the way you comply and conform is "getting with the program."

These people were happy to do these things because it meant an enhanced chance of survival. They sought approval -- and got it in spades when it was good enough to be photographed!

What do we photograph? Events we're proud of!

Any number of DUers have observed a consistency of idelogy and behavior from the top to the bottom of this rotten war.

Bush lie, denies, laughs, and refuses to accept any responsibility for the awful consequences of his decisions. Ironic that the RW is defending the behavior of the Depravity Brigade as harmless "fraternity hazing" games that the world is widely overreacting to -- and who is the King of them all? He never considered the consequences of his decisions --although he certainly was warned often enough, and by people who have heavy authority in the matters on which they tried to advise, and now he is running away scared from responsibility of his actions. His most important concern is that he is not "caught" and forced to face justice for his crimes.

On their own small scale, the Depravity Brigade was merely acting out their own version of the George W fantasy of power and subjugation. Like His Chimperial Majesty, they never thought of themselves within the context of their mission. They were not only vile enough to commit these acts, but STUPID enough to photograph thsemselves and circulate the photos -- did they never consider the consequences that exposure of their actions was going to have on the broader mission, and the disgrace they would bring onto their country? Clearly not -- but then again, not only were they just "following orders," as they now cry since they've been caught, but they were also following the carefree domination macho ethic of their Commander in Chief.

The real bummer is that a LOT more people on each side are going to die because of these dastardly acts of these stupid bestial sadists.

And Bush cannot distance himself too far from them, because his administration has condoned such practices, and has made light of the deaths and torture of people in comments like "Let's just say they can be very persuasive" or "Let's just say they aren't a problem any more.

Also -- how are the proud Iraqi people reacting to the revelation that the commander of the prison, Karpinski, said that the only thing she saw as a problem in Abu Ghraib was that conditions there were so fab, so much better than Iraqi homes, that she feared that many prisoners would refuse to leave.

Very good discussion - guests S Hersch, law professor, DC based reporter for ME paper, and reporter on phone for a while

Hersh main points....

...photos in New Yorker piece were entered into court martial trial - these are real, NOT fake photos

...there was one section of the prison with women prisoners and one with young boys - the info and photos of stuff done to (some of the) boys is horrific

...this whole thing goes at least to Rumsfeld with his 'Manhunter' project

...pentagon is furious with Rumsfeld, with the Iraq war - therefore he could get lots of info (much of this was said semi-indirectly)

...there have been internal investigations going back to late summer and early fall

...T....(name of general who did report Hersh talks about in his article) - whatever is said publicly, this guy is not popular now in the 'club'

...at least 40+ soldiers were involved

There was a surprising amount of discussion about the private contractors and the difficulty of charging them.

Hersh and others said that there were DOD investigations going on at least as far back as November; there is NO WAY the woman general could not have known what was going on.

One caller, whose relative is in military intelligence, said that Hersh's article, the program, the guests, etc, were stirring up trouble and making life much more dangerous for the Americans in Iraq.

Hersh and others pointed out stongly that it was the actions not the reporting that is causing the trouble.

Rehm made a very weird comment at one point - she said but 9-11 happened and all those people died horribly. But her tone of voice was odd - sort of like 'well, this is what a lot of people will say to excuse any US wrong doing.'

The guy from the ME said people there have known of major problems with US prisoners in Iraq since almost immediately after the 'fall of Baghdad.' He said the whole torture mess has been a major disaster for the US and will have extremely long-lasting negative results in ME.

Hersh implied and partially stated that what has come out is just a very minor part of a much, much larger story.

Anyone have link to transcript? If it's available on audio, listen. Tone of voice, pauses, etc, at times implied much more than was actually said.

and just about everyone else has? How was it that Myers asked CBS to hold off on their report for 2 weeks, if he had not seen the report yet?

In about a year or so he will have a MILLION DOLLAR a year job at Northrup as a "Consultant"

He has no honor, none. He is a hand maiden to WAR Crimes by members of his military. You can' t even compare him to Judas.

Judas at least had some remorse for what he had done.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4894001 /

Complete text of Article 15-6 Investigation of the 800th
Military Police Brigade by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=530747&mesg_id=530747

and yet, the treatment of the Iraqis is SOP as far as they're concerned, not ranking above the level of "abuse."

Paupers like us don't get to go to Skull and Bones meetings or to the ritusls st Bohemisn Grove. I suppose that being female I'd only be permitted as a Satanic sacrafice, but maybe not cos I couldn't deliver on the virgin blood thing.

See videos of the Grove, Skull and Bones and Whitehouse call boys scandal here.
http://www.thedossier.ukonline.co.uk/video_elitesecretsocieties.htm

Taguba report: key details


Here are some key details that stand out as I read the report for the first time. One can't help but think of Hogan's Heroes, with us as the incompetent jailors. And without the laugh track.

...

14. (U) Formal charges under the UCMJ were preferred against these Soldiers and an Article-32 Investigation conducted by LTC Gentry. He recommended a general court martial for the four accused, which BG Karpinski supported. Despite this documented abuse, there is no evidence that BG Karpinski ever attempted to remind 800th MP Soldiers of the requirements of the Geneva Conventions regarding detainee treatment or took any steps to ensure that such abuse was not repeated.

...

12. (U) There was a severe lapse in the accountability of detainees at the Abu Ghraib Prison Complex. The 320th MP Battalion used a self-created “change sheet” to document the transfer of a detainee from one location to another. For proper accountability, it is imperative that these change sheets be processed and the detainee manifest be updated within 24 hours of movement. At Abu Ghraib, this process would often take as long as 4 days to complete. This lag-time resulted in inaccurate detainee Internment Serial Number (ISN) counts, gross differences in the detainee manifest and the actual occupants of an individual compound, and significant confusion of the MP Soldiers. The 320th MP Battalion S-1, CPT Theresa Delbalso, and the S-3, MAJ David DiNenna, explained that this breakdown was due to the lack of manpower to process change sheets in a timely manner.

...

22. (U) The documentation provided to this investigation identified 27 escapes or attempted escapes from the detention facilities throughout the 800th MP Brigade’s AOR. Based on my assessment and detailed analysis of the substandard accountability process maintained by the 800th MP Brigade, it is highly likely that there were several more unreported cases of escape that were probably “written off” as administrative errors or otherwise undocumented. 1LT Lewis Raeder, Platoon Leader, 372nd MP Company, reported knowing about at least two additional escapes (one from a work detail and one from a window) from Abu Ghraib (BCCF) that were not documented. LTC Dennis McGlone, Commander, 744th MP Battalion, detailed the escape of one detainee at the High Value Detainee Facility who went to the latrine and then outran the guards and escaped. Lastly, BG Janis Karpinski, Commander, 800th MP Brigade, stated that there were more than 32 escapes from her holding facilities, which does not match the number derived from the investigation materials.

23. (U) The Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca detention facilities are significantly over their intended maximum capacity while the guard force is undermanned and under resourced. This imbalance has contributed to the poor living conditions, escapes, and accountability lapses at the various facilities. The overcrowding of the facilities also limits the ability to identify and segregate leaders in the detainee population who may be organizing escapes and riots within the facility.

...

29. (U) The Iraqi guards at Abu Ghraib BCCF) demonstrate questionable work ethics and loyalties, and are a potentially dangerous contingent within the Hard-Site. These guards have furnished the Iraqi criminal inmates with contraband, weapons, and information. Additionally, they have facilitated the escape of at least one detainee.

...

34. (U) The following riots, escapes, and shootings have been documented and reported to this Investigation Team. Although there is no data from other missions of similar size and duration to compare the number of escapes with, the most significant factors derived from these reports are twofold. First, investigations and SIRs lacked critical data needed to evaluate the details of each incident. Second, each investigation seems to have pointed to the same types of deficiencies; however, little to nothing was done to correct the problems and to implement the recommendations as was ordered by BG Karpinski, nor was there any command emphasis to ensure these deficiencies were corrected:

...

b. (U) 9 June 03- Riot and shootings of five detainees at Camp Cropper. (115th MP Battalion) Several detainees allegedly rioted after a detainee was subdued by MPs of the 115th MP Battalion after striking a guard in compound B of Camp Cropper. A 15-6 investigation by 1LT Magowan (115th MP Battalion, Platoon Leader) concluded that a detainee had acted up and hit an MP. After being subdued, one of the MPs took off his DCU top and flexed his muscles to the detainees, which further escalated the riot. The MPs were overwhelmed and the guards fired lethal rounds to protect the life of the compound MPs, whereby 5 detainees were wounded. Contributing factors were poor communications, no clear chain of command, facility-obstructed views of posted guards, the QRF did not have non-lethal equipment, and the SOP was inadequate and outdated. (ANNEX 5)

...

g. (U) 08 November 03- Escape of detainees # 115089, # 151623, # 151624, # 116734, # 116735, and # 116738 from Abu Ghraib (320th MP Battalion). Several detainees allegedly escaped at 2022 from Compound 8 of the Ganci encampment, Abu Ghraib. An SIR was initiated by MAJ DiNenna (320th MP Battalion, S-3). The SIR indicated that 5-6 prisoners escaped from the North end of the compound, but there is no method of escape listed in the SIR. No information on findings, contributing factors, or corrective action has been provided to this investigation team.

h. (U) 24 November 03- Riot and shooting of 12 detainees # 150216, #150894, #153096, 153165, #153169, #116361, #153399, #20257, #150348, #152616, #116146, and #152156 at Abu Ghraib(320th MP Battalion). Several detainees allegedly began to riot at about 1300 in all of the compounds at the Ganci encampment. This resulted in the shooting deaths of 3 detainees, 9 wounded detainees, and 9 injured US Soldiers. A 15-6 investigation by COL Bruce Falcone (220th MP Brigade, Deputy Commander) concluded that the detainees rioted in protest of their living conditions, that the riot turned violent, the use of non-lethal force was ineffective, and, after the 320th MP Battalion CDR executed “Golden Spike,” the emergency containment plan, the use of deadly force was authorized. Contributing factors were lack of comprehensive training of guards, poor or non-existent SOPs, no formal guard-mount conducted prior to shift, no rehearsals or ongoing training, the mix of less than lethal rounds with lethal rounds in weapons, no AARs being conducted after incidents, ROE not posted and not understood, overcrowding, uniforms not standardized, and poor communication between the command and Soldiers.

...

6. (U) I also find, as did MG Ryder’s Team, that the 800th MP Brigade as a whole, was understrength for the mission for which it was tasked. Army Doctrine dictates that an I/R Brigade can be organized with between 7 and 21 battalions, and that the average battalion size element should be able to handle approximately 4000 detainees at a time. This investigation indicates that BG Karpinski and her staff did a poor job allocating resources throughout the Iraq JOA. Abu Ghraib (BCCF) normally housed between 6000 and 7000 detainees, yet it was operated by only one battalion. In contrast, the HVD Facility maintains only about 100 detainees, and is also run by an entire battalion.

...

9. (U) I find that this ambiguous command relationship was exacerbated by a CJTF-7 Fragmentary Order (FRAGO) 1108 issued on 19 November 2003. Paragraph 3.C.8, Assignment of 205th MI Brigade Commander’s Responsibilities for the Baghdad Central Confinement Facility, states as follows:

3.C.8. A. (U) 205 MI BRIGADE.

3.C.8. A. 1. (U) EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY COMMANDER 205 MI BRIGADE ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BAGHDAD CONFINEMENT FACILITY (BCCF) AND IS APPOINTED THE FOB COMMANDER. UNITS CURRENTLY AT ABU GHRAIB (BCCF) ARE TACON TO 205 MI BRIGADE FOR “SECURITY OF DETAINEES AND FOB PROTECTION.”

Although not supported by BG Karpinski, FRAGO 1108 made all of the MP units at Abu Ghraib TACON to the Commander, 205th MI Brigade. This effectively made an MI Officer, rather than an MP Officer, responsible for the MP units conducting detainee operations at that facility. This is not doctrinally sound due to the different missions and agendas assigned to each of these respective specialties.

...

OTHER FINDINGS/OBSERVATIONS

1. (U) Due to the nature and scope of this investigation, I acquired the assistance of Col (Dr.) Henry Nelson, a USAF Psychiatrist, to analyze the investigation materials from a psychological perspective. He determined that there was evidence that the horrific abuses suffered by the detainees at Abu Ghraib (BCCF) were wanton acts of select soldiers in an unsupervised and dangerous setting. There was a complex interplay of many psychological factors and command insufficiencies.

...

4. (U) The individual Soldiers and Sailors that we observed and believe should be favorably noted include:

a. (U) Master-at-Arms First Class William J. Kimbro, US Navy Dog Handler, knew his duties and refused to participate in improper interrogations despite significant pressure from the MI personnel at Abu Ghraib.

b. (U) SPC Joseph M. Darby, 372nd MP Company discovered evidence of abuse and turned it over to military law enforcement.

c. (U) 1LT David O. Sutton, 229th MP Company, took immediate action and stopped an abuse, then reported the incident to the chain of command.

as killing and maiming innocent Iraqi children in the process of bringing "freedom and democracy' to the people of Iraq.

kick

You can't tell me that General Powell with all his former and current daily military contacts did not know that this was happening either.
Anyone in the administration that does not resign in disgust and start blowing whistles immediately is compliant in war crimes.

Call the Whitehouse:
1-202-456-1414 or 1-202-456-1111

and my personal favorite:
The Pentagon
1-703-545-6700

Call now, after reading the report.