Soldier Claims Intelligence Officers Gave Orders to Rough Up Prisoners

Sgt. Javal S. Davis says military intelligence officers at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison asked him to "rough them up" when referring to prisoners who were to be prepared for interrogation sessions.
ABCNEWS.com

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/World/Iraq_Abuse_Davis_040514.html
B A G H D A D, Iraq, May 14, 2004— Sgt. Javal S. Davis — one of four former Abu Ghraib prison soldiers who are scheduled to be court-martialed next week — said any physical actions he took with Iraqi detainees were at the direct instructions of the interrogation officers at the Baghdad prison.
Davis told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America that every action he took was in response to instructions he received from intelligence officers at Baghdad's notorious Abu Ghraib prison. The soldier said intelligence officers who were preparing to interrogate prisoners gave instructions to "rough them up" before questioning.

Davis said that it has always been his understanding that his actions were within the limits of what is acceptable in dealing with detainees.

"Basically, when the intelligence personnel, when they bring them down there, anyone that comes in there with intelligence value, they want to interrogate them and they would ask you to loosen them up," Davis said on Good Morning America during a phone interview from Baghdad. "Basically, just rough them up a little bit, get them scared. Don't hurt them or anything like that, which I didn't do. No one was injured from what I did," he said.

Davis will be arraigned May 20 on charges stemming from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse allegations. Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick II and Cpl. Charles A. Graner will also be arraigned that day on charges related to the abuse scandal.

Davis has been charged with conspiracy to maltreat detainees; dereliction of duty for failing to protect detainees from abuse; maltreatment of detainees; and rendering false official statements and assault.

The 26-year-old soldier, who is originally from Roselle, N.J., said he was doing his job and simply following orders.
(snip)

who is say otherwise, that these 6 guards did it on their own.

Who ya gonna believe...? Was me? I go with the photo, the one with the civilian interragator and Intel guys. Thats the evidence orders came from the higher ups.

Of course they did.

then maybe a wheel or two will come off. This will be a place where someone pride and honor will help the larger whole by sticking a pin in the over inflated and thinly veiled unattended balloon in the middle.

They will never be able to figure out enough lies to cover them now and are at the point of diminishing returns for apparatus of covering up themselves. Smarter people who can pull out and save their loins will be making the stage door to the left and the right, as they should. I wouldn't figure too many of them would be willing to sign up for the stuff that is going on now.

As their ETS dates approach and the decision to re-enlist looms in the balance. The only thing any GI is going to think about is how the Bush administration hung these poor fellows out to dry to cover up the MI policies.

There is "No Doubt" in any rational thinking person's mind these policies and orders came directly from the top (Rumsfeld) to get the "Intel Out". As the administration approaches re-election they still need to justify going into Iraq in the first place

which it could well be, this makes the whole matter even MORE disgusting.

Not only did they train treoops to do this, loosened the regulations to prevent this, and didn't care when recieving reports of it, but they also ordered it? :grr:

injured from what I did," he said.

here again, we find the concept of "hazing" snuck back, simply with modified lexicon. the mindset that justifies offending the very basic tenets of the Muslim faith pervades the administration and is a top-down problem.