Abu Ghraib interrogator tells his story

by Lorna Benson, Minnesota Public Radio
October 11, 2004

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/10/04_bensonl_interrogator/images/notsmiling_large
Roger Brokaw was a military intelligence interrogator at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. (MPR Photo/Lorna Benson)

<snip> Almost immediately Brokaw had a dilemma. Most of the prisoners appeared to him to be average Iraqis picked up for petty crimes or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time - not terrorists. No matter how much he questioned them, they didn't seem to have any useful information. Brokaw believed them, but he says his superiors didn't. Suicide bombings were becoming an everyday occurrence in Iraq and U.S. military leaders wanted interrogators at Abu Ghraib to find who was responsible. <snip>

"I had a couple people tell me that I was too soft on the prisoners and that I should toughen up my technique. But you know you get a lot of bad information when you torture people because they'll say anything they can to get away from the pains," he says.

Brokaw ignored the suggestions - confident in his 27 years of military experience and his training in prisoner rules under the Geneva Convention. But he believes many of his colleagues gave in to the pressure. Brokaw recalls meeting one Iraqi prisoner who had obviously been roughed up before he even got to his interrogation.

Says Brokaw, "The prisoner was very skittish, very uptight, 'cause every time I'd just adjust myself in my seat he'd flinch. And he said, 'You're gonna hit me.' And I told him 'No. I'm not going to hit you.' I says, 'Why do you say that?' And he said, 'Well the other guy was beatin' me.' And then he opened his shirt and had a bunch of bruises all over his torso." <snip>

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2004/10/04_bensonl_interrogator/

from my perspective. retired LE, this guy is telling the truth. the neocons *insist* on escalating a problem that wdnt exist but for them.

i feel really sorry for those people that have to invent "intelligence" to escape our terrorism.

also for the troops trying to navigate in a hostile environment w/ roadmaps based on this kind of intelligence.






nice spot, struggle4progress. TX++!

Swift Boat Veterans for "Truth" -- they know it happens, much of the public knows that it happens, but Oh no, don't talk about it because you'll make them look bad!

Well, it's their own actions and only those that make them look bad.

Where IS the responsibility for one's own actions that this pResident likes to spout?

...cause I sure have seen very, very little of it.

Civilized people have known for hundreds of years that you cannot trust information gleaned by means of torture. We are ensuring that we (1) will get pathetically useless information from the detainees and (2) will likely never be respected by nations that give a real damn about human rights again.

Smooth move. Freaking brilliant. Can I throw up now?

Todd P

were found in the initial search.

Rummy and company were desperate to find any shred of evidence supporting the invasion.

make them bigger.
-- Donald Rumsfeld

"Hart says the Army has no problem with Brokaw talking about his time at Abu Ghraib because he is retired from the military and he was not part of the investigation. Brokaw however says he has met others who are annoyed that he's speaking out."

:argh:

peace

Rumsfailed Admitted to Violating Geneva Convention

Rumsfailed admitted in public on TV that when CIA Director Tenet requested that an Iraqi prisoner be sent to a secret Afghan/US Prison that Rumsfailed did so. After four months a DOD Attorney stated that this was an illegal act. Rumsfailed then ordered that this prisoner be sent back to Abu Graihib but the prisoner was purposefully not listed at that location, also an illegal act. Rumsfeld also admitted to signing orders for tougher interogation methods which violated the Geneva Conventions.

Rumfailed has commited at least three violations of the Geneva Convention; thereby also violations of The Constitution of the USA. Recently it has been found out that even more detainees were "ghost detainees". The fact that Rumsfailed and Tenet have not been charged speaks volumes. If Congress wishes to garner any respect they should move forward with Rep. Rangle's Impeachment Declaration of Rumsfailed and also proscecute Ex. CIA Tenet.

Does the US, Govt., Congress, and the Justice Dept no longer abide by the Geneva Convention or the Constitution of the USA?

and all the rest of the rat bastards pretending to be a 'news' outlet collectively know as the main-stream media :puke:

peace

with short memories...