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6 US Troops charged for maltreating Iraqi jail inmates
I saw the photos on the news tonight - they are pretty shocking.
AAP
US television network CBS broadcast images of American troops mistreating Iraqi prisoners, saying an army investigation had found "systemwide" problems in the handling of captured Iraqis.
Six US soldiers are being court-martialed on charges stemming from the investigation into abuse of prisoners at Abu Gharaib, said General Mark Kimmitt, deputy chief of military operations in Iraq.
Abu Gharaib is infamous as a prison where former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime tortured and executed opponents.
Photographs aired by the network on 60 Minutes II included one showing a prisoner standing on a box with a hood over his head and wires coming from his hands. The network said he was told he would be electrocuted if he fell off.
Other pictures showed nude prisoners lying on each other and simulating oral sex as US troops pointed and laughed.
"We're appalled... these are our fellow soldiers, these are the people we work with every day, they represent us, they wear the same uniform as us, and they let their fellow soldiers down," Kimmitt told CBS in an interview from Baghdad.
"We expect our soldiers to be treated well by the adversary, by the enemy... and 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."
Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Chip Frederick has been charged with maltreatment, assault and indecent acts for posing for a photograph while sitting on top of a detainee, striking detainees and ordering detainees to strike each other, among other things, CBS said.
Frederick, a prison guard from Virginia in civilian life, and his lawyer, Gary Myers, blamed the problems at the prison on the atmosphere created by commanders.
"We had no support, no training whatsoever," he told CBS.
Indeed, the army investigation found a lack of leadership at the prison and concluded soldiers at the prison, most of whom were reservists, were not trained on rules for handling prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.
This could be an isolated lapse or it could be a sign things are really falling apart over there. I note General Kimmet said there were system wide problems. That's not good.
AAP
US television network CBS broadcast images of American troops mistreating Iraqi prisoners, saying an army investigation had found "systemwide" problems in the handling of captured Iraqis.
Six US soldiers are being court-martialed on charges stemming from the investigation into abuse of prisoners at Abu Gharaib, said General Mark Kimmitt, deputy chief of military operations in Iraq.
Abu Gharaib is infamous as a prison where former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime tortured and executed opponents.
Photographs aired by the network on 60 Minutes II included one showing a prisoner standing on a box with a hood over his head and wires coming from his hands. The network said he was told he would be electrocuted if he fell off.
Other pictures showed nude prisoners lying on each other and simulating oral sex as US troops pointed and laughed.
"We're appalled... these are our fellow soldiers, these are the people we work with every day, they represent us, they wear the same uniform as us, and they let their fellow soldiers down," Kimmitt told CBS in an interview from Baghdad.
"We expect our soldiers to be treated well by the adversary, by the enemy... and 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."
Army Reserve Staff Sergeant Chip Frederick has been charged with maltreatment, assault and indecent acts for posing for a photograph while sitting on top of a detainee, striking detainees and ordering detainees to strike each other, among other things, CBS said.
Frederick, a prison guard from Virginia in civilian life, and his lawyer, Gary Myers, blamed the problems at the prison on the atmosphere created by commanders.
"We had no support, no training whatsoever," he told CBS.
Indeed, the army investigation found a lack of leadership at the prison and concluded soldiers at the prison, most of whom were reservists, were not trained on rules for handling prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention.
This could be an isolated lapse or it could be a sign things are really falling apart over there. I note General Kimmet said there were system wide problems. That's not good.
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