6 US Troops charged for maltreating Iraqi jail inmates

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Pillaging is when the conquering army takes stuff. Not when they punish thieves.

I thought it was when they destroy stuff - you know, burning homes and salting the fields. Or crushing cars along with the 'looted' goods of their victims. What's the word I'm looking for, then?

[DinoDoc]

raze

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by kolpo
"Lawful combatants generally have to do all of the following:

Be part of an organized force with a chain of command;

Carry arms openly;

Wear some form of distinguishing markings identifiable at a distance;

Generally adhere to the laws and customs of war;"

The WWII resistance would be considered unlawfull combatants based on your definition, they certainly where not so stupid to wear there arms openly.

That is correct, except that it isn't my definition, it's a close paraphrase (because I was too lazy to look up the exact language for about the twentieth time since this war began) of the standards in the Geneva Convention.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by General Ludd


They're talking **** and making bravado, but it's nothing to worry about? These guys have rifles, machines guns, and tanks at their disposal.

Case and point. Machismo.

Perhaps we should kiss their asses and help them load, instead?

Or turn them over to a Sharia court, for amputation of their right hands?

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Oerdin


This is true. Alot of the infantry guys speak like this. Its a way for them to talk big and show their bravado, however, I doubt more then a handful actually mean it. They say things like "suck my dick", "eat ****", and a million other degrading, derogitory, or sexually explicite things to each other yet none of them actually expect to do those things. Such over statements are just talk.

Unfortunately, such talk opens them up to having their words deliberately or indeliberately misportrayed.

Yep. It's also pretty essential that they do this, because it's a way of venting when they're stuck for a significant period of time in an environment that mixes unpredictable danger, frustration, discomfort, and prolonged boredom. If these guys weren't saying anything, you'd have a lot more cause to worry.

[Kropotkin]

On the other hand, is it to much to ask from a person you trust with loads of weapons, to be smart enough to keep shut when a journalist from another country than the US comes along?

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


Perhaps we should kiss their asses and help them load, instead?

Well, that'd be better than just destroying everything involved.

What's wrong with looting? It's taking advantage of the situation to steal stuff, and in turn hurting the people's prosperity. How do we stop it? We destroy all the property!

[Ramo]

Contractors implicated in prison abuse still on the job!

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/04/international/middleeast/04CONT.html?hp

More than two months after a classified Army report found that two contract workers were implicated in the abuse of Iraqis at a prison outside Baghdad, the companies that employ them say that they have heard nothing from the Pentagon, and that they have not removed any employees from Iraq.

Well, it's a good thing that Dear Leader cares for the abuse not one bit.

In other news, apparantly Bremer cared about the abuse in Abu Ghraib not one bit, according to Turki, Iraq's first minister for human rights:

http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Articles.asp?Article=80744&Sn=WORL

"In November I talked to Mr Bremer about human rights violations in general and in jails in particular. He listened but there was no answer. At the first meeting, I asked to be allowed to visit the security prisoners, but I failed," he said.

"I told him the news. He didn't take care about the information I gave him."

[Kontiki]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
I don't think they take pictures though.

This is another thing I don't get. Why is it that some genius always gets the bright idea of taking pictures/filming this sort of thing? Why don't you just call in al Jazeera and ask them to set up a live satellite feed?

[SlowwHand]

I've made a real effort to stay out of this bull**** thread, but I can't.

This staged stupidity was that, and that alone.
It was stupid, it wasn't abuse.
You want to talk to some former p.o.w. friends of mine, from both WW II and Vietnam; then you can talk abuse.

[Ramo]

You don't consider rape abuse?

[SlowwHand]

I consider you naive. Does that count ?

[Ramo]

So you think that it's naive to consider rape as a form of abuse instead of "staged stupidity"?

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Kontiki
Why don't you just call in al Jazeera and ask them to set up a live satellite feed?

Beats me. It'd save time.

You don't consider rape abuse?

Be more explicit. Ask him if breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees or sodomizing them with chemical lights crosses the line between abuse and staged stupidity.

[SlowwHand]

Detainees were threatened with a loaded pistol
Cold water was poured on naked prisoners
Inmates were beaten with a broom handle and chair
Male detainees were threatened with rape
A prisoner was sodomised with a chemical light
Detainees were forced into various sexual positions to be photographed
Naked inmates were arranged in a pile and then jumped on

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3684381.stm

Oh goodness. I stand corrected.