US troops face further Iraq abuse allegations

[Judi Lynn]

US troops face further Iraq abuse allegations
28/07/2005 - 08:39:52

A company of the California Army National Guard has been placed on restricted duty amid allegations that members of the unit mistreated detainees in Iraq, US military officials said.

Investigations are under way into the allegations of mistreatment by soldiers with the 1st Battalion of the 184th Infantry Regiment, said Col David Baldwin, a California National Guard spokesman.

Other members of the battalion’s Alpha Company are under investigation in connection with allegations of extorting money from Iraqi shopkeepers, according to a military official yesterday.
(snip)

One soldier told the newspaper that the use of a stun gun on a man who had been handcuffed and blindfolded was videotaped.
(snip/...)

http://www.breakingnews.ie/2005/07/28/story213746.html

[izzie]

1. Interesting item in NYTimes this morning.

Looks like the service has always been worried about this. I think the Sen. from SC was a jag man and I bet this burns him up. Never mind he is a Rep.. It shows up bad for the service and SC is really big on the service.

[Pachamama]

2. Just more bad apples? That's all the Repukes will say....

And while I'll say that this is clearly an example of some "bad Apples" that reflect badly when there are ofcourse so many good and decent kids who are our soldiers. It is however a further example of the "culture" "the environment" of what is going on over there. And it comes from the top down.....

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. I heard excerpts from a new TV show

called "Over There", which is about Iraq. The lines said by the sergeant were basically, imho, anti-Islamic and hateful towards Muslims, dehumanizing them and their faith. Since this show was "checked out by Iraqi vets" according to the producer, who was being interviewed on Fresh Air, I'm thinking this anti-Islamic, anti-Iraqi bias is a given. The mere fact that the producer said the show was not political made it all the more chilling.