Battalion to Secure Iraq Prison Population

[deminks]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-5216607,00.html

Wednesday August 17, 2005 8:31 PM


By ROBERT BURNS

AP Military Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The 82nd Airborne Division is sending about 700 soldiers to Iraq to provide extra security for detainees, whose numbers have doubled over the past year, officials said Wednesday.

The 1st battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., has begun preparing to deploy over the next two months. It will be the battalion's second tour in Iraq; the first was from September 2003 to April 2004. Before that the battalion was in Afghanistan from July 2002 to January 2003.

An announcement at Fort Bragg on Monday gave no information about the battalion's new mission in Iraq, but Pentagon officials said Wednesday that the soldiers are needed to augment security for detainee operations. Spokesman Bryan Whitman said the deployment does not indicate any decision has been made to increase U.S. forces in Iraq this fall to provide security for planned voting in October and December.

Venable said the number of detainees in Iraq has grown from 5,400 in September 2004 to about 10,800 today.

(edited to add last paragraph.)

[arcane1]

1. whose numbers have doubled over the past year

that's what happens when you arrest and detain every M.A.M. in a country of 6 million, I guess

How long until the entire country is one huge privatized for-profit prison? :shrug:

[John Q. Citizen]

8. I thought there were 25 million in Iraq.

[arcane1]

10. you may be right

I just pulled that number out of my ass, so to speak

[leetrisck]

2. The 82nd at a prison seems a little

strange.

[leftchick]

3. I think it speaks volumes about the shortage of soldiers.

third tour to the ME in 3 years??? :grr:

<snip>

Fort Bragg, NC -- Officials say the 82nd Airborne Division will send about 700 soldiers to Iraq over the next two months.

Division officials say paratroopers from the First Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment were alerted last week and have begun preparing.

No return date was announced.

This will be battalion's second deployment to Iraq.

The unit was based outside Fallujah in western Iraq from September 2003 to April 2004.

It also deployed to Afghanistan from July 2002 to January 2003.

Captain Patricia Brewer is a spokeswoman from the Multi-National Force Iraq in Baghdad.

She says the soldiers will not get their mission until they arrive.


http://www.wfmynews2.com/news/local_state/local_article.aspx?storyid=47067

[JanusAscending]

11. I AGREE!!!!!

I saw a film clip of them jumping on the CNN news tonight. (could have been a file video)BUT MY GUT TOLD ME THAT THIS IS ANOTHER BIG LIE!!!! Don't you all find it very strange that they are supposedly building these new prisons sooooooo very close to the IRANIAN BORDER, in northern Iraq? These guys are trained for more than prison guards!! This is the unit that went in with the Marines to take back Kuwait from Saddam!!! How stupid does this Govt. think we are> Just because Bush is, doesn't mean the whole world is!!!:mad:

[barbaraann]

4. OMG. These were the soldiers who didn't clap for Bush's speech.

He's going to destroy their souls in retaliation.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. good catch

indeed

[leftchick]

6. OMG is right

:(

[Inland]

12. I can't think of a duty the 82nd would want less than guarding

innocent Iraqis.

I mean, a top level combat unit and they are told that they are to watch the unarmed civilian behind those bars....how demeaning. Setting back their carreers while still putting them in Iraq...

Bush is teaching them.

[barbaraann]

14. They will be ordered to torture inmates.

The soulless Republicans are driven to destroy every good human soul.

[Roland99]

7. Yahoo article (vote it up). Can't believe these men are forced to suffer

for not clapping and "hoo-haing" for the fucking piece of shit taking up space (60% of the time) in the White House.

[tabasco]

9. Out-fucking standing.

We're turning Iraq into a police state just like our own, and our tax dollars are paying for the guards. Thanks a lot Bush, this is really working out swell.

War Crimes Trials For The War Criminals!

[leftchick]

13. Why do I have visions of Kilgore in my head from that??

We Never Learn.... :(

[neweurope]

15. Sky divers as prison guards? That makes a lot of sense.

Hmmmmmm... Wonder what they're really being sent for.


--------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!