Pentagon dismisses new report on US military torture in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.asiantribune.com/show_article.php?id=2737

Pentagon dismisses new report on US military torture in Iraq

A report from Human Rights Watch (HRW) provides chilling new details of the torture of Iraqi detainees by US forces. The report, issued September 24—“Leadership Failure: Firsthand Accounts of Torture of Iraqi Detainees by the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division”—is based on interviews with a US Army captain and two sergeants. It details abuse carried out at Forward Operating Base Mercury (FOB Mercury), near Fallajuh in Central Iraq, from 2003 through 2004.

The Pentagon has denounced the report as a politically motivated smear. Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. John Skinner criticized it as an effort “to advance an agenda through the use of distortions and efforts in fact.” He made the remarkable claim that the military has “looked at all aspects of detention operations under a microscope.”

The soldiers’ accounts include such practices as hitting detainees with baseball bats, breaking limbs, placing them in “stress positions,” forcing them to form human pyramids, dousing them with cold water, exposing them to extremes of hot and cold, depriving them of sleep, and withholding food and water. The US troops committing the atrocities were nicknamed “the Murderous Maniacs” by the residents of nearby Fallujah, who were their victims. The abuse took place on a daily basis.

[jsamuel]

1. Just like Brownie was "doing a heck of a job" and FEMA was on the scene

the day after the Hurricane right?

Same thing. Every thing has been looked into and is under control. Nothing excapes the eyes of the Pentagon. Especially when they aren't even looking into it, because it isn't there.

[maxrandb]

2. If This statement doesn't scare the pi$$ out of you, NOTHING WILL

"The Pentagon has denounced the report as a politically motivated smear."

Things that make you go :wtf:

A politically motivated smear??????

:wtf: does the Pentagon mean by that? If I'm not mistaken, I think our founding fathers made it pretty clear that the military was supposed to be apolitical.

How can you politically smear an institution that is NOT SUPPOSED TO BE POLITICAL??!!!!!

I hope this was just a poor choice of words, and the Pentagon spokesman will issue an immediate correction.

[marmar]

3. Everything unfavorable to them is...

"politically motivated." These fuckups can never accept responsibility for anything, yet they always preach "personal responsibility." Argh! These people need to be marched out of Washington IMMEDIATELY if there's any hope of repairing the damage they've done.

[maxrandb]

11. But what pi$$es me off is

that this is not the * mis-administration crying about a politically motivated smear.

It's not Tom Delay crying about a "politically motivated smear"

It the "blanking" Pentagon!! It's OUR military!!

They are not supposed to be political. This is how democracy dies.

[Roland99]

4. Even if the videotapes of the child raping are released they'll still DENY

[sabra]

5. blame it on the media

and liberals who are demoralizing our troops

[Roland99]

6. Ayup...exactly. No one is accountable. No one.

The GOP is one big Blame Game.

[rodeodance]

9. the world in tracking us on this!

[fooj]

15. You bet they are. We'd better "fix this" ASAP...

We've got to prove to the world that the only bastards in this country are the ones running OUR HOUSE!

Peace.

[wtmusic]

12. actions of a deranged few

in the military...we just don't DO things like that :eyes:

[daleo]

7. As always, parse carefully for the truth

Notice, the headline says they "dismiss" this, not that they "deny" this.

"The Pentagon has denounced the report as a politically motivated smear. Defense Department spokesman Lt. Col. John Skinner criticized it as an effort “to advance an agenda through the use of distortions and efforts in fact.” He made the remarkable claim that the military has “looked at all aspects of detention operations under a microscope.”"

Here, they denounce the report, not deny it. They mention distortions, which could be anything - e.g. a claim of a baseball hitting bat was a distortion because the it was really just a big stick. And what exactly is meant by denouncing something called "efforts in fact". It sounds like denouncing someone for telling the truth.

The details of the torture in the story seem very believable.

[ElectroPrincess]

8. Seems like everyone in this Administration are Graduates

of "Bab's Finishing School" for General Officers.

You peasants need to move along to something positive now ... or else! <snarf>

[knowbody0]

10. torture=politics?

[Lindsay]

13. No, torture = business as usual.

Reporting torture = politics.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. A 'smear' that Republican John McCain wants fully investigated?

And he's joined Republican John Warner and Republican Lindsey Graham to require the military to obey the Geneva conventions? It's a few vaguely honorable men from Bush's own party that wants this investigated.