NYT: Symbol of Abu Ghraib Seeks to Spare Others His Nightmare

[Rose Siding]

Mr. Qaissi, 43, was prisoner 151716 of Cellblock 1A. The picture of him standing hooded atop a cardboard box, attached to electrical wires with his arms stretched wide in an eerily prophetic pose, became the indelible symbol of the torture at Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad.......
.....
Under the government of Saddam Hussein, Mr. Qaissi was a mukhtar, in effect a neighborhood mayor, a role typically given to members of the ruling Baath Party and closely tied to its nebulous security services. After the fall of the government, he managed a parking lot belonging to a mosque in Baghdad.

He was arrested in October 2003, he said, because he loudly complained to the military, human rights organizations and the news media about soldiers' dumping garbage on a local soccer field. But some of his comments suggest that he is at least sympathetic toward insurgents who fight American soldiers.

"Resistance is an international right," he said.

Weeks after complaining about the garbage, he said, he was surrounded by Humvees, hooded, tied up and carted to a nearby base before being transferred to Abu Ghraib. Then the questioning began.

"They blamed me for attacking U.S. forces," he said, "but I said I was handicapped; how could I fire a rifle?" he said, pointing to his hand. "Then he asked me, 'Where is Osama bin Laden?' And I answered, 'Afghanistan.' "

How did he know? "Because I heard it on TV," he replied.........

http://nytimes.com/2006/03/11/international/middleeast/11ghraib.html?hp&ex=1142139600&en=762326e6cb35fa0d&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[lovuian]

1. I love his answer "Resistance is an international right," he said

The more you oppress a nation the more they resist!!!

[mike_c]

2. "Where is Osama bin Laden...?"

OMFG.

[Rose Siding]

4. Bizarre, huh?

They also wrote "Colin Powell" on his chest and urinated on him.

Do Iraqis even know who Powell is?

[SongOfTheRayne]

3. Thought we were supposed to be FIGHTING terrorism....

There is no line. There is no difference between Us and Them. If there is a difference, it is that They had an excuse: They lived under a dictator who brainwashed them and only let censored information get through. We have no such excuse. We live in a democracy.

[Daphne08]

5. Every American should be outraged. It was done in our name!

I realize that information must be gotten from real enemies that we might hold as prisoners, but there is NO excuse for Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and Bagram and the other sites around the world.

We supposedly have the most sophisticated intelligence agencies in the world. I am certain they must have sophisticated ways to get information without resorting to torture and humiliation such as we've witnessed.

This behavior also puts our own troops at greater risk, especially since Iraq did not invade or attack the United States!

I really think future generations will look upon this time with great shame just as we view past actions that we now consider inhumane.

[SongOfTheRayne]

6. Past actions....but has anything changed since then?

I don't understand at all...how can we claim to be fighting terrorism? We have lost the war on terror because in fighting terrorists we have lost all standards and become the very thing we despised.

I will never understand the human race. How could anyone bring themselves to do such things to their fellow human beings?

[Mopar-guy]

7. Picture looks fake

Has anyone looked closely at this picture. It looks like the picture was put in his hand using a computer. Also, best of all the guy under the black outfit is very pale white. Some people pay attention to detail and if you want someone to belive your picture is real, you have to make it look somewhat realistic. Good grief, this is lame. I just turned voting age 2 days ago and I have no preference for party yet but,(leaning democrat) but I had to comment on this one. I could make this one up on my Dell too. LOL

[democracyindanger]

8. Dumbest. First post. Ever.

[Mopar-guy]

10. Reply

Dumbest answer to first post ever , No reason to why it's dumb. You must not have A scanner. Anyone can make this lame picture up. It's super easy, This one is so apparently made with a computer, I had to comment on it. I guess this guy could have the same surgeon as Michael Jackson, After a few surgeries he turned white too. LOL

[democracyindanger]

14. Dumbest first post ever remains dumb.

Arguably becomes even dumber. Poster clearly does not realize that the photo of the hooded prisoner is one that is known worldwide as an image taken from the CDs confiscated by the US Army and used as evidence in the courts martial of Charles Graner, Lynndie England and others. A simple Google of "abu ghraib hooded prisoner" would return dozens of instances of the exact same image. Apparently, ownership of a scanner impedes internet searches and paying attention to the news.

[Judi Lynn]

9. What would be the objective of creating a false photo?

Who benefits? What's the payoff?

Here's a google page of the same photos, in differing degrees of skin tone, as well as this one from an Italian newspaper,
It wouldn't appear that photo of the man without the hood is bogus:



http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=Ali%20Shalal%20Kaissi&spell=1&sa=N&tab=wi

[Mopar-guy]

11. ?

Who the heck is that?

[0rganism]

15. Clearly, it's the same fraudulent alleger of abuse as the OP!

Fear not, he will soon be exposed for the faker he is shortly. Make no mistake, the internet is ON to this clown.

[0rganism]

12. Of course! There was no real person under that hood, it was a manequin

It was all just part of the Abu Ghraib Halloween decor, for their haunted house. When you pan back on that photo, you see it's right next to the table with the peeled grapes and the cold spaghetti.

Obviously anyone who claims to have been one of the recipients of such alleged abuse must be a fraud. :crazy:
No Iraqis were harmed in the making of those videos. :crazy:
It was just like a big ol' frat party. :crazy:

[Mopar-guy]

13. ?

?????????????

[0rganism]

16. Don't worry, man, it'll all be made clear real soon now

We've got teams of internet image EXPERTS goin' after that asshole. He'll be exposed as a fraud faster than you can say Times Roman 12-point. How dare he wave that photoshopped image around like he was some kind of halloweenie dressed-up manequin? We're gonna bust his act real good!

[Judi Lynn]

17. He'll be back in Abu Ghraib so fast his head will spin!

He's gonna rue the day a new DU poster "made" him. Who does he think he is, anyway?

I can't wait until Donald Rumsfeld finds out about this. He'll be all over this situation.

[libodem]

20. Did you click on the link

what purpose would it serve to lie about this?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

21. Yum!

[rodeodance]

18. I read yesterday that the prison will be turned into a warehouse--which

is differnt from a while ago when they said it would be torn down.

[LynnTheDem]

19. "Resistance is an international right," True.

Under the Geneva Cons, the Westphalia War Treaty & international law.

The USA INVADED Iraq; a nation that had not been doing a damn thing to anyone. Luckily for us, Iraq was and is so fucking WEAK they were and are unable to DEFEND themselves with their legal right of attacking us back.

God forgive America; it's unlikely anyone else will.