“Why are they doing this to us?” (heartbreaking reports on torture)

[Barrett808]

“Why are they doing this to us?”
by Dahr Jamail

He is a well spoken, handsome lawyer, just a year older than I am. He worked as a diplomat who coordinated NGOs and foreign governments in order to bring aid to his country during the sanctions.

He was detained and accused of being a spy for Saddam Hussein, even though he is not even a Baathist.

He was hung from his ankles for hours in Abu Ghraib, until he passed out.

I ask him what else happened to him in there. He pulls up the legs of his trousers to show me two electrical burns on the inside of his knees, and points to two more on his elbows.

We all know the usual parts of this story: his head was bagged and hands and ankles tied too tightly, roughly thrown in an armored vehicle and driven to Baghdad Airport prison. Then to Abu Ghraib for 2 months, then to a prison in Basra, then back to Abu Ghraib for seven months.

(more)

http://blog.newstandardnews.net/iraqdispatches/archives/000518.html#more

[stevedeshazer]

1. It's just a few bad apples. </sarcasm>

[saigon68]

6. "THEY" are doing this for '"HALLIBURTON PROFITS"

They should hand out "BARRON'S" to the P.O.W. s at Abu Ghraib

Then they would understand why someone would shove a plastic FLASHLIGHT up their Rectums.

[nodehopper]

2. OH my god, my brain and my heart hurt all the time

[Just Me]

3. I am sorry.

I am,...so sorry.

I never chose such "wicked" people to represent me.

They are separate from me and every decent human being.

[quagmire_iraq]

4. Torture with electricity is common

See some of the other articles on electronic iraq and occupation watch. Dar even has some pictures of the victims. So I am quite amazed that they pinned such wide spread torture abuses on 2 guys on a prank. I have seen at least 4 reports of people being tortured.... With electricity so its more common than not.




http://newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=275

[happynewyear]

5. thanks for the link & welcome to the DU quagmire_iraq

:hi: and welcome to the DU quagmire_iraq!!!

Thank you for the above link to this important story. Wow, this is getting sicker by the second!!! :(

snip from article:

<< Daughter Rheem stated, "My father is a good man who helped so many people in our community. Why have they done this to him? Can you tell me? Everyone who knows him can say that he did so many good things to help people."

With tears in her eyes, Hashima Zoman added, "Is it fair for any man's family to be made to suffer like this? Is it right that his daughters must see him like this? Our lives will never be the same again, no matter what happens." >>

[Disturbed]

7. War Crimes!

Does someone need a degree in Intl. Law to know that the US Govt. has commited War Crimes?


What is a war crime?
By Tarik Kafala
BBC News Online


Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention defines war crimes as: "Willful killing, torture or inhuman treatment, including... willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement of a protected person, compelling a protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile power, or willfully depriving a protected person of the rights of fair and regular trial, ...taking of hostages and extensive destruction and appropriation of property, not justified by military necessity and carried out unlawfully and wantonly."


This, international lawyers say, is the basic definition of war crimes.

The statutes of The Hague tribunal say the court has the right to try suspects alleged to have violated the laws or customs of war in the former Yugoslavia since 1992. Examples of such violations are given in article 3:

* Wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity
* Attack, or bombardment, by whatever means, of undefended towns, villages, dwellings, or buildings
* Seizure of, destruction or willful damage done to institutions dedicated to religion, charity and education, the arts and sciences, historic monuments and works of art and science
* Plunder of public or private property.

The tribunal defines crime against humanity as crimes committed in armed conflict but directed against a civilian population. Again a list of examples is given in article 5:

* Murder
* Extermination
* Enslavement
* Deportation
* Imprisonment
* Torture
* Rape
* Persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/1420133.stm

[quagmire_iraq]

8. thanks.. long time reader here

but I only came in because I saw this post... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x598379
and had to reply :)

America would overthrow Saddam for Iran.
http://iraqwar.mirror-world.ru/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=8633

got to drop my sis at the station, be back later...

[newyawker99]

13. Hi quagmire_iraq!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[NNN0LHI]

9. Just letting off a little more steam, eh Rush?

Wonder what happened to our soldiers that were taken prisoner a couple of months ago? No one talks about them any more.

Don

[quagmire_iraq]

10. A funny thing happened On Their Way To Abu Ghraib

No men were apprehended this time, Al-Tai said; “there were none left.” The purpose of the return visit was made clear when the Bradley gunners opened fire with the 25mm Bushmaster chain gun and the 7.62mm machine gun, blasting holes large and small into the brick and cement-block home.

On January 2 the military came back. Al-Tai showed us the rear of another vacant house where he said four brothers, now all in Abu Ghraib, once lived. Still visible were the tracks the Bradley made as it approached the home of Hamis, Abd Kadir, Mohammed and Jasim. As with the previous raid, there was no resistance, Al-Tai said. After another display of firepower the soldiers left. The uninhabitable home, a flattened brick outhouse, a pile of 25mm shell casings and a steel door shot off its hinges, bleeding rust stains from dozens of bullet holes, spoke of that night’s violence. As the CPT delegation listened, one of the villagers added, “The soldiers warned the people that they will make this area ‘just like the land of the moon…it will not be good to plant...it will be like the desert.’”

When asked why the Army returned twice to destroy homes, the 1st Battalion’s Executive Officer, Major Rob Gwinner, countered the homes were “still habitable. People are living in them.” His boss, Lt. Col. Sassaman, said the subsequent raids were a reaction to mortar attacks against his base from the Abu Siffa area. Pentagon casualty reports state that on January 2, 28 year-old Captain Eric Paliwoda was killed in a mortar attack at the 1st Battalion’s base.

http://electroniciraq.net/news/1532.shtml

[Barrett808]

11. The homes were "still habitable." Nice. n/t

[California Democrat]

12. Interesting....

I'm always interested in reading news that is generated by people who have a political agenda (ie-America evil, troops bad, Iraq quagmire, etc....)

I don't necessarily buy into this story anymore then I believe Fox News.