What are the Australians afraid of?

[ck4829]

Elite Australian soldiers are being blindfolded, stripped naked and threatened by savage dogs during extreme torture training exercises.

The regime has been approved at the highest level of government and is about to be upgraded in response to the threat from enemies who do not abide by the Geneva Conventions, the Weekend Australian newspaper reports.

Defense Minister Robert Hill confirmed that soldiers were threatened with physical and sexual abuse during simulated interrogation sessions at the Defense Intelligence Training Centre in Queensland.

"When approved by the exercise director, working military dogs that are muzzled and short-leashed may be used during advanced RTI (resistance to interrogation) training, in the presence of RTI trainees (including naked trainees) on order to create realism," Senator Hill said in a written response to a parliamentary question.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=58476

Why are they trying to recreate Abu Ghraib and imprint it into their soldiers? One thing is for sure, although I know that the Insurgents are terrorists and they are murderers, they don't do the things listed above. Only one other group has done these things recently.

Could these people be afraid of America?

[wli]

1. that's my wild guess, yes n/t

[Yellow_Dog]

2. I'm afraid of America

and I was born and raised here.

[ck4829]

4. I was born and raised here too

My God, what has our country become?

[all.of.me]

12. ditto - pretty scary place

[hobbit709]

3. Sounds like it to me eom

[tocqueville]

5. all elite soldiers have the same kind of training

even the French

[ck4829]

6. I don't know

I haven't seen this reported anywhere else.

[tocqueville]

7. I saw it on TV here (not the scenes)

it was a training for the French equivalent of the Navy Seals. The last test is to be "captured" and interrogated. They are away for 24 h. Interviewed after the interrogation, they didn't want to talk about it.

[ck4829]

8. I believe you

Maybe the Australians aren't alone in whatever they fear.

[tocqueville]

9. I don't think it's a question of fear

Those are elite. They are supposed to go behind enemy lines, for the most dangerous missions. They have to be trained.

The regular soldier isn't.

[ck4829]

11. You are right

Maybe the French is training them to be Elites in the way you specify.

But, the Australians talk of realism but train their soldiers using methods that Islamic militants will not use. (As far as I know, I have not heard of any militants ripping the clothes off of their hostages or using dogs, and take it from me, a Muslim, I love dogs, but Islamic customs say we aren't susposed to have dogs)

So, I believe you that the French are training their Elites with this similar method, but I believe that the Australians are doing it with something else in mind.

[tocqueville]

13. OK I got your point

I don't know if the French use dogs in the trainings. But the methods used are classic, they have been used by Nazis, Russians... whoever. They are the first stage of torture. They are more aimed to break down people psychologically by degrading them.

On the other hand I know that the French have ceased to use torture after the big debate here about the war in Algeria. The results are not efficient and you always lose when you use it.

There are psychological interrogation methods using the weaknesses in the "other" ideological training that are far more efficient.

A lot of Al quaeda people arrested in France have talked because they like to brag and taunt. And sometimes they brag and taunt a bit too much.

[gollygee]

10. From what I've seen, when Al Quaeda captures people

they chop their heads off. The people doing sexual torture are US.

I have seen the enemy and it is us.