Journalists embedded with 82nd report prisoner abuse! Threatened Dragging..

[KoKo]

Hat Tip to "Whoa_Nelly" for finding this. I heard on NPR this a.m. but couldn't find a proper link:


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Journalists embedded with 82nd report prisoner abuse

The Associated Press

BERLIN — A German newsmagazine reported Sunday that two of its journalists embedded with troops from the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan witnessed Afghan and American soldiers involved in abusing prisoners.

The weekly Focus reported that, while on patrol with troops this month southwest of Kabul, reporter Wolfgang Bauer and photographer Karsten Schoene witnessed an incident they said amounted to torture.

Maj. Tom Earnhardt, a spokesman for the 82nd Airborne Division, said comment on the incidents described in the article were best left to the commanders in Afghanistan.

“Having said that, I can tell you we do not condone the mistreatment or torture of detainees under any circumstances,” he said. “We’ve just found out about the allegations in the German publication and we will look into them.”

Focus reported that, during the search of a village for Taliban fighters, a patrol reportedly led by an Afghan army platoon leader apprehended a suspect in a house.

When the suspect refused to talk, the magazine said, the platoon leader tied one end of a rope to the suspect’s foot and the other end to a vehicle, then threatened to drag the man unless he told the truth.

Focus reported that the platoon leader then had an American soldier start the motor. The magazine printed a picture of what it said was the prisoner tied to the vehicle, with a soldier standing nearby.

(NOTE: PICTURE IN COMMENTS ON THIS POST BELOW)

After idling for two minutes, the vehicle’s motor was shut off. The man was not dragged, the magazine reported.

The magazine reported that, in another instance, American soldiers stood by while an Afghan “secret service man” punched a suspect with his fists and then hit him with the butt of his gun to try and obtain information.


more at .........
http://www.fayobserver.com/print?id=265788&type=article

[wakeme2008]

1. pic

Article http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/afghanistan-tagebuch/afghanistan_aid_64432.html

[KoKo]

2. Thanks....I wonder if this will be reported by CNN or MSNBC...

or will be buried like this poor guy would have been if reporter hadn't been embedded. :-( Dreadful.

[KoKo]

3. Kick...because this is Cheney Policy IN ACTION! and the Resentment will hurt our Soldiers!