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Calif. Guardsman Alleges Abuse in Iraq ( A must read!)

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Spazito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 12:35 PM
Original message
Calif. Guardsman Alleges Abuse in Iraq ( A must read!)
SAN FRANCISCO - A California National Guardsman says three fellow soldiers brazenly abused detainees during interrogation sessions in an Iraqi police station, threatening them with guns, sticking lit cigarettes in their ears and choking them until they collapsed.



Sgt. Greg Ford said he repeatedly had to revive prisoners who had passed out, and once saw a soldier stand on the back of a handcuffed detainee's neck and pull his arms until they popped out of their sockets.


"I had to intervene because they couldn't keep their hands off of them," said Ford, part of a four-member team from the 223rd Military Intelligence Battalion that questioned detainees last year in Samarra, north of Baghdad. He said the abuse took place from April to June.

snip

Ford told The Associated Press that when he reported the problems last June to his commanding officers, they pressured him to drop his claims.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040609/ap_on_re_us/prisoner_abuse_calif
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joeunderdog Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 12:41 PM
Response to Original message
1. This is a soldier we can be proud of.
I'll bet there are alot of other stories just like his that have gotten stuffed away somewhere.
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molly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 12:42 PM
Response to Original message
2. I rated this story a 5
maybe more will come out of hiding.
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ElectroPrincess Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 12:57 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. Excellent Scoop!
Edited on Wed Jun-09-04 12:58 PM by ElectroPrincess
This story should be "on fire" across the USA. Instead it will be buried and this soldier's welfare (perhaps life) is now in danger. Bad (or nonexistent) command leadership has lead to the acceptance of a torture free-for-all by the more violence prone MP and MI soldiers. Because the command turns a blind eye, *anyone* who complains gets degraded and eventually purged from Military service. This is some SICK stuff and responsibility lies in the Executive branch for their clear lack of moral clarity.

On edit - quick typo correction from MP to MI ;)
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LeighAnn Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 02:07 PM
Response to Reply #2
14. Best way to boost it on Yahoo is email it to your friends
The "most popular" story was only sent 500 and so many times...there's enough of us here to get just about any story on the most popular list, just by emailing it to ourselves and our friends.



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KayLaw Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 12:51 PM
Response to Original message
3. Scum
If there really is a heaven and hell, Satan must be in his glory. I hope these monsters enjoy rotting in hell.
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Cosby Donating Member (31 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 12:55 PM
Response to Original message
4. This soldier's word is gospel
I Personally know Greg. He is absolutely trusworthy. I've known this story for about a year. You can believe every word he says.
He is a hero.
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 01:11 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
molly Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 01:18 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. Someone tell him to be VERY careful
I'm sure he already knows that. Has he spoken with anyone like Biden or Kennedy?
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Name removed Donating Member (0 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 02:12 PM
Response to Reply #7
15. Deleted message
Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.
 
nofurylike Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 03:55 PM
Response to Reply #7
17. snooper/stoolie? n/t
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UpInArms Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 04:00 PM
Response to Reply #4
18. Welcome to DU Cosby!
:hi:
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saskatoon Donating Member (574 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 04:13 PM
Response to Reply #4
19. WHERE can we contact him to our appreciation/
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burrowowl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 09:23 PM
Response to Reply #4
22. Welcome to DU, Cosby!
:hi:

Thanks for the info.
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caledesi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 01:09 PM
Response to Original message
6. Excellent article. nt
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Habibi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 01:12 PM
Response to Original message
8. Gotta love this part
(from the article)

"When he insisted on an official investigation, they ordered him to see combat stress counselors, who sent him out of Iraq (news - web sites), he said."

Apparently, decency is now a mental illness.
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TahitiNut Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 01:42 PM
Response to Reply #8
12. That's pretty standard "damage control".
The military "protects its own" from any claim of corruption that the brass sponsors. Many NCOs and junior officers see their job as keeping the "enlisted scum" and "civilians in uniform" from rocking the boat.
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proud patriot Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 01:14 PM
Response to Original message
9. I feel sick to my stomach
"a soldier stand on the back of a handcuffed detainee's neck and pull his arms until they popped out of their sockets."

:-(

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shanti Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 02:02 PM
Response to Reply #9
13. that's how i felt when i read that
"our fellow americans", bah! :grr:
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Edmond Dantes Donating Member (524 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-11-04 03:50 PM
Response to Reply #9
29. kick
:kick:
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JNelson6563 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 01:32 PM
Response to Original message
11. Here's a good part
Edited on Wed Jun-09-04 01:32 PM by JNelson6563
After leaving Iraq, Ford underwent psychiatric evaluations at military installations in Germany and San Antonio, and said those evaluations found nothing wrong with him.

So he wasn't delusional. I hope they don't "disappear" him.

Julie

On edit: Don't forget to rate story!

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xchrom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 02:55 PM
Response to Original message
16. stunning
words fail -- that's amazing. i hope this guy stays well.
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Spazito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 05:03 PM
Response to Original message
20. Kick for a brave national guardsman!
*
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Spazito Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 09:19 PM
Response to Original message
21. I know it is poor form to kick one's own thread but this brave ...
national guard's story needs to be widely read, imo.
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burrowowl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jun-09-04 09:25 PM
Response to Reply #21
23. I'll
KICK!
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burrowowl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jun-10-04 12:17 AM
Response to Original message
24. Kick for the morning
CREW!
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Disturbed Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jun-10-04 12:30 AM
Response to Original message
25. I am poud of Greg.
Please relate that to him. A Vietnam Era Vet. I didn't go because my orders were changed. Long story. Most American troops are honorable re: this horrible nightmare of the US Govt, which I hold responsible.
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Kimber Scott Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jun-10-04 01:01 AM
Response to Original message
26. Gave it a 5. I used to work in the county jail
and was in a Army Reserve MP unit at the time. I cannot believe these abuses were allowed to happen. It's sick and I applaud anyone who had the balls to stand up to it.
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oblivious Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Thu Jun-10-04 04:53 AM
Response to Original message
27. I wonder what percentage of humanity is this evil.
Twice I had to pull burning cigarettes out of detainees' ears

Whenever a prisoner collapsed, his team's leader would emerge and say, "Greg, I think we've got another accident


Commanding officers: `Nope, you're delusional, you're crazy, it never happened.'
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struggle4progress Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-11-04 12:44 AM
Response to Original message
28. kick
:kick:
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peacetalksforall Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Fri Jun-11-04 04:32 PM
Response to Original message
30. In the absence of Bin Laden, an Iraqi man will do.
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struggle4progress Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Jun-13-04 01:17 AM
Response to Original message
31. kick
:kick:
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