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Thursday, May 27, 2004

It Just Keeps Getting Worse and Worse...

6:13 AM

So now it's murder by strangulation and blunt force trauma; the dogs were approved all the way up the command; a female intelligence officer is in on the kills and torture from Afghanistan to Iraq. Damn! Is this the new American way?

WASHINGTON, May 25 - An Army summary of deaths and mistreatment involving prisoners in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan shows a widespread pattern of abuse involving more military units than previously known.

The cases from Iraq date back to April 15, 2003, a few days after Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled in a Baghdad square, and they extend up to last month, when a prisoner detained by Navy commandos died in a suspected case of homicide blamed on "blunt force trauma to the torso and positional asphyxia."
Among previously unknown incidents are the abuse of detainees by Army interrogators from a National Guard unit attached to the Third Infantry Division, who are described in a document obtained by The New York Times as having "forced into asphyxiation numerous detainees in an attempt to obtain information" during a 10-week period last spring.

The document, dated May 5, is a synopsis prepared by the Criminal Investigation Command at the request of Army officials grappling with intense scrutiny prompted by the circulation the preceding week of photographs of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. It lists the status of investigations into three dozen cases, including the continuing investigation into the notorious abuses at Abu Ghraib.

The Army summary is consistent with recent public statements by senior military officials, who have said the Army is actively investigating nine suspected homicides of prisoners held by Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan in late 2002.

But the details paint a broad picture of misconduct, and show that in many cases among the 37 prisoners who have died in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army did not conduct autopsies and says it cannot determine the causes of the deaths.

The New York Times

6:13 AM / Editor / permalink 4 comments

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4 Comments:

Joseph I have watched from afar since "9/11" and I have seen an administration use the "War on Terror" far past it's use by date for purely political reasons.

Not only has it impacted millions of people world wide but it has changed the very fabric of American society. I am sorry to say that you and your fellow Americans have been duped by propaganda equal to or more effective than anything the Chinese have ever been able to put out.

In my blog, because of my associations with the Uygur cause, I have called time and time again for a reassessment of this manic "war on terror" that we all have been emeshed in by our political leaders. Fight terror yes but for the reason to defeat terror and for no other.

It is now well and truly time to take stock, all of us Americans, Brits, Aussies and see once and for all that we have been well and truly manipulated for far less than altruistic reasons.

By Anonymous, at 11:23 AM

Sorry I did not mean to go anonomous. I hit the wrong button. -Steve

By Abe, at 11:25 AM

Stephen, many of us weren't duped. Those of us who raised our voices were described as weasels, traitors, left-wing idiots who are out of touch, appeasers, coddlers of terrorists and worse. But most Americans were indeed duped and still won't acknowledge it. The Bush administration thrives on duping, and they've turned it into an art. Everything is secret, and whatever they say in public is part of a disinformation campaign. Cheney's feverish attempts to convince us of a connection between Saddam and Al Qaeda is perhaps the most glaring example. More and more Americans are catching on, and the polls show Bush's recent attempts to rally support for the Iraq war are failing. Maybe this is a turning point. My fear, however, is that before the election we will be duped yet again by some big lie, and the gullible Americans will swallow it whole and be convinced that if they don't vote for Bush, the nation's security may be at stake. Witness yesterday's hysterical announcement of 7 terrorists at large in America, determined to attack sometime before the election. Perfect timing.

By richard, at 1:13 AM

Exactly, always just perfect timing. Enjoy NY.

By Abe, at 9:39 AM