AP: Soldier May Speak at Sentencing Hearing

[wildflower]

Soldier May Speak at Sentencing Hearing

1 hour, 57 minutes ago

snip

Graner's attorney, Guy Womack, contended that his client and other Abu Ghraib guards were under extreme pressure from intelligence agents to use physical violence to prepare detainees for questioning.

"It was a persistent, consistent set of orders," Womack said in his closing argument. "To soften up the detainees, to do things so we can interrogate them successfully in support of our mission. ... We had men and women being killed."

Womack described the notorious photos taken inside the prison as "gallows humor" arising from unrelenting stress felt by the Abu Ghraib guards.

He also tried to plant the seed that Graner and the other low-level guards were being used in a cover-up to protect Army officers once those photos went public.

more

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050115/ap_on_re_us/prisoner_abuse_graner

[UL_Approved]

1. Its too bad

Its too bad that no hard evidence was found to support Graner's claims. Its pretty clear that there was some policy of these things going on. But no good proof...

[LibDemAlways]

3. Any written directives from the chimp

or Rumsfeld have long since been shredded. These guys know how to cover their asses. All well and good to punish Graner for his role, but it's a little like prosecuting Manson's family and letting Charlie walk.

[SmartBomb]

2. The skeptic in me wonders

if there's an offshore account waiting for good little soldiers who fall on their swords. It'll be interesting to hear what he says.

[0007]

4. I hope I hope I hope! but I'm not holding my breath that this will

go up the ladder.

[noamnety]

5. Aside from the morality here

Shouldn't Gonzales and the other lawyers involved in the infamous torture memo be let go for general incompetence after saying the soldiers couldn't be prosecuted for this?

[Robert Oak]

6. who finds this amazing

To me, there is no way this didn't come from superiors with orders to do precisely what they did.

There is absolutely no way! It was clearly systematic, organized
and throughout the prison.

I don't know how America can just sit here and let these privates
and sargents take the fall while we know there is a memo
that goes to the top.

[Vidar]

7. Needs to be followed to the source. A paper trail isn't

necessary when you have sufficient eye-witness testimony.