A Grim Foreshadowing? (Journalists getting the Abu Ghraib treatment)

[Barrett808]

A Grim Foreshadowing?
By Jill Carroll

NBC cameraman Ali Mohammed Hussein was simply following his news instincts when he set off to track down the crash site of a U.S. military helicopter on January 2, 2004. His brother, a cousin and a friend, all of whom work for Reuters, joined him.

They didn't return for three days. When the Iraqis finally turned up, it was with an outlandish tale of abuses suffered in U.S. military detention facilities. Their story foreshadowed the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison that came to light four months later. But unlike Abu Ghraib, their ordeal has been largely ignored by the media, and the military does not admit any wrongdoing.

This account of what happened to them is based on interviews in Iraq with three of the men, using a translator, and transcripts of lengthy interviews conducted by Reuters. A U.S. military investigation said soldiers did not abuse or torture the men, but Reuters continues to push for a more thorough inquiry. The Pentagon said it had no further comment on the allegations for this story.

The four Iraqis were accused not of shooting film, but a OH-58 Kiowa observation helicopter that crashed near Fallujah, killing one U.S. soldier and injuring another. Eventually, they were released and were not prosecuted.

(more)

http://ajr.org/Article.asp?id=3882

[babylonsister]

1. Will we ever be able to recover

from the shame of all this?:cry:

[AX10]

2. What if that happens here? Look at who's in charge!

:scared:

What if a civilian sees something they were not to see or partakes in certain protests, under Bush it could happen. And nobody is going to stop it.

Iraq is in WORSE condition than under Saddam!

[knowbody0]

3. ive concluded today

that this is no longer our country.

[electricray]

11. This goes to the heart of my answer to neocons who say I hate America.

I actually had someone ask me why I seemed happy when America looked bad. I realized that it is possible that I look giddy when bad news comes out about the Bush crew and their follies. But on more reflection I realized that my glee had nothing to do with me hating America, but everything to do with my disdain for the perpetrators of the destruction of my image of America. I don't hate America, but I loathe "'murica". America is the country that I learned about in grade school. The melting pot where people came to escape fear of persecution. They were willing to face untold hardships all for want of freedom of thought. "'murica" is a land where persecution is practically a framework for foriegn policy.

America is a country where every person had a birth-right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In "'murica" those birth-rights are used as rhetoric. They are redefined and framed to coerce our countrymen and women into hatred of those who choose to persue thier own happiness in unfamiliar ways.

America is a place where the military is used for just purposes and when it appears that the initial reasoning was incorrect or unjust we are at least contrite and have a desire to achieve reperations. "'murica" sends soldiers who will always answer the call into, at best, a poorly planned and misunderstood battle and, at worst, a battle purely driven by greed.

America is a place where a person's word is important. Americans use their voices to defend the freedom they are so proud of. "'muricans" use their words to manipulate the definition of freedom. "'murica" is a place where words, regardless of truthfulness, are liabilities.

I love America. I am happy to have at least an online version of it that I can still escape to while the revolution progresses. Make no mistake, we are in a civil war. The casualties now are limited to people's careers, journalists, and politicians. If the frustration and divisive nature of the discourse continues who knows how far the revolution will escalate? Thank you for letting me be a part of Democratic Underground.

[RedSock]

12. sadly

I understand your sentiment and sadness at what has happened since the 2000 Coup, but America has never been that country you described. Never. It's an illusion. An illusion that most in "murca" still see.

We have been working towards it, back and forth, since this country's inception, but we are not there yet. And because of *, we have a bit further to go than we did 5 years ago.

[daleo]

13. A very good post

I think a lot of people would agree with everything you wrote.

[Barrett808]

15. Nice n/t

[bennywhale]

4. No

[CoffeeCat]

5. I think we've reached critical mass...

After Abu Griab, you would think that our military would be ultra-careful to treat detainees with respect.

However, since AG---that's all we hear about. Every time someone emerges from a US detention facility--they detail widespread, horrible abuse.

Obviously, this is policy now. This is a chronic problem. This is the way our military is functioning now.

Now wonder we can't win in Iraq. No wonder the insurgent attacks continue. They hate us; and they should hate us--if innocent people are being detained and tortured.

This is so vile. So horrendous. I can't believe it's being done in my name.

I feel like there is nothing I can do.

[Jacobin]

6. Payback will be a bitch

We are getting hammered in IraqNam, but that won't be the end of it.

[Barrett808]

7. "The guys in the hall were not soldiers, they were monsters"

"Then they started the torture," Ali says.

It lasted all night. They were ordered to perform strenuous exercise until they were exhausted and to assume humiliating sexual poses. Soldiers would come by the door of the room and watch, the men recall. Some took pictures. All laughed.

"They made us lie on each other like a cross. One of the soldiers forced me to move like I was having sex, and they had personal cameras taking pictures of us," Ali says.

Remember, just a few bad apples...

[NEOBuckeye]

8. Those are only the men. We haven't even heard about women and children.

Think of how the world will react once that comes out. All it takes are just a few more damning photos.

[Barrett808]

10. Sy Hersh said there are photos of children

"You haven't begun to see evil," was his comment.

[Gyre]

9. We learned this one for the Israelis

too. When will the press realize they're there to do the chimp's bidding? While the American press "gets it", Reuters reporters seem particularly obstinate. But don't worry; "freedom is on the march"! :)

Gyre

[Javaman]

14. When the human body sustains a major injury, what usually follows...

is many surgeries, corrective restructuring of the major organs or bones, grafts and lots and lots of healing.
We never were allowed to heal properly from Viet Nam. As a result we tried to stitch it up and forget it, but the stitches kept ripping. We tried a radical new treatment, the Gulf War, it appeared to fix some of the minor organs, but it just only reopened the wound and did nothing to really help the patient. The Iraqi war has blown open the old would and caused a new major complication. A poor attempt at reconstructive surgery failed miserably.
The patient in need of blood. It's bleeding out. Nothing can be done to fix this patient until it is allowed to rest and heal. However, the out look is not good. If not allowed these two basic things, along with common sense and a healthy dose of peace, the patient, if moved, will, no doubt, die.