Court-martial convicts US soldier

[DoYouEverWonder]

28 January 2006





A US court-martial in Afghanistan has found an American soldier guilty of mistreating two prisoners at a military base in Uruzgan province.

James R Hayes was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to maltreat and two counts of maltreatment, a statement from the US military in Kabul said.

His punishment includes four months in prison in Kuwait.

Another soldier faces a court-martial over the same incident which took place last July.

His trial is due to start on Monday.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4657978.stm


I thought Bush said we don't torture people?

[Blue_In_AK]

1. It's only the few "bad apples"

:sarcasm:

[MercutioATC]

2. It IS only a few bad apples.

...and they're being encouraged from higher up. I believe most of the soldiers in Iraq are decent people, though probably suffering from a kind of "cop syndrome".

[Blue_In_AK]

3. Gotta agree with you there...

It's the bad apples at the top that are causing all the problems.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. It's a break down of military discipline

that comes from the top, down.

Just another part of the neocons desire to destabilize the world.

[noamnety]

5. "a few" bad apples = at least 251

"allegations against more than 251 military members have been addressed in courts-martial, non-judicial punishment and other adverse administrative actions"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/22/AR2006012200928_pf.html

[MercutioATC]

6. 251 out of 130,000...that's a few.

I'm not excusing their actions, just pointing out that the vast majority of our people in Iraq don't commit these acts.

[noamnety]

7. it's not 130,000

There were 251 troops who were mistreating detainees. Not all the troops in Iraq are guarding detainees. Your ratio needs to be those found guilty of mistreating detainees to total number in a position to potentially mistreat detainees (guards & interrogators), not the total number of troops in Iraq.

[MercutioATC]

8. Point taken.

[saigon68]

10. Its probably secret ---as to how many (guards & interrogators) are there

I'll bet at least 5 to 10% of these people get their rocks off.

Kicking the crap out of the (insert racial epithet here) heads

No I won't post the photo of the POW with Feces all over his back w/ his ankles handcuffed together, and a baton wielding thug menacingly threatening him.

[0007]

12. You mean this one?

[saigon68]

13. That's the One--- According to cheney

That's a frat prank

I guess the guys relatives don't see it that way

And then the NEOCONS and their lackys complain as the Ied's kick ass

[anotherdrew]

9. conspiracy to maltreat? so when do the co-conspirators go on trial?

I think we already know their names...

[DoYouEverWonder]

11. Read this - no wonder there are so few convictions

of the people involved in killing and torturing prisioners.



The man who holds the CIA accountable doesn't

January 29, 2006

After Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr. asphyxiated a high-level Iraqi detainee by stuffing him head-first into a sleeping bag, wrapping him with electrical cord and using suffocation techniques on him during interrogations, he was charged with the man's murder.

Earlier this month, Welshofer was convicted of the lesser charge of negligent homicide and sentenced by a military jury to a $6,000 fine and 60 days confined to the barracks.

It was a loud message that we don't take the abuse of prisoners very seriously. But at least Welshofer had to answer for his actions.

According to both the New York Times and Washington Post, the CIA also had a hand in Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush's failing condition. One CIA contract worker, if not more, assisted in severely beating Mowhoush two days before he died. But no charges have been filed for those transgressions.

It's a persistent problem. The military guys take the fall while the men-in-black slither into the shadows with no one holding them accountable.

Currently, one man decides whether to criminally prosecute CIA operatives and civilian contractors for detainee abuse: Paul McNulty. And so far, he has found no one worthy of pursuit.

http://www.sptimes.com/2006/01/29/Columns/The_man_who_holds_the.shtml