Shays says Abu Ghraib abuses were more about sex, not torture

[deadparrot]

HARTFORD, Conn. --Republican Rep. Christopher Shays said Friday the Abu Ghraib prison abuses were more about pornography than torture.

The congressman, who is in a tough re-election fight, said a National Guard unit was primarily responsible for the abuses.

"It was a National Guard unit run amok," Shays said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It was torture because sex abuse is torture. It was gross and despicable ... This is more about pornography than torture."

In fact, the 372nd Military Police Company from Cresaptown, Md., is an Army Reserve unit not National Guard.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/10/13/shays_says_abu_ghraib_abuses_were_sex_ring_not_torture/

[havocmom]

1. That'd explain the dogs

:eyes:

Congress needs a good cleaning. It's full of shit.

[BlueEyedSon]

19. yeah, and the deaths.

[Justitia]

2. Has someone taken Shays off his meds lately or what??? -eom

[Golden Raisin]

4. Yeah. I thought Shays was

supposed to be one of the more "reasonable" Republicans. First he brings up Chappiquiddick and now this? Is he being black-mailed or something? Has the word gone out from Rove/Bush Central to circle the wagons and woe to those who don't?

[Gormy Cuss]

10. Maybe he's trying to lose.

With the news that Rove was forcing Foley to run again the idea that Shays wants out but was 'encouraged' to run again is a distinct possibility.

[frylock]

14. interesting take..

certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

[Tuttle]

13. Shays is my congresscritter...

needless to say, I've never been happy about it but while watching this video at Crooks and Liars I saw he was wearing a yarmulka (!)

This is the very first time I ever realized he is Jewish: nothing wrong with that (other than explaining his bizarre positions on the Iraq situation) but this guy has been representing my district since the gerrymander mandated by the 2000 census (at least two election cycles).

And now he's Jewish??? OY VEY! He is getting very desparate!

Shays-mentum!

Tut-tut

[breathe peace]

16. Shays not Jewish

He's my congresscritter too....he's a Christian Scientist who has recently stated he's questioning his faith, not his belief in God, but his religion. He's acting out of character...desperate and angry. I might guess life has been quite strange for a 'moderate 'Republican...and he's lost his center.(no pun intended)

[Tuttle]

17. link

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/10/13/chris-shays-says-abu-ghraib-was-a-sex-ring/

listen to how he begins, talking about his mother and her note ("don't boast") he then seems to ask, rhetorically if she qualifies as a Jewish mother... that, along with the yarmulka, has me scratching my head!

Tut-tut

[Oak2004]

24. I really wonder about the remaining GOP moderates

A great many moderates and, to my knowledge, all liberals, have left the party or maintain their registration on paper while no longer contributing in any way to the party (not financially, nor as volunteers, nor by allowing their name to be associated with the party, nor with their votes).

So I wonder, what makes the remaining moderates "tick"? My guess some combination of misplaced loyalty, malliability, and a desire to be on the winning side of things. None of these are traits I like to see in my representatives.

[theothersnippywshrub]

20. Just a desperate republican making desperate claims.

Despair can make people say desperate things.

[NOLADEM]

26. Quite a window into Mr. Shay's sexual world.

I do have a feeling this is more honest than he intended. To many of these sickos, this is what it is about. Sex and power are confused in the Republican brain.

What an ass.

They must draw straws at the monthly Repube caucus, and whoever loses has to be the wack job for the month.

[lovuian]

3. Yes there is a Sick bunch of people at the helm of our country

and Abu Ghahib is one of their ideas

[Triana]

5. And this makes it OK?

:wtf: is the matter with the human trash that is unfortunately running this country? They have GOT to be the most disgusting, immoral crap that ever walked this earth.

[htuttle]

6. That tells me more about Shays than I ever really wanted to know...

He thought those pictures were 'sexual'? Ay, yay yay...

Say no more -- SAY NO MORE!

[xchrom]

8. ding! ding! ding! winnah!

i feel gross just reading that from shays -- it says that much about him.

[MountainLaurel]

31. It makes you wonder

What sort of mags he has hidden under the matress in the matrimonial chamber.

[rodeodance]

7. I certainly did not see this coming from Shays!!

[liberalmuse]

9. MOST people would consider this torture/degradation...

...but you have to understand that many Republicans actually pay hookers to do this same shit to them. It's easy to see why they'd confuse this with something sexual. Also, calling what happened to the Abu Ghraib detainees 'pornography' sounds like this creep is blaming the victim.

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

11. Can you say "great political instinct"?

It's about them damn liberals and that Perverted Democrat Mark Foley!

Christ, I actually had some respect for Shays in times passed...

[Rex]

12. Oh sure, blame the troops for following orders.

MPs don't 'run amok' you moran, they follow orders and do what their superior officers tell them. More about sex? Was Foley or Hastert over there during that time period? I know I read that Rummy has personally sat in on 'interrogations'.

Heaven forbid we blame the Sect. of Defense for this. It might lead to George and we can't have that. :eyes:

[stepnw1f]

15. GOPers Got Some Weird Fetishes

No wonder they live in such a repressive lifestyle....

[cui bono]

18. By that logic, rape is consentual sex. wtf. n/t

[Rose Siding]

21. Did Shays view the same slide show as other members of Congress? From 04-

Posted 5/12/2004 3:40 PM Updated 5/12/2004 11:23 PM

Abu Ghraib photos cause gasps in Congress
By Kathy Kiely and William M. Welch, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — A graphic slide show shown to members of Congress on Wednesday included images of U.S. military forcing Iraqi prisoners into sexual poses and threatening them with dogs.

More than 1,800 images, including video clips, were screened by members of the House and Senate in separate classified briefings under Pentagon supervision. The lawmakers disagreed over whether or not the images should be made public, but reaction to the content was vehement.
.....
On the House side of the Capitol, a packed room of lawmakers viewed the images in stunned silence, said Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif. Harman, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. She said the "disgusting, depraved acts" left her convinced American soldiers were guilty of torture.

"There's no definition of the Geneva convention or human decency that would permit these acts," she said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-05-12-congress-abuse_x.htm

Shays is a bastard who's trying to REWRITE history :grr:

[wiley]

22. Like, Shays is into snuff porno? Really sick guy.

He actually said that?

Ma'am, I'm sorry to inform you that your son was jacked up and off, hacked up, then frozen to death during pornographic maneuvers of the Army Reserve. What's that? A Purple Heart? No, Ma'am, we don't award purple hearts in this case. The body? No. We were able to recover an ear from one of the participating guard dogs. Honestly, ma'am, he was one of our better equipped soldiers. Army Strong doesn't even begin to describe the support he received from his team. We do have the uncut, er, sorry ma'am, the unedited version of the video that they were making when the horrible accident happened. We do have to ask for a fee of $29.95, however, according to regulations.

[LynnTheDem]

23. rightwingnuts; they really are this stupid, aren't they.

And shays is one of the stupidest.

[struggle4progress]

25. This is Shay's idea of sex?

http://images.salon.com.nyud.net:8090/news/abu_ghraib/2006/03/14/chapter_6/6_3.JPG http://images.salon.com.nyud.net:8090/news/abu_ghraib/2006/03/14/chapter_7/7_26.JPG

[mcg]

33. Shays thinks this is sexy.... (warning - graphic images)

http://www.antiwar.com/news/?articleid=2444

http://www.antiwar.com/news/?articleid=8560

[spacelady]

27. Ask the prisoners how sexy it was....if they are still able to answer. n/t

[MiniMe]

28. Shays "At least they didn't kill anybody" oops, it was an accident

[krispos42]

29. Musta been listening to Randi Rhodes

She's been saying that for months, about the homosexual S&M B&D themes in the Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prisons.

[mcg]

30. Video with Shays comments and Abu Ghraib photos (at youtube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp5f5y0fdC4

[mcg]

35. Abu Ghraib torture documentary (video at youtube)

warning - graphic images

http://www.youtube.com/watch?search=&mode=related&v=Ru0bxSqWMdo

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

32. Chappaquiddick sex, at that.

:eyes:

[samsingh]

34. is shays condoning rape now?

[Dover]

36. Well, I think they should release those Abu Ghraib photos and let

people decide for themselves what kind of abuse it was. Whatever happened to the legal issues around their release?

[mcg]

37. www.farrellforcongress.com

http://www.farrellforcongress.com/

Shays comments pissed me off so much I contributed
to his opponent, Diane Farrell.

http://www.farrellforcongress.com/news/news/oct14-ctpostedit.htm

Baffling Remarks, Editorial, Connecticut Post, October 14, 2006

"... Prisoners in Abu Ghraib had their limbs broken. They were urinated and defecated on. They had phosphoric acid poured on them. ...
... al-Jamadi died during interrogation from the CIA through a process known as "Palestinian hanging:" suspended by his wrists, with his hands cuffed behind his back. ..."