The Secret File of Abu Ghraib

[floda]

The Secret File of Abu Ghraib

New classified documents implicate U.S. forces in rape and sodomy of Iraqi prisoners

By OSHA GRAY DAVIDSON


It has been months since the now-infamous photographs from Abu Ghraib revealed that American soldiers tortured Iraqi prisoners -- yet the Bush administration has failed to get to the bottom of the abuses."There are some serious unanswered questions," says Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican on the Armed Services Committee. The Pentagon is stalling on several investigations, and congressional inquiries have ground to a halt. The foot-dragging is astonishing, given that Congress has access to classified documents detailing the abuses outlined by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba in his report on Abu Ghraib. Rolling Stone obtained those files in June and offers this report on their contents. -The Editors
The new classified military documents offer a chilling picture of what happened at Abu Ghraib -- including detailed reports that U.S. troops and translators sodomized and raped Iraqi prisoners. The secret files -- 106 "annexes" that the Defense Department withheld from the Taguba report last spring -- include nearly 6,000 pages of internal Army memos and e-mails, reports on prison riots and escapes, and sworn statements by soldiers, officers, private contractors and detainees. The files depict a prison in complete chaos. Prisoners were fed bug-infested food and forced to live in squalid conditions; detainees and U.S. soldiers alike were killed and wounded in nightly mortar attacks; and loyalists of Saddam Hussein served as guards in the facility, apparently smuggling weapons to prisoners inside.

The files make clear that responsibility for what Taguba called "sadistic, blatant and wanton" abuses extends to several high-ranking officers still serving in command positions. Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who is now in charge of all military prisons in Iraq, was dispatched to Abu Ghraib by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last August. In a report marked secret, Miller recommended that military police at the prison be "actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees." After his plan was adopted, guards began depriving prisoners of sleep and food, subjecting them to painful "stress positions" and terrorizing them with dogs. A former Army intelligence officer tells Rolling Stone that the intent of Miller's report was clear to everyone involved: "It means treat the detainees like shit until they will sell their mother for a blanket, some food without bugs in it and some sleep." In the files, prisoner after prisoner at Abu Ghraib describes acts of torture that Taguba found "credible based on the clarity of their statements and supporting evidence provided by other witnesses." The abuses took place at the Hard Site, a two-story cinder-block unit at the sprawling prison that housed Iraqi criminals and insurgents, not members of Al Qaeda or other terrorist organizations. In one sworn statement, Kasim Mehaddi Hilas, detainee number 151108, said he witnessed a translator referred to only as Abu Hamid raping a teenage boy. "I saw Abu Hamid, who was wearing the military uniform, putting his dick in the little kid's ass," Hilas testified. "The kid was hurting very bad." A female soldier took pictures of the rape, Hilas said.

During the Muslim holy period of Ramadan, Hilas saw Spc. Charles Graner Jr. and an unnamed "helper" tie a detainee to a bed around midnight. "They . . . inserted the phosphoric light in his ass, and he was yelling for God's help," the prisoner testified. Again, the same female soldier photographed the torture.

more...

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story?id=6388256&pageid=rs.Home&pageregion=single7&rnd=1091216021626&has-player=true&version=6.0.11.780 :wtf: :thumbsup:

[HereSince1628]

1. If You are out there...God Save Us!

It is our army, our war, our problem.

God, grant us the strength and will to change the things we can.

[Stew225]

2. and accept the things we cannot change. eom

[Jackpine Radical]

10. And the wisdom to know the difference.

Torture had goddam well better be one of the things we CAN change, or we're all done for.

My plan is to vote for Kerry. What's yours?

[lottie244]

3. Can we please remember that the tone is set at the top.

This is the way this regime prefers our military to behave. They are just outraged that they were exposed.

[Th1onein]

12. I am so angry when it comes to this issue........

I can barely handle looking at the pictures. And to think that they were done in my name. Oh God.

[mhr]

4. Bush's Apologist Front And Center!

Never Forget The Face Of American Fascism'THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN WHAT HAPPENS AT THE SKULL & BONES INITIATION...I'M TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE HAVING A GOOD TIME. THESE PEOPLE -- YOU EVER HEARD OF EMOTIONAL RELEASE? YOU EVER HEARD OF NEEDING TO BLOW SOME STEAM OFF?'

[stellanoir]

5. we cannot redeem this heinous behavior

of which the rest of the world has been well aware for quite some time.

We have to humbly leave because this is inexcusable and unforgivable. Especially given the Red Cross and Amnesty's estimations of 60-90% of these people being 100% innocent.

I would love to see Cheney, *, & Rumsfeld pay reparations, but alas, the media isn't even reporting it. Good to see this from a US source though. It's about frigging time.

[LittleApple81]

6. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO RELY ON ROLLING STONE

AND THE NEW YORKER FOR HARD-HITTING REAL NEWS! WE HAVE TO DESTROY OUR MEDIA AND START OVER!!!!!

[0007]

7. Abu Ghraib is kind of like Eric Rudolph, some folks just don't

want to talk about these things.





http://www.antiwar.com/news/?articleid=2444
An unmuzzled dog appears to be used to frighten a detainee at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
Two military dog handlers told investigators that intelligence
personnel ordered them to use dogs to intimidate prisoners.

Was Eric Rudolph turned loose as these dogs were?

[shraby]

8. Email this article to

your congressman/woman.

[mhr]

9. Feel Free To Use My Graphic To Create Awareness About The Evil Right Wing

Onne small and one large.

[Disturbed]

11. Neo Fascists in power and a complicit Media

Rumsfailed Admitted violating Geneva Convention

Rumsfailed admitted in public that when CIA Tentet requested that a prisoner be sent to a secret Afghan/US Prison that Rumsfailed did so. After four months a DOD Attorney stated that this was an illegal act so Rumsfailed ordered that this prisoner be sent back to Abu Graib but the prisoner was not listed at that location on purpose. That is two violations of the Geneva Convention. Tenet and Rumsfailed violated the Geneva convention, thereby also The Constitution of the USA. Not one complaint or charge was made regarding Rumsfailed or Tenet, not even by any Dem in Congress. Rumsfaild's admission came after some in Congress called for his resignation and after Rep. Rangel issued Impeachment of Rumsfailed which nothing has been heard of since then.

Does the US no longer follow the Geneva Convention? Does the Congress ignore violations of the Geneva Convention and The Constitution?

It appears so.

[Sperk]

13. I cannot believe that * is even alowed to run again?!!? We should

be debating how many years him and his evil administration should spend in jail!! :mad:

How DARE that smirking, ignorant, evil bastard do this to our country!!!!!

Why, oh why aren't they all on trial for war crimes?

[Disturbed]

14. The Neo Fascists are in POWER!!!

That is why Rumsfailed, Tenet and Asscrack have not been indicted for their crimes, ones which are obvious, blatant and have been admotted to &/or commited in public on TV.. That's just for starters. The Pres., VP and all the others complicit in the illegal invasion of Iraq and it's Occupation and the accountablity for the widespread policy of "abuse" and torture should all be sent to the World Court for Crimes Against Humanity. Will that happen? I suspect not!

[Catfight]

23. I've said this too, how can Bush be allowed to run for re-election

until he is tried for all these high crimes? How can Americans rally behind him at all? I guess Bush followers are believe in the criminals.

[bluestateguy]

15. ANY SOLDIER WHO COMMITS SUCH AN ATROCITY SHOULD BE EXECUTED

As well as any commanding officer who issues orders to commit such acts.

There is no place for that horseshit in our military.

[janx]

16. This is reprehensible. Is Congress just ignoring this now?

They were so concerned initially. What on earth is going on?

[nolabels]

24. "Republican CONTROLLED Congress"

They represent their party first, constituents come in about fifth or six :argh:

[Triana]

17. if you vote for george bu$h....

...you're voting for more of this....

[saigon68]

18. MORE OF THIS SHIT

NICE ????????? NOT

[Disturbed]

19. Cover Up

Most of the American public are satisfied that the few bad apples that have commited these "abuses" have been aprehended, will be tried and imprisoned.End of story.

Uh...NO!!! The widespead policy of torture and secrete prisons has been shunted into oblivion where all that know about it &/or were participants &/or abetted it do not want it to surface. Why?

[saigon68]

21. Look at the SHIELD on FX

This is the future of Amerika. Thugs and hoodlums as HEROS

Its Amazing how the "CHRISTIAN RIGHT" loves torture

ITS MEDIEVAL

[Myrina]

25. Medieval ... Exactly.

Back to the days of the Crusades and Witch Burning in the town square.


The fundies would love it !

[bobthedrummer]

26. Ashcroft, The Witchfinder, is going to bring it on home soon. Sorcery is

a terrorist activity.

Terrorist=political dissident in the United States since 1972 (MH CHAOS became International Terrorism Group in 1972).

You can take that to the bank.

[Nile]

20. How secret can this file be if it is on the net?

This stuff cracks me up. I would almost be willing to bet that a good portion of these so called super secret classified stuff is really made up.

[0007]

22. The real stuff hasn't been exposed yet. The torture of children

and rape of young boys.

Get your money out I'll bet you any day any time and any money on the Abu Ghraib prison abuse by the U.S. troops and mercenaries.