Abuse by Iraqis 'astonished' guardsman (saw torture at Interior Ministry)

[Barrett808]

Abuse by Iraqis 'astonished' guardsman
Staff Sgt. Kevin Maries of Salem says he was ready to fire when he saw guards beating captives, images he's still unable to shake
Saturday, October 09, 2004
MIKE FRANCIS

In his first public comments since he nearly sparked an international incident June 29, Oregon Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Kevin Maries of Salem said ugly images from the Abu Ghraib detention center were fresh in his mind when he called for U.S. soldiers to sweep into an Iraqi Interior Ministry compound to stop the abuse of prisoners.

Through the scope of his sniper rifle, Maries said he saw an Iraqi guard hitting one blindfolded prisoner so hard that "he made Babe Ruth look sick." He radioed Oregon Guard officers at nearby Patrol Base Volunteer in eastern Baghdad, threatening to shoot the Interior Ministry guard if something wasn't done to stop the beating.

"I wasn't angry," Maries said. "I was astonished."

He said he didn't know who the prisoners were or charges against them. But, he said, "they didn't deserve to be tortured."

Maries, like thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq on any given day, found himself faced with a troubling quandary. Was his job to assist the Iraqi interim government -- then on its first full day of sovereignty -- establish security, or was it to protect human life and human rights?

(more)

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/front_page/1097323620152040.xml

[Media_Lies_Daily]

1. Sounds like a story designed to overshadow what we've done.

[Barrett808]

2. I remember when this raid occurred in June - here's the link

US military police raid Iraqi detention centre to stop abuse of prisoners - Confusion over armed soldiers' intervention
Peter Beaumont in Baghdad
Wednesday June 30, 2004
The Guardian

American military police yesterday raided a building belonging to the Iraqi ministry of the interior where prisoners were allegedly being physically abused by Iraqi interrogators.

The raid appeared to be a violation of the country's new sovereignty, leading to angry scenes inside the ministry between Iraqi policemen and US soldiers.

The military police, who had been told of abuse, seized an area known as the Guesthouse just outside the ministry's main building. They disarmed the Iraqi policemen and at one stage threatened to set free prisoners whose handcuffs they removed, according to Iraqi officials.

The arrival of a second group of US military police and a more senior officer led to an argument between the two groups of military policemen over who had command authority for the raid.

Iraqi ministry of interior officials admitted that around 150 prisoners taken during a raid four days before in the Betawain district of Baghdad had been physically abused during their arrest and subsequent questioning.

...

Nashwan Ali - who said his nickname was Big Man - said: "A US MP asked me this morning what police division I was in. I said I was in criminal intelligence.

"The American asked me why we had beaten the prisoners. I said we beat the prisoners because they are all bad people. But I told him we didn't strip them naked, photograph them or fuck them like you did."

...

One western police adviser said he had no idea that the ministry itself was being used for questioning suspects. "It sounds rather like the bad old days," he said.

(more)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1250526,00.html

[ladybugg33]

3. But weren't they trained by the US?

Quick studies.

[SOS]

6. "Trained by the US"

Bush often speaks of the 100,000 "fully trained" Iraqi police, guard and army.
In reality only 8,000 have completed the 8 week course.
The rest were handed a blue shirt and a badge on the first day.
Now that's a quick study!

[Barrett808]

4. "It sounds rather like the bad old days" - western police advisor n/t

[Barrett808]

5. kick