Found out something disturbing the other day

[furrylitldevil]

A guy I used to know, who was stationed in Iraq recently got discharged from the army for beating up a prisoner. Seems the story goes, his unit captured some Iraqi prisoners, but there was no place to keep them. Orders came down from above to just let the prisoners go. In the process of releasing them, one prisoner pulls out a shank and stabs one of the troops in the side. Right after that, the door closes behind them, and the remaining troops proceed to beat the life out of this Iraqi "prisoner" for the next couple of hours. When they got him to a hospital, he had a collapsed lung, broken face, and one eyeball was torn out of it's socket.

I don't know what to make of this information. I can't say I wouldn't have done anything different in the same situation, it just makes me wonder what it's all for.

[MadProphetMargin]

1. The contents of this post will tell you what it's all for:

[furrylitldevil]

3. Nothing seems right about this whole

"regime change" idiocy. I don't want to say that it's another Viet Nam, but it seems to be moving in that same direction.

BTW, where'd you pick up that BIAM banner?

[MadProphetMargin]

9. I swiped the banner from someone here. Back on the subject, this

war can be best descibed as "nihilism for dummies", or "we didn't know what else to do", or even "neener-neener! The UN can't top US!"

There is no reason, whatsoever, that justifies this war. Not even the president can seem to adequately explain it...you may remember, the reasons changed every week, last April.

WMDS!

Liberate the Iraqis!

Better to fight there, than here!

Imminent threat!

A base in the region!

Democracy in Iraq!

Ad infinitum, ad nauseum.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

2. violence begats more violence.....it was still wrong

[furrylitldevil]

4. Right or wrong, I probably still would have acted similar.

It's just one of those knee-jerk moral judgments where the heart overrides the brain.

[anarchy1999]

10. I am so sorry for you and your friend.

Remind me once again, why are you here?

"just a knee-jerk moral judgment."

I am ill. Sorry.

I believe that if you would have acted similar maybe you don't belong here at DU. I could be wrong.

I believe I could shoot someone, I don't believe I could ever torture someone.

[The Traveler]

12. War is organized mass insanity

Don't judge others until you yourself have "seen the elephant". The furry one is being honest about himself ... not liking all the answers he is discovering but nonetheless being honest about his findings, trying to put himself there and imagining how he would feel/react.

Furry dude is in the right place. Please exit the ivory tower at the earliest possible convenience.

[anarchy1999]

13. Exit where? The "ivory tower"?

Pardon me, what? Furry dude pulling out an eye is in the right place? I'm amazed, sorry and sad to see what is happening to DU.

[The Traveler]

14. Relax

We do not always have to agree. You are a reasonable human being who imagines a world where everyone else is reasonable (the "ivory tower"). Alas, the real world is not so. Still, we must strive for the idealism you and others here express or it will only get worse. Furry dude belongs here. You belong here. I belong here. We are different in viewpoint and experience, but similar in core belief.

[Qanisqineq]

15. I very much agree (n/t)

[The Traveler]

16. My prayers for your man

Hope he comes back with more than a T-Shirt. **grin** But you'll be happy if he comes back with his ass intact, methinks.

[Qanisqineq]

17. HA! He's back... a couple weeks ago

and he's alive and his "ass is intact", though very skinny. Thanks for asking! :-) He did bring me a t-shirt... "Who's your Baghdaddy?"... and so I tease him about that. BUT, he did send me a few other things while he was there.

[The Traveler]

19. "Who's your Baghdaddy"

My wife and I are rolling on the floor laughing our asses off over that one. Too cool. And we're very glad he's home safe.

[Qanisqineq]

5. I do not condone what the soldiers did

but I have never been in that place. They go through a lot of stress, being shot at every day. My husband learned to hate the Iraqi people while there and is now trying to get over that, to become "normal" again.

[drumwolf]

6. So he was discharged from the Army for what he did, eh?

I presume that means he's coming back to America safe and in one piece, instead of continuing to be a sitting duck in Iraq. Good for him, even if he has a dishonorable discharge. Maybe then he can actually get his humanity back.

[Kanary]

7. At least *he* still has his eye, eh?

[Ferret Annica]

18. De Oppresso Liber

I was a Special Forces Trooper and I am not surprised to hear of this happening. It is counter productive to create deeper angers with an occupied people by virtually murdering a guy for an act that should have been handled with due process.

Bush shows no respect for the standards of international law by violating Iraq's sovereignty and invading. He did it for the power and spoils to be gained.

These soldiers are in harms way because to Shrubya, they are merely human appliances to plug in and use; their forthright willingness to defend and fight for the United States taken for granted by him, and exploited for the betterment of him and his close buddies.

No wonder these over tasked, tired, aggro, and homesick men reacted this way to a person they have dehumanized enough to be somewhat sane in anticipated battles with them if the need should arise.

I want this creep out of the White House by 20 Jan 2005, or I want him impeached.

This is my first post on DU since exploratory posts when I first signed up basically to protect my Time.Com/Politics account name. I was Ferret/Bicycle Thug on Café Paranoia (freerepublic) since 1998 -- along with many other account names -- and am ferret on Liberty Post.

I'll come on in and keep an open window here as I also post on LP. I've heard so many lies about this place over at both other forums, I just have to personally note their inaccuracies myself.

Cheers, and Earth First!

[The Traveler]

8. When you are in the shit

it isn't about politics. It is all about your buds, the guy fighting next to you. Stick one of my buds and bad things will happen. It is just the way it is, mate.

Your question about "what it is all for" is still valid, tho.

[MadProphetMargin]

11. This is the correct answer.

[ComerPerro]

20. I hear ya