Has anyone seen this?

[ismnotwasm]

The archives are unavailable right now for some reason. This video is from April. I'm posting it here because of the comments regarding the Iraqi girl at the end of it.
My brother sent it too me. He's a Libertarian, and I tend toward Socialism, but we both are anti war. Sad way to find a political common ground. Sorry if it's been around. Part of me wants to believe it's a fraud---It's very sick.



http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=456_1177473318

[noamnety]

1. I saw it yesterday

I had the same thought of hoping it's a fraud. I thought of posting it here, then held off because I just wasn't sure.

Who tapes stuff like that, then posts it online, you know? Although, I've seen a lot of other stuff online that's worse, and very real.

[ismnotwasm]

2. I talked to my brother

And he said that there is some question about the authenticity. He also said the blogger on the website he got it from was of the opinion that even if it was a fraud, it accurately portrayed the attitudes and opinions of those involved.

Ugly, ugly, ugly. What's horrible, is that I can imagine that conversation being completely real somewhere.

[noamnety]

4. The point about the attitudes is interesting

I had that same thought process originally.

And then I thought even if that's not the case, if it's a complete fraud - and thus not evidence of what guards in Iraq think - it's evidence of how these particular men - as a group - think, and what's considered acceptable enough that they're willing to sit around and talk in front of each other like this.

I don't really understand the lighting, because it's set to deliberately conceal his identity, as if the plan ahead of time is to say something offensive and shocking without revealing who he is ... but the mood is just a bunch of guys kicking back, joking. That's why I was questioning it.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. He goes into too much detail for me to think it's a fraud

Even if it is, I can easily imagine that it's pretty close to the mark with respect to the mentality of the average Abu Ghraib guard. As a veteran, it mystifies me the way the troops are romanticized. Most of the guys I served with had overdosed on testosterone and machismo bullshit to the point where it rendered them incapable of empathizing with anyone, let alone a lowly female.

(When I saw the video yesterday I made a note to post it here but I see that you are on the case, ismnotwasm. :hi: )

[BlueIris]

5. My guess is he is a contract something-or-other being prompted to distribute

this video at the behest of an intelligence service that is against continuing the war. Doesn't mean it isn't a real story or that abuses of detainees in American prisons aren't very real. I personally think almost all news about Abu Ghraib and other American facilities in which detainees and prisoners are abused was leaked by the U.S. intelligence community, which does not support the war.

So, again, is this person "credible"? Maybe (probably not). Is the abuse real? Yes, and this video's release is part of an operation to expose more of it, in an attempt to turn even more of the public's views against the war and the admin.