U.S.: More Than 600 Implicated in Detainee Abuse - A few bad apples

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/542f524ce9a584bef7efc8e43d3282db.htm

(Washington, D.C., April 26, 2006) – Two years after the Abu Ghraib scandal, new research shows that abuse of detainees in U.S. custody in Iraq, Afghanistan, and at Guantánamo Bay has been widespread, and that the United States has taken only limited steps to investigate and punish implicated personnel. A briefing paper issued today, "By the Numbers," presents findings of the Detainee Abuse and Accountability Project, a joint project of New York University's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, Human Rights Watch and Human Rights First. The project is the first comprehensive accounting of credible allegations of torture and abuse in U.S. custody in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantánamo.

"Two years ago, U.S. officials said the abuses at Abu Ghraib were aberrations and that people who abused detainees would be brought to justice," said Professor Meg Satterthwaite, faculty director of the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at NYU Law School. "Yet our research shows that detainee abuses were widespread, and few people have truly been brought to justice." snip

The project found that many abuses were never investigated, and investigations that did occur often closed prematurely, or stalled without resolution. In cases where abuses were substantiated and perpetrators identified by military investigators, military commanders often chose to use weak non-judicial disciplinary measures as punishment, instead of pursuing criminal courts-martial. Of the courts-martial that did take place, the majority resulted in either prison sentences of less than a year, or punishments that did not involve jail time (such as discharge or rank-reduction).

"We've seen a series of half-hearted investigations and slaps on the wrist," said Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch. "The government seems more interested in managing the detainee abuse scandal than in addressing the underlying problems that caused it." snip

Detainee abuse has been widespread. The DAA Project has documented more than 330 cases in which U.S. military and civilian personnel are credibly alleged to have abused, tortured or killed detainees. These cases implicate more than 600 U.S. personnel and involve more than 460 detainees.

[SpiralHawk]

1. George AWOL Bush & Five Deferments Cheney are responsible for this

The fish rots from the head down.

'nuf said.

[wtmusic]

2. We don't torture, don't you know?

Because my Dubya told me so.

[One Honest Guy]

3. 600 ?

That's probably the number of truly cruel and inhumane animals they couldn't hide. Real number is probably ten times that. At least.

[The Magistrate]

4. There Is No Doubt, Sir

The present regime in the U.S. has violated the Geneva Accords in dealing with prisoners. Nor is there any doubt the present regime in the U.S. is unwilling to change the policy or to prosecute in the nation's courts those who have violated the Geneva Accords. This is precisely the situation for which the International Criminal Court was called into being.

[90-percent]

5. this was fixed years ago

They imprisoned Lyndie England, the mastermind of the whole torture scandal, and forbade the use of camera's in the prisons.

How could there possibly be any more allegations after Rumsfeld fixed everything?

These 600 additional perps are obviously being unfairly accused without cause.

Damn liberal media!

-85% Jimmy
:sarcasm:

[The Magistrate]

6. It Does Seem, Sir

Forbidding the use of cameras is a fix for the problem they see....