Lawmakers Are Stunned By New Images of Abuse

Washington Post ^ | 051304 | By Charles Babington

[Archangelsk]

Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, May 13, 2004; Page A01

Scores of lawmakers yesterday viewed unreleased photos and videos of Iraqi detainees being sexually humiliated and physically threatened. The images, which included Iraqi corpses, U.S. troops having sex with each other, and previously undisclosed videos of at least one inmate ramming his head into a wall, convinced some legislators that the number of Americans who violated military protocol is larger than previously thought.

The private screenings arranged by the Pentagon -- one for senators, one for House members -- surely ranked among Congress's more bizarre scenes. House members silently crammed into a standing-room-only committee room as hundreds of images, some described as pornographic, flashed on a screen for a few seconds each. Lawmakers emerging from that session, and from a less-crowded Senate room, seemed almost at a loss for words.

"What we saw is appalling," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). "I saw cruel, sadistic torture," said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.). Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) told Reuters: "There were some awful scenes. It felt like you were descending into one of the rings of hell, and sadly it was our own creation."

[Archangelsk]

"It certainly was so far unbecoming of what we expect from American soldiers," Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) said.

Spoken like anyone who has never seen a day of service. After serving 22 years I can, without reservation, say that our service members are capable of great heroics, but are equally capable of great depravity. There are a number of folks who post to this forum who know what I'm talking about and those who choose to adopt a "three monkee" outlook on life deserve their little hand wringing.

These are soldiers, not saints.

[PhiKapMom]

Very well stated and I agree! We are not dealing with prisoners who are nice choir boy types -- the Iraqi's in this prison are the worst of the worst and would kill our guards in a minute if they could! We need the info and anyway we can get it is okay by me!

[Dr Snide]

From Drudge

"Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said he had not seen the pictures and saw no need to."

Oh go ahead an make your own joke. Its just too easy.

[Jeff Chandler]

You are right, but you're missing the point. The point is that the rat politicians and their media monkeys don't care about that, they only wish to demoralize the American people and the military in order to turn Iraq into a defeat.

[pbear8]

"What we saw is appalling," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). "I saw cruel, sadistic torture," said Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.). Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) told Reuters: "There were some awful scenes. It felt like you were descending into one of the rings of hell, and sadly it was our own creation."

Come to San Francisco, this stuff goes on all the time in the Castro District.

[thoughtomator]

In other news, no one was surprised at the barbaric beheading of Nick Berg.

[AntiGuv]

Yes, but it is our institutions that are designed to prevent the depravity from surfacing, and to punish it severely when it does. Our institutions broke down in this instance and whatever the reason needs to get fixed..

[Archangelsk]

The point is that the rat politicians and their media monkeys don't care about that, they only wish to demoralize the American people and the military in order to turn Iraq into a defeat.

Thank you, but the real goal of these two outfits is not defeat in Iraq, but the defeat of the President in November.

[Jeff Chandler]

They see the former as the means to the latter.

[Torie]

What is qualitatively different about this, is that the "excesses" were not committed in the heat of battle. That is what makes it all so totally inexcusable. Attempts to mitigate it, or excuse it, because the prisoners were "animals," or worse is done by the Muslim killer fanatics, makes my skin crawl. It is an insult to those who serve honorably, and put their lives on the line, beyond the relatively safe perimeters of a protected prison.

And there was a failure in the chain of command, and while that failure no doubt becomes more attenuated as one goes up the food chain, attenuated or not, I suspect the failure goes very high up the food chain. Folks were looking the other way -- deliberately. That is my suspicion, and that cannot stand.

Just my two cents, as John Huang, would say.

[jcon40]

Well certianly Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise never acted this way when they were soldiers. What's the public to think?

[joesnuffy]

Yeah one female type "leader"...says she say...inhumane and sadistic torture...
Like there is humane torture?....

I guess we are the only ones not allowed to interogate our enemies...hey the Iraqi Army surrendered ...these are insurgents...terrorists...murderers, Saddam's feared Fedayeen...Secret Police, Executioners, Assassins...the people's worst nightmare coming calling to steal their children that these animals might rape them and then kill them..and bury their bodies in holes out in the desert...

They aint got nothin' comin'....

Even Rummy is startin to admit...'maybe' the DOD gave the order for 'some' rough treatment..
LOL

[dodger]

Will someone please let me know when American Soldiers broadcast the depravedly clumsy beheading of a single Islamofascist dog or ccat -- much less a (sub?)-human?

[Blacksheep]

Typical fraternity stuff. Naked pyramids, bags on your head. I am waiting to see the paddle video with an Iraqi pledge saying "thank you infidel may I have another"
Give me a break!

[dodger]

I would seem GW & Jf'nK each suffered more as initiates of the Scull & Crossbone fraternity ....

[HitmanLV]

Any word on the rumors of pics of forced mastrabation, and forced fallatio by & copulation with captured women?

[Lijahsbubbe]

Well certianly Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise never acted this way when they were soldiers. What's the public to think?

Bwaha. They can't handle the truth.

[Spunky]

From Article:"Rep. David E. Price (D-N.C.) said there were images of male Iraqi detainees masturbating, apparently at the orders of U.S. guards. Another video, he said, showed inmates "butting their heads into a wall, very hard. It's hard to tell what's going on." A House member "shouted out, 'What is this all about?' " but Price said Pentagon officials showing the videos had no answer."

I think these two acts were something the Iraqi's were just doing on their own and the guards caught them in the act and thought it funny and video taped it.

Because I don't think any man would have to be forced into masturbating. And I do believe I have heard or read somewhere before where Iraqi's have tried to kill themselves by banging their heads against a wall.( Was it at Guitmo?)

Now the naked pyramids, Iraqi on a leash I just don't know about them but to me the Iraqi's are to complicit in all this. Wouldn't they be kicking, fighting, or something?

[MN_Mike]

I am particularly concerned that the Larry Flynt party
doesn't damage their virgin eyes.

Norm Coleman is good. He took down the Mondale terrorist
regime.

[dalebert]

Maybe the pictures looked too much like a Condit sex party.