From the Frontlines: A Combat Soldier's View of the Iraq Prison Abuse Case

E-mail from Iraq - National Center for Public Policy Research Press Release ^ | May 5, 2004 | Amy Ridenour, Spc. Joe Roche, + other betrayed, honorable US troops

[aft_lizard]

BTTT

[Irish Eyes]

Thanks for posting this.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Excerpts:

"I'm at a place right now where there are thousands of U.S. soldiers. I went to breakfast and dinner at the KBR dining hall here. It is huge, hundreds of soldiers gathered to eat. Around us are large-screen tvs, and yes, the news was mostly about the prison abuse. Everyone is so angry. I mean, angry! It is as if those soldiers hurt us more than the enemies here in Iraq have. I don't think that if that RPG last week had hit and killed us in my hummwv, there would have been any of the damage done to our cause here that those soldiers have done."

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

 

A Soldier's Judgement from his God 

To all who serve, or love or care for those who do...

The soldier stood and faced his God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as brightly as his brass.

Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?

The soldier squared his shoulders
And said, No Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint

I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough;
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.

But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills just got too steep,

And I never passed a cry for help;
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.

I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fear.

If you've a place for me, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much;
But if you don't, I'll understand.

There was silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.

Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets;
You've done your time in Hell.

  

 

                    

 

God bless our troops!

[tuckrdout]

"It is as if those soldiers hurt us more than the enemies here in Iraq have. I don't think that if that RPG last week had hit and killed us in my hummwv, there would have been any of the damage done to our cause here that those soldiers have done."

This is exactly how I feel. Those creeps that did this and were in charge of this abuse, have put us all in danger. They have done a greater job at ruining our mission than the enemy! They are the ones who fired the most deadly shot!

[Names Ash Housewares]

Glad to hear the care packages are appreciated. Ive been sending them through USO online. You can write a little note to go with it. Of course you dont know where or who will get it. Words fail when your trying to express thanks and pride in these folks. I hope every one of them knows were 100% percent behind them now and always.

[Choose Ye This Day]

[wiping away tears]

Thank you for posting this.

[easonc52]

They are the ones who fired the most deadly shot!

Not only that, it was 'a shot heard around the world'.

[McGavin999]

I loved the letter about the care packages. At least our troops know that we care about them.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

I think, but can't prove, that an extremely sophisticated psi-ops is being conducted against the US in general and the US Army in particular. I believe the purpose of the operation is to degrade the operational capability of the Army because it has proved to be extremely effective and efficient during the last two Gulf wars.

A secondary goal is to attempt to portray the US in an extremely bad light to the international community in general and to any mid-Eastern country which might be sitting on the fence at the present time.

[sarasmom]

BTTT

[SAMWolf]

Bump

[uncbob]

Who leaked the pictures and WHY

[Happy2BMe]

Sent it on to the Sandbox - very appropriate - BUMP

[k2blader]

"...Around us are large-screen tvs, and yes, the news was mostly about the prison abuse. Everyone is so angry. I mean, angry! It is as if those soldiers hurt us more than the enemies here in Iraq have. I don't think that if that RPG last week had hit and killed us in my hummwv, there would have been any of the damage done to our cause here that those soldiers have done."

That's exactly why many of us at home are angry about it too.

[ex-snook]

Soldiers see the damage for what it is. The men in the military at the front have apologized. The suits in Washington have not. The difference between a uniform and a suit is duty, honor, country on one hand and politics on the other.

ABU GHRAIB, Iraq (AP) -- The commander of U.S.-run prisons in Iraq apologized Wednesday for the "illegal or unauthorized acts" committed by soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison, where photographs showed Iraqi prisoners being abused by smiling American guards.

"I would like to apologize for our nation and for our military for the small number of soldiers who committed illegal or unauthorized acts here at Abu Ghraib," Miller told the touring reporters.
==============

Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, spokesman for the U.S. command, also apologized for actions at the prison, which was a notorious center for torture and killings under Saddam Hussein.

"My Army has been embarrassed by this. My Army has been shamed by this. And on behalf of my Army, I apologize for what those soldiers did to your citizens," Kimmitt said. "It was reprehensible and it was unacceptable."

[VOA]

The thing I must impart to you right away, though, is that one of the most inspiring
and important things to us has been the incredible arrival of care packages from
people all over the country. It is overwhelming...SNIP...The big bosses lined
up the soldiers to walk through and take what they need.
It was like everyones' birthday,
as I watched the soldiers hauling things back to their rooms.

just posting text from Joe Roche's second correspondence (linked in article).
A good reminder to get something in the mail for our guys and gals.

And probably more Kool-Aid (pre-sweetened) as the temperatures are probably
gonna' start going up in Iraq soon.

[Sacajaweau]

Exactly!! Who got our troops so relaxed that they pulled a stupid stunt like this. I can't imagine this would make someone talk anyways.

[boxerblues]

Who leaked the pictures and WHY

Maybe someone with a moral conscience.

[JimSEA]

Thank you for posting this. It gets the point across far better than ony other article I have read in the last two weeks while upholding the dignity and decency of the American soldier.