New Prison Images Emerge: Graphic Photos May Be More Evidence of Abuse (1000 Photos)

Washington Post ^ | Christian Davenport | Christian Davenport

[Eurotwit]

And then: a soldier holding a leash tied around a man's neck in an Iraqi prison. He is naked, grimacing and lying on the floor.

Mixed in with more than 1,000 digital pictures obtained by The Washington Post are photographs of naked men, apparently prisoners, sprawled on top of one another while soldiers stand around them. There is another photograph of a naked man with a dark hood over his head, handcuffed to a cell door. And another of a naked man handcuffed to a bunk bed, his arms splayed so wide that his back is arched. A pair of women's underwear covers his head and face.

[k2blader]

Think punctuation, and I might bother to read your next post. But the odds aren't in your favor.

[Killborn]

I think what we should do is have a FR thread and bring in war vets, military experts and afficionados, and maybe even some of our guys in Iraq and have a scientific discussion of these pictures. Then, when we have a final and formal report, let loose the floodgates. Our report will come out faster than the lamestream can quash them.

[TheSpottedOwl]

That is exactly what they'll do. I'm starting to believe that these photos are a prank not involving Iraqis. The guys look too healthy and well built. Not that that means anything, but I'm wondering.

This smells like Kerry. Look what he did in VietNam. Could we put something like this past him? We need to look up everyone's voter registration involved. Ok, that's kind of crummy.

Bush just needs to let it go, or for every pic published, hold up pics of desecrated bodies being dragged through Fallujah, and pics of Jessica Lynch, Lori Piestewa, the Italian hostage getting his head blown away, etc. I mean show boohoo America what real violence is, and then tell the media to start reporting accurately.

I haven't been able to get out much, but if I can, I will never miss an opportunity to support our troops.

[NutCrackerBoy]

It is a PR disaster, that will result in more terrorist attacks, more attacks against our soldiers; and quite possibly, a turning of the tide in the Iraqi opinion of the U.S. and our military ... I think we can officially call it a wholesale "disaster." ... My main concern, is making certain that we WIN this war. These pictures set us back immeasurably.

It certainly is a loud crashing spasm in an ongoing chaotic sorting out of opinions. I don't think it will be a turning of the tide of anything. Iraqis will still be convinced over the long run by victory and success. The postmodern gnashing of teeth over political incorrectness is only a surface phenomenon. The prisoners performing for the media tour and demanding reparations is an inevitable gaseous release.

Most of the prisoners were acting against the interests of Iraqis, and are hated for it. That these prisoners were humiliated - it is not our way, it is a product of war against the dishonorable IED-setting guerillas. Still, that humiliation will not go unnoticed as symbolic of the defeat of the insurgency. The orderly investigation and prosecution of the guilty US and UK soldiers and contractors, though, will not be understood immediately for what it is - a good example of how a free society operates, as the President said - but I think the lesson will be absorbed by the watching Middle East world.

[Joe Hadenuf]

You're welcome!

[TexKat]

U.S. Demands Retraction for Abuse Photos

Wed May 5, 8:15 PM ET

By MAAMOUN YOUSSEF, Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt - The U.S. Embassy demanded a retraction Wednesday for photographs published in the Egyptian press that it said were faked pictures of American soldiers sexually abusing female prisoners in Iraq.

But editors of two of the three publications involved said Wednesday they saw no grounds for a retraction. The editor-in-chief of the third publication, Al-Wafd, was not available.

"We have done a thorough investigation of the origin of these photos and have conclusive evidence that they originated on a pornographic Web site," the embassy said in a statement. "They are clearly staged photos, done by actors, as the site itself states."

"Their publication needlessly inflames an already heated atmosphere," the statement added, referring to Arab outrage over the revelation last weekend that U.S. soldiers had sexually humiliated male prisoners in Iraq. The U.S. television network CBS broadcast photographs of the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison, just west of Baghdad.

U.S. authorities have condemned the soldiers' actions and promised to bring them to justice.

The editor of the Egyptian weekly Al-Osboa, Mustafa Bakri, dismissed the U.S. Embassy's complaint. His newspaper published at least one photograph of a man, purportedly an American soldier, taking sexual advantage of a woman as one of a series run across three pages on May 3.

"We have published, maybe, one picture from the Internet, which was one of several pictures published by the media," Bakri told The Associated Press. "The kind of pictures on CBS made us believe that any other picture is authentic.

"Now the U.S. Embassy is speaking about pictures that were published only on the Internet. OK, let us agree on what CBS published, aren't they enough?"

The editor of Al-Mussawar, Makram Mohammed Ahmed, said he was not aware of the U.S. Embassy complaint. This week, his magazine published a picture of a partially naked woman with parts of her body blacked out.

Ahmed said he would not rule out that fake pictures were circulating.

The AP could not reach its editor-in-chief, Abbas el-Tarabili, on Wednesday night and staff at the newspaper said only he was authorized to speak about the matter.

[McGavin999]

We should make the point, repeatedly, that we do not blame all Iraqis for the actions of a few, and we have faith that they won't judge us by the actions of a few either.

For the most part Iraqis are good people.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I think that's a great idea. We should also bring in guys like registered and prime choice who can show us how easy photos can be doctored.

At first I was really disappointed in our GI's. After a couple of days of being bombarded, I'm starting to smell a rat. It especially helps that the British photos were shown to come off of a porno site.

I think I know what that girl was doing, and I'll bet if there was a sound track, you'd hear all those guys laughing their butts off. One of the many advantages of a co ed military :/

[Mo1]

"We have published, maybe, one picture from the Internet, which was one of several pictures published by the media," Bakri told The Associated Press. "The kind of pictures on CBS made us believe that any other picture is authentic.

Gee thanks CBS .. see what you started .. now they are blaming up for pictures that are from Prono Sites

[texasflower]

The soldier you are referring to is engaged to one of the men involved. Chip Frederick, I think.

An article I read somewhere on FR says she got pregnant there as well.

[texasflower]

She's engaged to one of the men involved in this. I think she is pregnant as well.

They apparently had time to do more than these pictures show.

[calcowgirl]

Has ANYONE confirmed that this woman is an American?

I was wondering the same thing.

Her mother was interviewed for an article in the Baltimore paper, the Sun?

Thanks for that tip. I found the Baltimore Sun article, W.Va. reservist caught up in a storm of controversy, and she does appear to be American.

[texasflower]

Well how about this thought.....maybe they ARE showers.

My goodness. Has reason left everyone?

[texasflower]

Read the article more carefully please.

They have 1000's of photos, but most show touristy sort of things. The abusive photos were mixed in with these.

There may not be more like this coming out.

[texasflower]

For heaven's sake. Get a grip. Bush and Rumsfeld had nothing to do with this.

If the election is lost, it will be a result of people like you who can't calm down.

We need to continue to support our troops and the President. Calmly and intelligently. If we ever needed to be steadfast, this is the time.

There is nothing intelligent in some of the posts on this board.

[texasflower]

The article says that they have thousands of photos. Mostly of touristy sort of things.

The abuse ones are mixed in with those. This might well be the worst of it.

Did you read the article?

Once again. Calm down.

[texasflower]

Read the Pentagon report. They have determined that these things did happen.

Deal with it. Everyone needs to calm down.

[texasflower]

So do I.

[qwertz]

I don't get the surprise. It's not like US prisons at home are a bastion of human rights - a sad fact which is not only readily accepted by the public, but abuse and rape is already considered to be a normal part of the penal system in popular culture.

Here's my proposal: let's get the *hit at home in order first, then talk about exporting human rights and democracy to other countries.

[stlnative]

Charles A. Graner Jr. I believe is the fiance of the woman soldier with the cigarette hanging out her mouth. (she is currently pregnant by her fiance and both of them were assigned to the prison)