The small-town girl who ended up on every channel (Lynndie England – Leash Girl)

The Baltimore Sun via SMH ^ | May 7, 2004 | John Woestendiek in Fort Ashby, West Virginia

[dead]

Lynndie England loved a good storm. During tornado warnings her mother would have to drag her back inside the house. Her teachers say she wanted a career as a storm-chaser.

Now, the perfect storm has found her.

From hometown hero to the reviled woman holding the leash . . . US Reserve
soldier Lynndie England with an Iraqi prisoner in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison.
Photo: The Washington Post

The petite 21-year-old army reservist from the quiet crossroads town of Fort Ashby in West Virginia is the most visible character in the controversy over the abuse of Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. She is the thumbs-up girl, the pixie-ish, T-shirted soldier, smiling, pointing and posing for the camera with naked and humiliated inmates.

Soon after the release of the photographs, Terrie England was on the telephone with her daughter while watching television.

Full story ...

[af_vet_rr]

I agree, being sexually deviant with their prisoners is a completely different issue - totally unrelated with keeping the fight over there. But it does speak volumes about us as a nation; both to our friends and enemies. It does nothing to make our friendship ties stronger but does make those who hate us more resolved.

I don't think it speaks volumes about us as a nation. The USA is definitely not a sexually deviant nation. If anything, we are mocked for being considered prudes (that is probably why people around the world are shocked to see Americans engaged in such behavior with prisoners).

Our troops are expected to reflect our mainstream values, not to reflect something that came out of a San Francisco bathhouse.

I think it speaks volumes about the lack of supervision or accountability that some troops have. It's unfortunate, that with an all-volunteer, motivated military, that more supervision or accountability is needed for some.

I do agree with you that such conduct, even by a minority of our troops, will strengthen the resolve of those who would fight us. That is something that some who defend this kind of behavior seem to miss or turn a blind eye towards.

[Freemeorkillme]

Go find a partner, GrandEagle. Let's make it a Tag Team Barbwire event!

[YankeeGirl]

The war is just.

This female soldier should be court-martialed & jailed along with any other soldiers identified in the photos. The photographer should have a fatal accident in custody.

The president is right in his pursuit of the war.

The president owes the Iraqi people an apology on behalf of all decent Americans.

Rumsfield must tender his resignation if the President was not made aware of the extent of the knowledge of this activity. For heaven's sake the Red Cross knew about it, the military was investigating it, why wasn't the president prepared to deal with it?

The president must accept his resignation.

[GrandEagle]

Our troops are expected to reflect our mainstream values, not to reflect something that came out of a San Francisco bathhouse.
I agree - and stand (or sit as it were) corrected.

[GrandEagle]

Go find a partner, GrandEagle
LOL! Hey, I gotta get a LITTLE work in sometime today!

[elli1]

The very reason the case seems to have been bottled necked and is dragging on is because of a reluctance to prosecute some of those responsible who happen to be women: England and Karpinski.

There are two other women--Specialists Megan Ambuhl & Sabrina Harmon--who have been charged. The others, besides Pvt. Lynndie England are: Specialist Charles A. Graner, Sgt. Javal Davis, Pvt. Jeremy Sivits & Staff Sgt. Ivan L. ''Chip'' Frederick.

[tiamat]

I agree: the war is just.

I can't tell yet about Rumsfeld.

I REALLY want to know if it was a Pentagon leak that sent those pics to the media.

Do we know yet if Red Cross tried to tell anyone what they saw?

[Mr. Jeeves]

Subject an Islamic fighter to this kind of thing, and you break his will - without breaking his head. That is why the Arabs are in hysterics.

Hmmm...might be a good way to keep the Shiite leadership in line - threaten to let Lynndie England hold their leashes for a week.

[El Gato]

All we DO know are they Iraqis

Actually we don't know that for certain. They are almost as likely to be third party nationals who went to Iraq to kill Americans and other infidels.

[YankeeGirl]

Oh btw, the reason I was so harsh on the photographer is that I'll bet some of the scenes were posturing for the camera.

However, if you came across this type of behavior, you should try to STOP it, or report it, not encourage it and the participants.

Unless of course you are a sicko, which I believe he or she is.

[savedbygrace]

<INSPECTOR CLOUSEAU VOICE> Yes, but that is not my dog.

[DonaldDuke]

...might be a good way to keep the Shiite leadership in line - threaten to let Lynndie England hold their leashes for a week.

There's nothing coincidental about a female being involved in this, of course. It reinforces the humiliation. I'd lay a small bet that most prisoners cracked without being put in these kinds of situations at all - just from being shown pictures: this is what we did to your friends, who are now not eligible for anything. Scratch heaven, scratch 72 virgins, instead go straight to h*ll and do not pass go, when your time comes.

Get the idea?

[ZULU]

Your right. That is possible.

But we still know very little about who these people are and why they are there.

All the more reason to expect civilized behavior from their guards.

[tiamat]

WOSG wrote:



Let's be clear about one thing: One of the prisoners identified had killed coalition forces, then was taken prisoner, then incited a prison riot, and then was punished for it. Nobody was, or should have been, "playing" anything.

---

And I see NOTHING wrong with hauling THAT one out and just hanging him. And any comrades he had who helped.

Hang them.

Preferably in front of the others.

Somebody check me on this, but if you foment riot, GC allows for execution?

this other stuff is simply unclean.

And for people talking about this as an interrogation method, there's other, very effective, ways to do it, and they don't involve this.

Or generators.

[Bushiefan]

You are so right!! Insensitive is the correct word. If I knew your origin I would give you a proper stereotype. Maybe you could send this proud and patriotic WV republican, and grandmother, a pair of used shoes - just in case I ever need to go outside the trailer.

[superiorslots]

Quote (The last time I was in Germany I had an elderly German for a friend. He had spent most of WWII as a POW in Mississippi. He was first captured by the Brits in Africa and then transferred to US custody. All treated him with respect, but there were others who were not treated well on both sides.) Quote

My uncle was in a German prison camp for about 1 1/2 years and he said they were always treated well.

One of the guards said he had relatives in America and wanted to visit them when the war was over and jokeingly said he did not want to have his a** kicked by one of the ex prisoners if he should run across one of them on a street corner.

[af_vet_rr]

And for people talking about this as an interrogation method, there's other, very effective, ways to do it, and they don't involve this.

Or generators.

And they don't end with our President kowtowing to the Arab world.

[tiamat]

af_vet_rr wrote:


And they don't end with our President kowtowing to the Arab world.

---

Last thing in the world you want to do with these people!

You tell them, "The people who did this are in violation and will be sternly dealt with".

No explainations, no groveling, no apologies.

End of story.

[DonaldDuke]

this other stuff is simply unclean.

And for people talking about this as an interrogation method, there's other, very effective, ways to do it, and they don't involve this.

Sorry, but you show the same bottomless ignorance about what you're fighting as some of the others here :). Fact is, there isn't any means of getting hard-held information from these people that is halfway as effective, or even as humane.

Now, if by any chance one of your loved ones should make it back from Iraq thanks to this particular unit's work, I'm sure you'll remember to curse Ms. England.

Spitting on the servicemen is such an American tradition.