Hamill: Abuse affected treatment

CNN ^ | may 8, 2004 | CNN

[FairOpinion]

MACON, Mississippi (CNN) -- Former hostage Thomas Hamill says photos of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqis held in a Baghdad prison affected the way he was treated in the last days before he escaped.

Hamill, 44, was driving a truck for Halliburton Corp. subsidiary KBR when his convoy was ambushed on April 9.

Four other American contractors were found dead and two are still missing from the convoy. One U.S. soldier was later found dead and one soldier is still missing.

Hamill said he chose a low-key reception Saturday to prevent angering those who still hold his co-workers hostage.

The prisoner abuse scandal -- with photos of U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqis held in the Abu Ghraib prison -- emerged in his last week of captivity and it caused his conditions to worsen, he said.

"That had an affect on me, captive the last few days," Hamill said. "I hate that happened. They asked me about it."

"My treatment had changed and I was afraid it was going to get a lot worse," he said. "They moved me numerous times during the ordeal."

Despite his experience, Hamill said he thinks the U.S. should complete its mission in Iraq.

"We need to form a democratic government over there," he said. "We need to get that country on its feet. And we need to take care of those people that are trying to stop it."

[FairOpinion]

I wonder if CBS, Hackworth and the rest of the terrorist shills feel about this.

They are probably already responsible for several American deaths, and REAL mistreatment of the hostages.

And before anyone says that we still shouldn't humiliate those poor terrorist prisoners -- US investigations were already in process about this. Releasing the pictures served no other purpose, except to enhance anti-US sentiment and get our soldiers and civilians killed.

[CWOJackson]

HACKworth won't care as long as he gets paid.

[Brimack34]

The people who released the picture's. The media and the loonies in the senate all have blood on their hands. They are at fault as much as the people who did it.

[Jeff Chandler]

- US investigations were already in process about this. Releasing the pictures served no other purpose, except to enhance anti-US sentiment and get our soldiers and civilians killed.

You have hit the nail on the head, my friend. This should be shouted from the rooftops. The news media and their moles in the defense department did not need the photos to stop the abuse. They needed them to derail the war on terror, and that is their goal.

[MJY1288]

If those pics didn't have those smiling faces in them, this would not be the scandal it is. Hackworth knew this before he helped 60 Minutes II get the photos.

Stripping a POW of his clothes in not torture or inhumane treatment that violates the Geneva Conventions, but releasing photo's that humiliate the POW's is.

[Cate]

Is Hackworth still spewing his wierd opinions? Since this war has started, it seems like he's been having a series of small strokes or something. Somehow the brain sequences aren't meshing well. Must be that FOX news hasn't had him on in awhile, thats why I haven't seen him :)

[Texasforever]

Yep how many Americans will be sacrificed on the alter of "free press"? If we are not going to act like we are at war then bring the kids home. If we were actually at war there would be a complete press blackout in that country until it is brought under complete control.

[Texasforever]

He released the pictures.

[Long Cut]

"I wonder if CBS, Hackworth and the rest of the terrorist shills feel about this..."

I wonder how the DEGENERATES WHO ACTUALLY CONDUCTED THE ABUSE feel about this.

Hackworth, and the media/Dims are a side issue. The culpable ones are those who CONDUCTED their sick torture games, and photographed them.

Save your rage for the real animals.

[FairOpinion]

BUT the faces of the prisoners -- who are NOT, repeat NOT POW-s -- are covered, so there is no personal embarrassment.

Just a bunch of naked prisoner bodies.

[Cate]

What a nut job!!! I had no idea he would be that stupid as to endanger our soldiers. While I agree an internal investigation is certainly warranted, Hackworth should butt out. Rumsfeld summarized this whole thing perfectly... our civilian law enforcement while doing an investigation do not go to the public and blab everything they know about a case before they complete it. Geezzzzzzz...... and per Donald, they were confined to civilian rules while in a war setting. Geeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....

[FairOpinion]

"I wonder how the DEGENERATES WHO ACTUALLY CONDUCTED THE ABUSE feel about this."

===

Oh, stop crying for those terrorist captives for some rather mild embarrassment. Their faces are covered, so they had to get naked and feld somewhat humiliated -- it's not like we pulled fingernails, gouged their eyes out, etc -- like what Saddam was doing.

You also carefully ignored my statement right in the first post:

And before anyone says that we still shouldn't humiliate those poor terrorist prisoners -- US investigations were already in process about this. Releasing the pictures served no other purpose, except to enhance anti-US sentiment and get our soldiers and civilians killed.

[Long Cut]

"Stripping a POW of his clothes in not torture or inhumane treatment that violates the Geneva Conventions,"

This was NOT all that was done.

Is being raped with a broomstick and chemlight torture?
Is having your hands and feet stomped on with combat boots?
Isn't it rape when an MP has sex with a prisoner?
Is it not torture when an attack dog is sicced on a prisoner, just for kicks?

Perhaps you need to read the Pentagon's own official report before you excuse such vile behavior. Behavior which, in fact, was aimed at NO military necessity and was instead done for the sheer fun of those who photographed it.

If everything that those degenerate clowns did was done to you, you'd call it torture for sure.

[Texasforever]

Save your rage for the real animals.

Look, we all agree that these "animals" need to be punished to the max. However there is NOTHING beneficial in the release of those photos and a hell of a lot of real world damage. BTW, I understand your feelings on this but if these people are "animals" what do we call Uday?

[CWOJackson]

"Hackworth, and the media/Dims are a side issue."

Not at all. This problem was known and was being addressed. HACKworth knew that yet deliberately manipulated this into the media cirus it is today.

The "degenerates" who may have commited these acts didn't do it for a handful of silver...HACK did.

[Cate]

Has anyone else heard Laurie Mansfield on Northeast Intelligence Network speak about some of these photos actually coming from a porno flick? That is not nice.

[ETERNAL WARMING]

Releasing the pictures served no other purpose, except to enhance anti-US sentiment and get our soldiers and civilians killed.

The Left finally found an election issue. HACKworthless got another 15 minutes of fame. Why else would he have put our troops in even more danger? TRAITOR! He's nothing but a shill for the Left. He was against the war from the beginning.

It'll backfire on you HACK. If I see your lousy face on any of the shows I watch, they'll hear from me.

[FairOpinion]

Why is it you believe everything you read, just as long as it shows the US in a bad light.

The rape stuff is merely ALLEGATIONS -- I have heard of no actual proof of that.

The only thing the pictures prove is that a bunch of prisoners were made to strip and piled on each other. As some pointed out, not much worse, than some college hazings.

And again -- these are NOT POW-s. These are a bunch of terrorists who have been ambusing and killing our soldiers and the worst of those yet.

[CWOJackson]

Maybe HACKworth will celebrate by adding another unearned Distinquished Service Cross to his list of medals...or a Ranger Tab.

Hey, if he gets some troops killed maybe he can brag about that they way he did about Admiral Borda.

[saquin]

Those of us who are condemning the media are capable of holding two thoughts in our heads. We also condemn, even more strongly, the perpetrators of these abuses. I'd like to see them serve many years of hard labor.

But the point is that the photos were in the hands of the military, the investigations were proceeding and charges already filed when the media got these photos. It's not as if the media was performing a public service by breaking a story so that investigations could ensue. Investigations were already proceeding, with the photos as prime evidence. The publication of the photos in the media accomplished nothing but to tarnish our entire military with a broad brush, inflame passions around the world and put our troops on the ground at risk. What do you think is happening to poor Pfc. Keith Maupin now? What will his captors be doing to him in the next video released to Al Jazeera?

The media has to make judgement calls. They make those calls every day. It's why they don't show people jumping from the Twin Towers, they didn't show Daniel Pearl's beheading and they didn't show the gruesome photos and video of the 4 contractors being mutilated. Pros and Cons must be weighed. What are the "pros" to releasing all of these photos?