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."

[wtc911]

And Rumsfeld was just kidding when he said that there was much worse to follow. He was kidding? What makes you say that?

Sarcasm. Responding to a poster who denies existence of worse proof.

[CFC__VRWC]

That is what I find most sickening...that perverts and sick bastards like that wore America's uniform, and thus disgraced us all.

One of the major themes the media and the Rats are trying to push here with their coverage and spin on this whole story is that it's more than just a handful of "perverts and sick bastards" perpetrating these acts. They're trying to tar the entire US military, paint all of us (I did my Navy time during Desert Storm) as a bunch of subhuman animals gleefully taking part in a systemic assault on the "oppressed peoples of the world" that was planned at the very top levels of the Bush Administration and then sent down the chain of command.

That's what's going on here, plain and simple. The story's already out there - it's been reported, pictures have been shown, and we have been told by the Pentagon and the Admin. that it is being taken care of and that the perps will pay for what they've done. As they should. Until there is solid evidence presented that the Pentagon is trying to sh!tcan the investigation, I'm willing to take their word that they will aggressively pursue these people and put them away.

But that hasn't happened, so there is no reason for the media to keep pimping this story the way they are. The fact that they're doing so just points out clearly that their true agenda here is what I outlined above.

[NittanyLion]

The point I am making, is that we don't interrogate the prisoners for fun, we are interrogating them, to get information to save innocent lives -- including our innocent lives.

We don't even know that this was an interrogation process. If these folks had information we badly needed, I hardly believe doing naked pyramids would be the method of interrogation.

No, your point is quite clear. You're unable to discern between the hundreds of thousands of honorable troops in the field, and these 7 dishonorable ones. And sadly, by adopting the argument as you have you do more to smear the remainder of our troops than to simply admit that this was an aberration - and an improper one at that...

[NittanyLion]

Gotcha! Sorry I missed that...

[Tennessee_Bob]

Let me spell it slowly for you:

W-E
A-R-E
N-O-T
T-H-E-M

Fall to their standards and you might as well be a hardened terrorist yourself.

If you want a military that acts like thugs towards its prisoners, I'm sure the Fallujah militia has several openings by now.

[NittanyLion]

a) We must not hurt a hair on the head of this terrorist prisoners, better to see millions of US innocents die, destroy the US economy for years to come.

b) to h&$# with the terrorist, bring out thubscrews and any other creative techniuqes -- just make sure he doesn't die, before he tells us, where the nuke is.

Incidentally, this is a false choice. It's not an either/or proposition as you'd suggest.

Surely you can do better than logical fallacies when trying to make your point. Right?

[Hacksaw]

Ping. You need to read this thread.

That is what I am talking about.

[Long Cut]

Yep, just an "interrogation" for "critical intelligence"...

[Freee-dame]

Is it not torture when an attack dog is sicced on a prisoner, just for kicks?

Is the same incident where a dog was barking at, but not touching, a prisoner? I do not think a barking dog constitutes torture.

[Long Cut]

"Is the same incident where a dog was barking at, but not touching, a prisoner? I do not think a barking dog constitutes torture."

No. The Pentagon's report clearly states that the dog had bitten a prisoner.

In fact, it detailed a great many abuses and tortures, FAR beyond the so-called "fraternity pranks" (which is itself a misnomer) that most seem to think occurred.

[Matchett-PI]

HACKworth, Hillery and the rest of the *outraged* DemocRATS were no where to be seen or heard when this stuff was going on. We all know why. Clinton Era Atrocities (no Hearings, No media) Human Rights Watch ^ 05/08/2004 Excerpt: 97 Department of the Army, U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command, 48th MP Detachment (CID), Eagle Base, Bosnia and Herzegovina, "CID Report of Investigation," p. 1, on file with Human Rights Watch. 98 The CID report included a transcript of Hirtz's sworn statement. The investigator questioned Hirtz about the apparent nonconsensual sexual intercourse in the videotape. The transcript reads: Q: Did you have sexual intercourse with the second woman on the tape? A: Yes. Q: Did you have intercourse with the second woman after she said "no" to you? A: I don't recall her saying that. I don't think it was her saying no. Q: According to what you witnessed on the videotape played for you in which you were having sexual intercourse with the second woman. Did you have sexual intercourse with the second woman after she said "no" to you? A: Yes. Q: Did you know it was being videotaped? A: I set it up. Q: Did you know it is wrong to force yourself upon someone without their consent? A: Yes. Read all about it, including other information and comments here:

[proudofthesouth]

Ditto!

[Matchett-PI]

Oops! Let me re-do that!

Clinton Era Atrocities (no Hearings, No media)
Human Rights Watch ^ 05/08/2004
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/bosnia/index.htm#TopOfPage

Excerpt:

97 Department of the Army, U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command, 48th MP Detachment (CID), Eagle Base, Bosnia and Herzegovina, "CID Report of Investigation," p. 1, on file with Human Rights Watch.

98 The CID report included a transcript of Hirtz's sworn statement. The investigator questioned Hirtz about the apparent nonconsensual sexual intercourse in the videotape. The transcript reads:

Q: Did you have sexual intercourse with the second woman on the tape?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you have intercourse with the second woman after she said "no" to you?
A: I don't recall her saying that. I don't think it was her saying no.
Q: According to what you witnessed on the videotape played for you in which you were having sexual intercourse with the second woman. Did you have sexual intercourse with the second woman after she said "no" to you?
A: Yes.
Q: Did you know it was being videotaped?
A: I set it up.
Q: Did you know it is wrong to force yourself upon someone without their consent?
A: Yes.

Read all about it, including other information and comments here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1131803/posts

[af_vet_1981]

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

What feelings do you think traitors have ?

[Big Horn]

Fox had Hamill on the phone and he praised President Bush for the great job he is doing.

[Big Horn]

Do you want to pay to keep the killers in the Holiday Inn?

[Long Cut]

"Do you want to pay to keep the killers in the Holiday Inn?"

Of course not, don't be silly. However, the Geneva conventions and the UCMJ specifically spell out the treatment that prisoners are to be accorded. The US is not only a signatory, but actually follows that document's principles. It is what sets us apart from the savages we face.

The soldiers at that prison violated their orders and their duty. They did so not for necessity, but to get their jollies. Then, they compounded their perverse "fun" a thousandfold by photographing it.

It is policy in the military that ALL detainees are to be treated as POW's until determined otherwise by higher authority. Even those at Gitmo are accorded treatment in line with that.

[RGSpincich]

William Lawson tried to blackmail the military. The US doesn't negotiate with terrorists or their kind so Lawson dropped his bomb is Hackworth's lap. Hackworth joined with Lawson to aid the terrorists.