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."

[McGavin999]

Hey, isn't publishing those pictures of the POWs being humiliated against the Geneva Convention?

[neutrino]

I agree with everything you said. There is nothing to add...except for me to say thank you.

[FairOpinion]

Their faces are not shown, and since they are unrecognizable, it doesn't directly embarrass them.

There is something really strange about this whole issue.

How come they were careful to put hoods over the heads of these people, when they photographed them?

[McGavin999]

Save your rage for the real animals.

Why? The real animals are already being indicted, and we're within a month of having the indictments that will go all the way up the chain of command.

Releasing these pictures did nothing but give the US a HUGE black eye around the world, endanger the hostages, and put our troops in serious danger. There was absolutely NO purpose to releasing those photos since action had already been taken.

[Freesofar]

Thanks for posting this
we werent aware of this
We will send the international corps of the ACLU out to intervene imediately . The IACLU is steaming to the rescue of the poor abused innocent Iraqis at this moment

[Texasforever]

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

I wasn't aware of his involvement in this case and it is beneath contempt.

[Long Cut]

Unfortunately, that was not the case. They were tortured simply for the enjoyment of the guards.

If any of them had time-critical info, they would have been drugged under controlled circumstances and interrogated there, securely. The folks doing it would SURE AS HELL not have allowed some bunch of ciggarette-smoking peanut galleries to film it for their amusement.

Do yourself a favor and read the Pentagon report. Then wash your hands.

[MJY1288]

I did read the report, it's been posted here on FR several times. I also know that the report is not a presumption of guilt on any or all the charges that were investigated. I know it's completely reprehensible to have sex with a prisoner, but the report doesn't conclude that it was a rape, in fact, here is the exact quote "A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee"

We have a very good justice system, please give a chance to work. Pictures do not tell the whole story. For instance, the picture of the three Iraqi's shackled at the ankles and lying on the hallway floor of the prison. That pic could be interpreted as showing a guard helping the three detainees up off the floor after they fell from sleep deprivation, yet our media has described it as as an atrocity

[FairOpinion]

"They were tortured simply for the enjoyment of the guards."


That's what the investigation is supposed to determine and punish those responsible.

But as I said, releasing the pictures puts American lives at risk and serves no positive purpose.

There was much that was not allowed to be published during WW II, because it was deemed that "the people's right to know" was outweighed by the danger to the success of the mission and American and coalition lives.

If the media had a reponsible bone in their body, they wouldn't have published the pictures. The information was already public.

[WOSG]

The fact remains, the pentagon was cleaning up this mess internally WITHOUT having the pics posted around the world.

So the photo publications and the lurid over-exposure of them in the media did little to improve actual process and MUCH to harm America's image.

[Long Cut]

"I know it's completely reprehensible to have sex with a prisoner, but the report doesn't conclude that it was a rape, in fact, here is the exact quote "A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee""

Is there some condition in which a GUARD has sex with a PRISONER in which it IS NOT considered rape?!?

Especially when the Top Sarge is, in civilian life, a PRISON GUARD?

I really want to see you sell that in any prison in the US.

[familyop]

I'm with you and am prior service. Most likely, there are drill sergeants/instructors on the various posts/bases ranting to the recruits about what $#!@$%^&& those military criminals were in order to make it clear that it won't happen again.

Our Commander-in-Chief is honest, humble and virtually fearless. Our military cleans up its mistakes. That's one of the reasons that it's the best military in the world.

As for the television viewers who want our soldiers and sailors to become filth to immitate Hollywood and fulfill Euro-myths about us, our servicemen and servicewomen should say, "Thank you for your support. Go back to your television viewing. We'll do what we have to do."

[FairOpinion]

"Is there some condition in which a GUARD has sex with a PRISONER in which it IS NOT considered rape?!?"

===

Obviously I don't know the situation, but neither do you.

I am not excusing prison guards, because they should not have sex with the prisoners, but one could propose an alternative explanation, that the prisoner does it willingly, even initiates, to get perks and better treatment.

[CWOJackson]

It sure would have been nice if the guilt of the guards could have been established in a thorough and proper manner; not done under the crush of a media feeding frenzy that will twist this to our own delight.

Unfortunately, that media whore HACKworth decided placing our troops in increased harm was a small price to pay for a few pieces of silver.

[MJY1288]

Prison Guards here in the U.S. are impregnating prisoners all the time. There are rules about having a relationship with the prisoners and they usually lose their jobs for having sex with an inmate. Most of the guards over in a Iraq have been there a year or more, plenty of time to develop a relationship with a prisoner. Neither you or I have the facts on these charges and our justice system requires that everyone is presumed innocent until found guilty. I am not making any claims either way, but I also know that it is impossible to rape the willing

[ScaniaBoy]

First time I saw Hamill on TV - when he was interviewed by that wussy Aussie team who made sure the terrorists faces were covered - I said to myself that he looked like he was going to make it. I am sure glad I was right. What a man!

On the issue discussed here. It does like he has a prima facie case against CBS and those who released those pictures.

Now, I don't think Thomas Hamill is the type of guy who will spend time with frivolous law suits. But the same goes for any family member of any US hostage that is killed and/or tortured after the release of the pictures.

What the media and others who released the pictured have done amounts to treason, no less. And I still think Mrs Clinton had a finger in the pie...

[Texasforever]

Long Cut represents what is right and good with our military and he is genuinely outraged over this because of what has been done to his honor and that of his comrades in arms. I think his focus is very narrow because of this but I have read that report and there is not a lot of exculpatory evidence in favor of all of those accused. I don't believe that this was done to "get information to save lives". I think it is the sick actions of 7 very strange human beings. That being said the real villains are those using this to weaken the United States using methods so cynical as to put the Vietnam anti-war crowd to shame.

[usadave]

The culpable ones are those who CONDUCTED their sick torture games, and photographed them.

It seems as though people keep redefining the word "torture". I used to know what torture meant, but not anymore. At this rate, anything less than the service you would expect to receive as a guest at the Beverly Hilton Hotel will soon be considered "torture".

[ScaniaBoy]

The fact remains, the pentagon was cleaning up this mess internally WITHOUT having the pics posted around the world.

So the photo publications and the lurid over-exposure of them in the media did little to improve actual process and MUCH to harm America's image.

And it harmed the military/legal investigation, and made it harder to get the perpetrators convicted.

[bootyist-monk]

If those "sick torture games" as you call it, caused otherwise uncooperative enemy fighters and terrorists to give up information that saved the lives of American Servicemen and Servicewomen, would you feel the same way?