8 years for Abu Ghraib soldier (is an outrage.)

CNN.com ^ | 10/21/04 | blueskyline

[blueskyline]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The highest-ranking U.S. soldier charged in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal in Iraq has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

Staff Sgt. Ivan "Chip" Frederick, a U.S. Army reservist from Virginia, also was sentenced Thursday to a forfeiture of pay, a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank to private.

[Woogit]

I was really touched by the Iraqi man who said these prisoners were the ones who tortured him in a much more severe manner...still, if America is going to stand against abuse, it must stand strong!

[blueskyline]

I have been hoping the same. Bush re-elected and some pardons...

[Astronaut]

Panties on the head is hardly torture. Ask Saddam's torturers what real torture is about. Dishonorable discharge. That should have been it.

[ex-snook]

"How long did Gen. jannis get."

About the same as the 'interrogators' who put the GI up to it.

[demlosers]

There is an automatic appeal process for the military.

[The Hollywood Conservative]

Im fine with it...

[Rakkasan1]

I agree sink spur. I wish teachers who commit statutory
rape with students got the same punishment this guy got.

[Ramonan]

You are RIGHT. This is BS.

[Hunterb]

Yes he was a dumb ass, but he didn't torture anyone...look up humiliation in Websters. There are murderers in our liberal court system that get less than eight.

Wake the hell up

[Retief]

The guy deserves it. He provided a huge propaganda coup for the enemy, encouraging the Islamofacists to be more aggressive and kill more of us. He placed us all in greater danger.

[ARCADIA]

let the punishment fit the crime". It doesn't remotely in this case.

What do we usually do to US civilian prison guards who abuse their prisoners here? The punishment should be comparable.

[Acrobat]

Here's the problem: You're a soldier and you're told what torture is. You violate those dictates. You do the time. end of story...

Now, do I think a murderer in this country and this soldier deserve the same amount of time?

No 'effin' way!

[NYRaider]

Lyndie England won't get that much...shes a new mom.
How about prosecuting a self admitted WAR CRIME criminal instead!

[SubMareener]

The people he abused were not murderers. The policy of the United States is to treat every prisoner humanly. This guy and his fellows violated the trust that was placed in them to follow our rules. Maybe you need to review what you were taught during your military service. Maybe you have forgotten what it means to be an American fighting man.

[Do Be]

War.

A nasty business.

We did not ask to be in this war. We were attacked. We have the right to defend ourselves.

We embarrassed a few murderers, made them uncomfortable. Hurt their pride.

The old media are the ones who should serve time for this. We have turned on our own, however politically uncorrect they were.

We should hang our heads in shame. We have given in to the enemy.

Perhaps this soldier should have beheaded a few prisoners.

[NutCrackerBoy]

Prisoner abuse is a problem that crops up everywhere there are prisoners. We enforce laws against the abuse. How could we do otherwise? It doesn't rise to the level of war crimes, but this man was guilty. Example made.

As far as higher ups - clearly, there was a vacuum of authority and discipline that allowed this problem to fester. There was poor leadership, but still you have to punish the direct perpetrators of the crime. Most of the time you won't get anything direct on higher-ups. Certainly the "marketplace" of military rank will help: good leaders will be promoted, bad leaders won't advance.

As far as the severity of the sentence, there is no basis for using the beheadings (for example) as mitigating circumstances.

[ARCADIA]

"How long did Gen. jannis get."

If she hasn't been less then honorably discharged; she should be; along with the rest of the direct chain of command in that unit.

[LasVegasMac]

'This kind of soldier' is over there protecting you... cut him some slack.

Bite your tongue!

I am going to assume that you have a sum total of ZERO actual military experience, otherwise you would not be saying such things.

What the bad guys did does not matter one whit.

What matters is the conduct of one that is subject to the UCMJ.

Do you realize that if a military member gets tagged for, say, DUI by civilian authorities that person is going to get whacked twice. Once by the civilians and then by the military.

Fair ? Yes, it is.

Think about what you are saying and who we are.

LVM

[AZhardliner]

I just retired after 22 years; they broke the soldiers (NCO) code of conduct. Sentence seems fair.