Posted on 12/03/2004 2:08:59 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
The U.S. military has launched a criminal investigation into photographs that appear to show Navy SEALs in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees, and photos of what appear to be bloodied prisoners, one with a gun to his head.
Some of the photos have date stamps suggesting they were taken in May 2003, which could make them the earliest evidence of possible abuse of prisoners in Iraq. The far more brutal practices photographed in Abu Ghraib prison occurred months later.
An Associated Press reporter found more than 40 of the pictures among hundreds in an album posted on a commercial photo-sharing Web site by a woman who said her husband brought them from Iraq after his tour of duty. It is unclear who took the pictures, which the Navy said it was investigating after the AP furnished copies to get comment for this story.
These and other photos found by the AP appear to show the immediate aftermath of raids on civilian homes. One man is lying on his back with a boot on his chest. A mug shot shows a man with an automatic weapon pointed at his head and a gloved thumb jabbed into his throat. In many photos, faces have been blacked out. What appears to be blood drips from the heads of some. A family huddles in a room in one photo and others show debris and upturned furniture.
"These photographs raise a number of important questions regarding the treatment of prisoners of war (POWs) and detainees," Navy Cmdr. Jeff Bender, a spokesman for the Naval Special Warfare Command in Coronado, said in a written response to questions. "I can assure you that the matter will be thoroughly investigated."
The photos were turned over to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which instructed the SEAL command to determine whether they show any serious crimes, Bender said Friday. That investigation will determine the identities of the troops and what they were doing in the photos.
Some of the photos recall aspects of the images from Abu Ghraib, which led to charges against seven soldiers accused of humiliating and assaulting prisoners. In several of the photos obtained by the AP, grinning men wearing U.S. flags on their uniforms, and one with a tattoo of a SEAL trident, take turns sitting or lying atop what appear to be three hooded and handcuffed men in the bed of a pickup truck.
A reporter found the photos, which since have since been removed from public view, while researching the prosecution of a group of SEALs who allegedly beat prisoners and photographed one of them in degrading positions. Those photos, taken with a SEAL's personal camera, haven't been publicly released.
Though they have alarmed SEAL commanders, the photographs found by the AP do not necessarily show anything illegal, according to experts in the laws of war who reviewed photos at AP's request.
Gary Solis, a former Marine Corps prosecutor and judge who teaches at the United States Military Academy, said the images showed "stupid" and "juvenile" behavior - but not necessarily a crime.
Did I miss something? Yale has hazing incidents that are "far more brutal" than the "practices photographed in Abu Ghraib"?
Note the light on the guys head? That's coming from the high powered Surefire flashlight mounted on the bottom of the SEALs .45. That's why he's pointing the gun at the guy; there's a flashlight on it, and it's dark. Thats how it's done, with M4s , SAWS, or whatever weapon has a light on it. This happens a million times a day in Iraq, because its a good way to keep people covered and illuminated.
This is a totally bogus issue.
You and Chemist_Geek are superior, eh?
Attitude noted.
***************************************
That's right.
I've got the attitude.
( and so do you! )
So what are you going to do?
Bend my dog-tags and take away my Birthday?
The way those prisoners were handled, and then photographed, and then the pics getting out was simply idiotic. It was a bone-headed stunt from start to finish and it's going to splash our guys.
According to you, behold the face of Evil:
We'd better rush right out and either shoot her before she has a chance to breed, or forcibly convert her to Christianity. She's a threat, I tell you! /sarcasm off.
"Straw men".
No, not really.
Otherwise, I'd engage you more.
However, I don't care to waste more time on you, despite the fact that you saw fit to rattle my cage a total of 4 times.
Go play by yourself.
I'm done with you.
We don't care, we don't care, we don't care care care.
We won, we won, too bad so sad, we won we won we won won won.
Sha-na-na-na, Sha-na-na-na, hey hey, good bye.
We toldyaso, we toldyaso, we toldya toldya toldya so.
Whos in the white house? Booosh, Booosh, Booosh!
In other words, they didn't beat us with Grab Abu, so who cares now. Coals to Newcastle.
But remember, it has been rumored (and immedialtely swept under the rug by the powers that be) that Mc Veigh had help from muslims. And those other guys are not trying to forceably convert you to their religion
And those other guys are not trying to forceably convert you to their religion
That was too funny. Thanks
BTT
The Navy goes to great lengths to protect the identities and whereabouts of its 2,400 SEALs - which stands for Navy Sea, Air, Land - many of whom have classified counterterrorist missions around the globe.
"Some of these photos clearly depict faces and names of Naval Special Warfare personnel, which could put them or their families at risk," Bender said.
Stupid Stupid Stupid!!! Dumb woman, clearly endangering the life of her husband and ALL the others as well.
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