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Abu Ghraib convict breaks silence
The Washington Times ^ | April 13, 2005 | Rowan Scarborough

Posted on 04/13/2005 12:31:09 PM PDT by rightalien

A key figure in the Abu Ghraib detainee abuse scandal has given Army investigators a lengthy sworn statement accusing others of misconduct at the Iraq prison.

The statement from Pvt. Charles Graner, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., comes as the Army may file more charges in the case against personnel who supervised military police officers such as Pvt. Graner. He had first refused to talk, but later agreed under a grant of immunity.

At his court-martial, prosecutors portrayed Pvt. Graner as the ringleader in a group of Reserve MPs who abused and humiliated detainees as discipline and as a way to elicit information on a deadly Iraqi insurgency. Pvt. Graner did not testify at trial, but made an unsworn statement, in which he said he was just following orders from military intelligence personnel desperate for tips on the enemy.

Army investigators and defense lawyers took Pvt. Graner's sworn statements earlier this month at Leavenworth. The Army is collecting evidence against other MPs awaiting trial and against personnel who remain under investigation.

(Excerpt) Read more at insider.washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abughraib; charlesgraner; courtmartial; fortleavenworth; graner; rowanscarborough

1 posted on 04/13/2005 12:31:11 PM PDT by rightalien
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To: rightalien

The real sad part of this is that the officers responsible for the conduct and activity of these troops have not been adequately brought to justice. The UCMJ applies to ALL in the military, and as a veteran, I can speak to the reality that officers are responsible for their units and the behavior in those units.

The other side is that this would not have been such a big deal, in time of war (just review WW2 history), if the liberal, anti-war, anti-military media and their socialist accomplices did not politicize it for their own anti-American agenda.


2 posted on 04/13/2005 12:36:12 PM PDT by EagleUSA (Q)
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To: rightalien
.... abused and humiliated

is that the same as torture ?
3 posted on 04/13/2005 12:42:02 PM PDT by stylin19a (Always remember - don't ever forget - "2 wrongs don't make a right, it's 3 lefts that make a right.")
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To: EagleUSA
I can speak to the reality that officers are responsible for their units and the behavior in those units.

I guess you were not around when Lt. Calley got convicted and all the higher ups above him walked away without even a verbal reprimand.

4 posted on 04/13/2005 1:16:56 PM PDT by RetiredArmy (Let there be no mistake. Let me be very clear: I HATE DEMOCRATS! Enemies of the Republic.)
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To: RetiredArmy

I guess you were not around when Lt. Calley got convicted and all the higher ups above him walked away without even a verbal reprimand.
====
I was around, during Nam. And I remember the Calley scenario vividly. As they say in the service, "***t rolls downhill"....not much has changed since I was in...


5 posted on 04/13/2005 1:35:07 PM PDT by EagleUSA (Q)
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To: rightalien
Despite the desire to frustrate the preternatural bloodlust of the moonbats, and as justified as harsh methods may have been, it is necessary to support justice taking its natural course.

I force myself to listen to NPR on a regular basis, and I could just about scream when they have a whole program on torture-related issues without ever once even paying lip service to the actual need to gain intelligence.

6 posted on 04/13/2005 1:37:39 PM PDT by NutCrackerBoy
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To: NutCrackerBoy
Um - torture does very little to obtain accurate intel. Drugs, sure. Trickery, sure. But anyone who knows anything about human response to pain knows that people will say or do just about anything to stop it. And if that means making stuff up, they make stuff up.
7 posted on 04/13/2005 1:42:04 PM PDT by lugsoul (Wild Turkey)
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To: lugsoul

But if it was proved they made it up, there is more torture coming.

Anyway, this wasn't torture. It was hazing.


8 posted on 04/13/2005 1:43:36 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If You're Not A Part Of The Solution, There's Good Money To Be Made In Prolonging The Problem.)
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To: AppyPappy
Or, if torture is being applied properly, even if they told the truth there is more coming. The only proper use of torture is, plain and simple, to break people. It is not an effective risk/reward system.

Also, I do think we need to draw some kind of distinction - this is not all about "panties on their head" hazing or naked pyramids. There was some good old fashioned torture going on, as well, but no one took any pics of that.

9 posted on 04/13/2005 1:48:00 PM PDT by lugsoul (Wild Turkey)
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To: lugsoul
Um - torture does very little to obtain accurate intel.

As a response to my post, that adds nothing. Some methods are highly effective that some would call torture. These are discussed on NPR without regard to their effectiveness, only as a holier-than-thou bludgeoning of the US military and its civilian leaders.

10 posted on 04/13/2005 1:49:15 PM PDT by NutCrackerBoy
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To: lugsoul

Thats right. Bring out the bamboo slivers, the hot tongs and electric shocks then turn of the tape recorder, I´ll tell you anything you want to know.


11 posted on 04/13/2005 1:58:45 PM PDT by Americanexpat (A strong democracy through citizen oversight.)
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