Posted on 07/11/2005 9:16:53 AM PDT by La Enchiladita
I am a Afghan war veteran and a former interrogator who worked at the Bagram Collection Point in Afghanistan. Although I do not condone any kind of abuse, we have to remember why these people are being detained - for terrorism and supporting those responsible for terrorism.
I never saw anyone abuse our detainees. If I had, I would have confronted him or her. Abusing detainees does not improve the information we obtain from prisoners; instead it can cause false information to be given. I believe too many people are more concerned with how the world views the United States, rather than about allowing us to do our jobs.
Media outside of the military should not be allowed in the combat theaters. The International Red Cross needs to be removed as well. Too many military officers were more concerned with how their soldier looked in a pressed uniform and whether or not they were given a salute while walking down the road.
These are war zones and we need to treat them as such. Detainees from other countries do not have the right to American counsel and they should not receive it.
Just to remind all who are not aware of the status of the detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo, they are not prisoners of war, but terrorists. They support terrorists and they continue to supply terrorists with information, weapons and sympathy. Instead of focusing on the prisoner "abuse," let's focus on supporting our troops and encourage better guidelines for what our goals there should be.
(Excerpt) Read more at ocregister.com ...
Is that abuse? I think not. But, as an interrogator, I was told not to yell, scream, curse or disrespect the religion of Islam because the detainee had rights. Americans as a whole seem to think I should pull up a chair and share coffee with people who are responsible for killing my fellow soldiers and Americans.
People who are really against this war shouldn't stand on safe soil and gripe. Quit your jobs, tell your families goodbye and fly to Iraq or Afghanistan. Talk with locals there who have lived under the rule of murderers and ask what they want from America and her allies. See the faces of the children who support the troops and those who would be willing to strap a bomb to their bodies to kill a few Americans.
Be the target of a vehicle full of nationals and make that split decision whether to shoot or not. Wonder who the enemy is when you look into the eyes of each person. Go into a prison and see how the detainees treat the military police guards and interrogators. Listen to how they planned the last roadside bomb and look at the smile on their face.
So before anyone passes judgment on those who are keeping America safe, do a military job, not for one day, but for the duration of a deployment. Then tell me how the American military should be treating our so-abused detainees.
Tell-it-like-it-is-Diane, ping.
As was pointed out, these detainees are suspected war criminals/terrorists not POW's and are not eligible of POW treatment under the Geneva Convention. PERIOD!
And has been documented, of the over SIXTY-FOUR THOUSAND detainees since the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq began, less than a handful of complaints were accurate. And those Americans who were guilty have been dealt with.
Now can we PLEASE get back to what we were sent to do, fighting the war on terrorism!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Thank you.
Thankfully it got "Featured Letter" status.
Too bad its not front page news.
Excellent piece.
Needs repeated, repeatedly, until accomplished.
Heh! I still wear mine. VERY comfy!
Amen. Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt.
And to put things in perspective... 90% of the guys we bagged, including guys we bagged SHOOTING AT US, and sent to BCP, BCP wound up sending back to us to take home in thirty days or less.
They believed that if a guy was a rank and file enemy, with no worthwhile intel information, and was willing to promise to go forth and fire us up no more, they might as well turn him loose, and they did.
They only kept the worst.
To Gitmo, they only sent the worst of the worst. One guy was fingered in over 300 murders (not related to politics!) and has since admitted over 200 of them. Most of them were to steal something: you know, shoot you, take your pickup truck. These are the kind of nice people in these prisons.
(This was in 2002-2003. It is possible that in late 2001 some guys who were less dangerous were swept up in the dragnet and sent to gitmo, but most of them have gone home, except for a few who like it better there and are refusing repatriation).
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Very good. Let the world get the heck out of the way and let the military do it's job.
Thanks for your service. I want you and all of our troops to be as safe as possible, to use every advantage and to know that we are behind you 100%.
It's always good to meet another troop supporter but, oops, I am not the author of the letter. She is Diane Gilliam, a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom.
A friend of hers alerted me to the article, and I posted it. I agree with your sentiments!
I just e-mailed the article to Turban Durbin and CA senators Feinstein and Boxer..
I have thought about this every time I read one of these articles. Do you remove the name of the author and the publication before sending?
No, I sent as is.
I would think that because its a letter in the paper its open for public viewing.
Also, for clarity I'd want to make sure whoever I sent it to, they knew it was an actual letter available for themselves to view, and not just some form letter or made up story.
The author of the letter specifically names their credentials...I wouldnt think they'd mind people knowing exactly who she is and what her perspective is based on.
Thanks to both for your thoughts. I will get on it.
I made my little intro, said I agree 100%, cut and pasted, also included the link. Thumbs up, gals.
gals?....you questioning my manhood there. :)
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