Posted on 01/19/2006 12:49:41 PM PST by tgambill
Two conflicting pictures have emerged of the Army officer charged with killing an Iraqi general: A ruthless man flouting Army interrogation rules, and an interrogator pressured to help defeat a growing insurgency.
Prosecutors say Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr. abused his subjects by slapping them, allowing them to be severely beaten and slamming them to the ground, all to gain very little useful information.
But Welshofer's defense attorney offered a portrait of a man who allowed only himself and one other person to use dangerous techniques and who showed compassion to his subject by allowing him a visit with his son.
Welshofer's court-martial was headed into a fourth day Thursday. He is charged with murder and dereliction of duty in the 2003 death of Maj. Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush at an Iraqi detention camp.
Prosecutors say Mowhoush was placed headfirst in a sleeping bag and bound with an electrical cord for interrogation. They say he died of asphyxia while Welshofer sat on his chest and occasionally used his hands to cover Mowhoush's mouth.
Welshofer's attorneys contend he did nothing illegal and was using a technique approved by his commander. They say Mowhoush died from an irregular heart rhythm caused by heart disease and stress.
A witness, who testified from behind a screen to cloak his identity, testified Wednesday that Welshofer said interrogation rules were being flouted "every day" in Iraq.
The witness said he spoke with Welshofer on Nov. 25, 2003, the day before Mowhoush's death. The witness said he asked Welshofer if he was aware of a memorandum from Welshofer's commanding general that required authorization for the use of certain interrogation techniques.
"He said he was aware of them, but said he was pretty sure they were breaking those rules every day," the witness said.
The memo, dated Oct. 12, 2003, did not mention stress techniques such as the sleeping bag position but said anything not in the memo required approval, according to the witness. Welshofer's commander has said she would not have approved the sleeping bag technique to be used the way it was against Mowhoush.
Under defense questioning, the secret witness conceded he did not witness any wrongdoing.
"What Chief Welshofer told you could have been just a flippant remark, right?" defense attorney Frank Spinner asked.
"Yes," the witness replied.
"So you have no personal knowledge that any rules were being violated," Spinner said.
"No," said the man, adding that while he was alarmed by Welshofer's comment he did not report it to commanding officers.
The dramatic testimony was opened to the public at the request of media organizations, though the judge did allow another witness to testify behind closed doors Wednesday. Two witnesses also testified in secret on Tuesday.
Another witness, Gerold Pratt, said Mowhoush was beaten by civilian interrogators two nights before his death. Pratt, who was in charge of logistics at the detention camp, did not identify the civilians.
He said Mowhoush appeared to be injured following the beating couldn't put his shoes on because his feet were so swollen. Prosecutors said the beating was directed by Welshofer.
You know war is a tough thing, and the general ought to have known that he would be asked for information. I for one side with the military man on this. Maybe it would have been better to not have any prisoners, just kill them all and you don't have to worry about interrogation.
Well at least the CWO didn't saw his head off, with a butter knife......
I agree........Its incredible how we treat our kind, and How many hostages have been beheaded? what gives?
It is called politics and it is one of the biggest demoralizers of our Warriors.........
Put a pair of panties on their heads and they sing like canaries.
Under defense questioning, the secret witness conceded he did not witness any wrongdoing."What Chief Welshofer told you could have been just a flippant remark, right?" defense attorney Frank Spinner asked.
"Yes," the witness replied.
"So you have no personal knowledge that any rules were being violated," Spinner said.
"No," said the man, adding that while he was alarmed by Welshofer's comment he did not report it to commanding officers.
Your bad...LOL
Yes, I experienced this in Kosovo which was off the scale....1999 to 2004..
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