Soldier's Family Set in Motion Chain of Events on Disclosure [Hackworth involved in CBS photos]

NY Times ^ | 5/8/04 | James Dao and Eric Lichtblau

[Sloth]

"The Army had the opportunity for this not to come out, not to be on 60 Minutes," he said. "But the Army decided to prosecute those six G.I.'s because they thought me and my family were a bunch of poor, dirt people who could not do anything about it. But unfortunately, that was not the case."

Yeah, I'm sure your nephew is gonna come through this smelling like a rose now, you stupid bastard.

[Sacajaweau]

Can't be members of OUR Congress, they didn't know anything about this. Hope a letter went to Kerry AND Hillary for starters.

[Bogey78O]

Just like Vietnam. The ones who brutalized and abused people were caught and in order to shirk the blame they claim "everyone did it". Just like that jerk with Tiger Force Recon who claims they were war criminals.

[OXENinFLA]

2STAR Gen. Miller on FNC now from Iraq.(Press conf.)

[gdc61]

part of his supposed link to the common grunt.

[Recon by Fire]

No his pension is the reason he is subject to Military Justice. He could lose a lot more than that pension.

Eh, there are members of the armed forces who are retired but have yet to draw their pension, but are still subject to the UCMJ.

[cajungirl]

We are trying to have a thread here. Please take your fights elsewhere as it is disrupting and really stops the trend of posts. I address this to you as yours is the last post I have read so please do not try to draw me in. Just stop the back and forth. It is not shedding light on anything.

[PLMerite]

"This is what the families are saying: that they were "ordered/forced" to take these pictures to get the prisoners to talk."

Blackmail is a standard method of coercion. So is most of the other stuff. I've heard stories about what was done to some German POWs, so this may be nothing new.

I don't have a lot of sympathy for the Iraqis, no matter what was done to them.

[mass55th]

Hmm. I wonder who those 17 members of Congress were that he wrote to. Could one of them have provided the photos to the press?

[cajungirl]

You are jumping the gun. Bush cannot point fingers at the soldiers superiors as there is an investigation going on and that would be "command influence",,he condemned the actions as everyone seems to be doing for one reason or another. Wait and see who gets the biggest price for this and Ii do belive it will be those in charge.

[Condor51]

Ok, makes sense.
I guess to Hack's way of thinking, if he wore a DSC or SS pin, it would seem pretentious on his part.

In any case, he's one bitter guy now.

[Peach]

Thanks for that information, Meg.

[mass55th]

""The Army had the opportunity for this not to come out"

Where has this guy been? The abuse was reported to the press in January by the military. If this guy gave the photos to the press, he's in deep doo-doo. Releasing potential evidence in criminal cases is against the law.

[Sacajaweau]

This came out because it probably technically ruins all legal cases, i.e., the pictures are so vivid that they are automatically convicted (the public having been prejudiced) and the lives of these soldiers ruined no matter whether they are proved innocent or guilty in a court of law. The they will each sue the USA for damages.

It's the old "I'm not responsible for my actions".

[alnick]

There was one memo that recommended gathering all negative war issues and releasing them at a scheduled interval. I will try to find that and pot it tomorrow.

Please ping me when you do. I was not aware of this. Thanks.

[elfman2]

" The irony, Mr. Lawson said, is that the public spectacle might have been avoided if the military and the federal government had been responsive to his claims that his nephew was simply following orders"

I’m beginning to believe this story, that the release was to prevent the seven solders from becoming scapegoats.

Scapegoating is indicative of the worst leadership. I was once a target of it when my Captain lost a TS document that he checked out. He told investigators that he gave to me to return. It was later found behind a drawer in the vault, check back in by him.

I understand the need to practice tough interrogation on terrorists. But I have zero tolerance for scapegoaters and cowards.

[Sacajaweau]

I'm going to search and see if I can find out which members were sent a letter. If these folks are Dems, you can bet your boots that one went to Hillary.

[The Wizard]

why can't anyone see these photios were planed to cause the trouble they have....this is pure cliton/devil stuff

[mass55th]

"He really,really does not like brass."

Probably because he never got the promotion he thought he was due.

[mass55th]

"This could be a violation of the Geneva Convention."

You're absolutely right. Publishing photographs of prisoners is forbidden by the Geneva Convention isn't it?