Commander Punished as Army Probes Detainee Treatment (Iraq)

[Barrett808]

Commander Punished as Army Probes Detainee Treatment
By Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 5, 2004; Page A13

The Army is investigating an allegation that U.S. troops killed an Iraqi detainee when they forced him and another man to jump from a bridge into the Tigris River, and a battalion commander has been disciplined for impeding the probe, officers familiar with the investigation said.

The action against Lt. Col. Nate Sassaman marked the second time in recent months that a battalion commander in the 4th Infantry Division has been disciplined in connection with mistreatment of Iraqis. Sassaman, well-known in the Army since he was a star West Point quarterback two decades ago, received a reprimand for helping subordinates mislead Army investigators as they began their inquiry, an officer familiar with the situation said. Several other soldiers received similar punishment.

Army officers said they are working to understand what happened on the bridge Jan. 4 near the Sunni Triangle town of Samarra, including such basic facts as whether anyone died in the river that night. The soldiers have admitted they forced the two men into the river but say they saw both men swim to shore and emerge, officials said.

"There are elements of what happened in Samarra . . . that still are under investigation and in dispute," said Col. Frederick Rudesheim, commander of the brigade that includes Sassaman's battalion. "What we don't know is what really happened that evening. What I know is that we did something wrong."

(more)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50227-2004Apr4.html

[DarkPhenyx]

1. Court marshal

Bust in grade to E1, then seperate him from service. This isn't a hard decision really.

[saigon68]

2. Be careful with what you say

I said the same thing about the guy who decided to do some (self-help)interrogation by putting a plastic sandbag over the Iraqi dude's head, securing it with pallet wire and then busting a 9 mm cap about 3 inches from his ear, to obtain inteligence secrets.

You would have thought I advocated forcible anal rape on the troops. Some politically correct assholes here tried to get me kicked off DU.

That groups is still out and about, they are what Ann Coulter calls "Democratic Jock-Sniffers for Veterans", when she describes the democrats newly found love for veterans. (she's slime by the way)

I hate it when these types always insist the troops are always right etc. Trust me, if the BIG green machine is really after this guy for war crimes-- he is probably a 'REAL PIECE OF WORK"

[DarkPhenyx]

3. I'm one of the ones that believe the troops are normally right.

However even we believe, or should believe, that some acts are beyond the ream of normal for what even we would find acceptable. My line tends to be anything I wouldn't want the enemy doing to my men. Accessory to those acts gets you lumped in with the people who commited them in my book.

[Amerpie]

4. Prisoner Treatment

My military occupational specialty didn't involve working with POWs but I did spend eight years as a prison guard in a Southern prison for male adult felons. Despite the stereotypes, most people working in that environment don't advocate or tolerate the abuse of prisoners. The only way to run a prison is with the cooperation of thise incarcerated. When you start the whole torture and threaten thing, you'd better be willing to recreate Guantanimo.

[MSgt213]

5. I would caution you on believing what the Army is telling you also

unlike the White House they try to cover themselves in different ways and it usually means they are going to hang one of their troops out to dry. You would be amazed how easy it is for them to investigate somethings and find all kinds of stuff to put out in the media when it means covering their ass, but seem like the blind leads to the blind when a soldier complaints could lead to higher ups being fired.

[saigon68]

6. I agree Msgt

The military can be hell on wheels when the "upper echelon" decides to hang out one of the troops as a scapegoat.

Since you appear to be an intelligent person, who is willing to listen, do a search on My Lai and see what the TOP BRASS did to the guy who flew the helicopter over MY Lai and had the Temerity to pick up 11 civilians and save them from sure death. also look what they did to the Spec 4 who first reported the story.

And while you are at it, see what Colon Bowel an LTC in the Metrical for Lunch Bunch did to the initial reports of the massacre.

No Sarge, I've been there and done that, and I'm still involved as a Veteran's Service Representative trying to get benefits for 60 year old men who have untreated raging cases of PTSD.

I live this shit ever day and all I'm saying, is the military is NO BETTER or NO WORSE then the general population.