Lawmaker suggests Iraq prisoner abuse more widespread, not 'isolated incid

[maddezmom]

WASHINGTON (AP) Stunned by the U.S. military's abuse of Iraqi prisoners, lawmakers demanded answers Tuesday to how it happened. One senator said he feared the abuses may be more widespread than first reported.

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., emerged from a closed-door briefing of the Senate Armed Services Committee and said he feared that the allegations made public so far are ''the beginning rather than the end'' of the abuse allegations.

''This does not appear to be an isolated incident,'' Kennedy said. There might be other abuses at facilities in Iraq and possibly Afghanistan, he said.

But Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told reporters outside the hearing he was ''extremely hopeful that ... this was not a widespread pattern of abuse and that the conduct of the overwhelming majority of Americans is honorable and decent.''

~snip~
more: http://www.boston.com/dailynews/125/wash/Lawmaker_suggests_Iraq_prisone:.shtml

[leftchick]

1. I just saw Sen. Kenedy on CNN...

he looked shocked to say the least.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. Finally they are bringing up Afghanistan where we KNOW

the treatment of prisoners resulted in mass graves in the desert....anyone else recall the CBC Documentary by the UN rights lawyer ( can't recall his name)

[htuttle]

6. Video is named: "Afghan Massacre -- Convoy of Death"

I saw it one night on our public access cable channel. Soldiers under the command of Gen. Dostum killed thousands of Taliban POWs under the watch of US Special Forces. In the video, you can clearly see the US Special Forces members 'supervising' while they shoot up the containers full of prisoners and bury them in the ground. It was made by Jamie Doran, and has been shown on mainstream media in much of Europe.

I think John Pilger has done a number of documentaries on war crimes in Afghanistan as well.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. It was available online for a while

[treepig]

12. The Convoy of Death

It tells the story of thousands of prisoners who surrendered to the US military’s Afghan allies after the siege of Kunduz. According to eyewitnesses, some three thousand of the prisoners were forced into sealed containers and loaded onto trucks for transport to Sheberghan prison. Eyewitnesses say when the prisoners began shouting for air, U.S.-allied Afghan soldiers fired directly into the truck, killing many of them. The rest suffered through an appalling road trip lasting up to four days, so thirsty they clawed at the skin of their fellow prisoners as they licked perspiration and even drank blood from open wounds.

Witnesses say that when the trucks arrived and soldiers opened the containers, most of the people inside were dead. They also say US Special Forces re-directed the containers carrying the living and dead into the desert and stood by as survivors were shot and buried. Now, up to three thousand bodies lie buried in a mass grave.

The film has sent shockwaves around the world. It has been broadcast on national television in Britain, Germany, Italy and Australia. It has been screened by the European parliament. It has outraged human rights groups and international human rights lawyers. They are calling for investigation into whether U.S. Special Forces are guilty of war crimes.

But most Americans have never heard of the film. That’s because not one corporate media outlet in the U.S. will touch it. It has never before been broadcast in this country.


http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3267.htm

[ConcernedCanuk]

3. Really, now who among us believes this is the ONLY case of abuse?

.
.
.

I for one,

sadly believe that this is not even the worst that is going on over there.

(sigh)

[daleo]

4. I heard Hersh said there was lots worse ready to come out

Video, stuff with women, etc. This first series of photos may seem tame compared to what is still out there. All justification for this war is now finished, unless they admit it is really about stealing oil or bringing on Armageddon.

[Larkspur]

5. Tailhook was downplayed for a while also, but it was bigger than 1st

reported.

Imperialism breeds abusers because it is an abusive system.

[Just Me]

8. Rummy is up and spinning now.

Pretends that first notice was in January via the chain of command.

Conveniently FORGETS prior reports by Amnesty Int'l and others.

[maddezmom]

9. not only that...he doesn't touch the contractors

investigating soldiers...what about the contractors???? Seems to me they are the root cause.

[varun]

10. Are Indians slaving in Iraq? Delhi asks US

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/658740.cms

...In response to queries, the External Affairs Ministry spokesman said, "The US Embassy was requested for information about the numbers of such Indian nationals known to have been employed in this manner, and also about the accounts that Indians who wished to leave were unable to do so, and were being compelled to continue to remain in Iraq against their will...

[Just Me]

11. OMG!!! He just did a blatant lie,...

,...saying that as soon as the military knew, the info was released to the public (paraphrasing).

He is such a freakin' spinmastering lyin' hypocrite!!!

:puke:

[maddezmom]

13. torture VS abuse

WTF??????? Is he going to define the difference....oh i get it, it's the Genova Convention.

[Just Me]

14. This may be his greatest failure in damage control,...

,...and propaganda.

F*ck,...he's doing the "talking points" broken record thingy about Saddam's Regime.

On edit: he is testier than I believe I have ever seen him before *giggle*.

[Moderator]

15. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=528092&mesg_id=528092