Nevada Guard MP saw abuse firsthand

[maddezmom]

Nevada Guard MP saw abuse firsthand

Yerington woman landed in trouble for documenting treatment of Iraqis

By KEITH ROGERS
REVIEW-JOURNAL


A Nevada National Guard member confirmed Thursday that she is the older female soldier who was reprimanded for documenting prisoner abuse as mentioned in a transcript from a secret military hearing about the Abu Ghraib prison scandal in Iraq.
~snip~

Spc. Donna Menesini, 49, of Yerington, said she wrote down what she saw happen at the prison on the outskirts of Baghdad but later got in trouble for reasons she declined to discuss.

"You have no idea what they put me through after that," she said by phone from her home in Yerington, 50 miles southeast of Reno.

"I kept journals while I was over there. It was for my peace of mind," she said.

She indicated that problems occurred at the Abu Ghraib compound on June 13 when, according to a report by her company commander, detainees caused a disturbance and tried to escape. The escape attempt was thwarted by guards in towers who opened fire, killing one and wounding seven of them.

~snip~
more: http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2004/May-14-Fri-2004/news/23881142.html

originally posted by new DU'er Lakerstan on another thread. :)

[Lakerstan]

1. Thanks, maddezmom!

:hi:

[newyawker99]

6. Hi Lakerstan!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Lakerstan]

7. Thanks, newyawker99!

:)

[whistle]

2. Does anyone still believe that the media blackouts....

...ban on photos and controlled media access by the military was all about national security and security for our troops? Those CO bastards and higher up's military brass right through to Donald Rumsfeld knew what was going on, knew what they wanted done to execute this war as efficiently as they could and knew that if the public saw or was fully informed about what was happening in the detention camps, prisons on the battlefield and even in the streets of occupation, there would be public out-cry and accountability. Nothing can be left to assumption any longer, the truth must be brought out or those who have the truth will be intimidated, harassed and perhaps even murdered to protect the interests of the military and intelligence community. This is bad, very bad as Rumsfeld said, but not for the people who were following orders. This is bad for the people who were giving the orders.

[oldcoot]

3. I never believed that it was just a "few bad apples"

Between the prison scandal and Berg's murder, I think that it is safe to say that I do not believe anything that the Bush administration has to say on any issue. If a Bush administration official tells me the sky is blue, I will want an independent confirmation. It is time for a new secretary of defense (as well as president).

[maddezmom]

4. just another good soldier who was ignored

:(

[TacticalPeek]

5. More reason for Shrub to avoid newspapers and preserve his optimism.

"All our soldiers know you couldn't take pictures of detainees period. And that was crystal clear," he said.

Nevada AG Vanderhoof


Possible support for the view that MI influence overrode SOP in the mad quest for WMD, no holds barred.

[Tinoire]

8. More details of probably the same whitleblower

Nevada Guardsman Claims She Blew Whistle On Prisoner Abuse

<snip>

According to the New York Times, a witness who was stationed at the Abu Ghraib prison says, "An older female soldier from the Nevada National Guard told him of abuse, and said she had documented it but had been reprimanded by her chain of command for doing so." The witness also says the woman, "was afraid of her chain of command."

Just last week, News 3 spoke to members of the 72 Military Police based in Henderson. They were the unit stationed at the prison before the alleged abuse occurred. Their reaction to the abuse scandal was this: "I saw it on the news. I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' I looked there and got a lump in my throat, just got embarrassed."

In fact, the men brought back their own pictures from the Iraqi prison, proof of a job well done. Whether someone from the Nevada Guard knows more is now under investigation. Just so we're clear, there is no suggestion that a Nevada soldier did anything wrong, but the mere mention of the Nevada Guard in this report has lead the governor's chief-of-staff to demand more answers.

The name of the female Guardsmen who tried to report abuse at the prison was not released.

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=1866436&nav=15MVN7mi