Witness: Iraq Abuse Photos 'Just for Fun'

[Barrett808]

Witness: Iraq Abuse Photos 'Just for Fun'
By ALLEN G. BREED, Associated Press Writer

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - Prosecutors portrayed Pfc. Lynndie England as an out-of-control soldier who mocked Iraqi prisoners in photos "just for fun," seeking Tuesday to discredit claims that she was following orders when she abused detainees at Abu Ghraib prison.

On the first day of a hearing to determine whether England should be court-martialed for her actions at the prison, witnesses testified that the naked detainees shown with her in human pyramids and tethered to a leash were common criminals of little or no value to interrogators, abused only for sport.

An Army investigator, Paul Arthur, testified that when he interviewed England about the photos three months before they became public, she told him they were taken while "they were joking around, having some fun, during the night shift."

Arthur said he believed the reservists from the 372nd Military Police Company, based on Cresaptown, Md., were responding to the stress of being in a war zone. Just before the pictures were taken in October 2003, there had been a prison riot and some soldiers had been injured.

"It was just for fun, kind of venting their frustration," Arthur testified.

But when asked if that assessment applied to England, Arthur replied: "She never mentioned that she was frustrated. She said it was more for fun."

(more)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040803/ap_on_re_us/prisoner_abuse_england&cid=519&ncid=1480

[BlueEyedSon]

1. "Blowing off steam" (as per Rush)? Nope!

[Sabriel]

15. I'm going to use this defense

Next time my students bug me..."Hey, I was just blowing off a little steam! What's the big deal?"

[SoCalDem]

2. Rush said that was it...

Just a fraternity prank :eyes:

[mac56]

14. Sure glad I wasn't ever in Rush's fraternity.

nm

[Disturbed]

3. Fun?

Depraved! Taking a photo of a dead person that had been beaten to death was just for fun? Photos of a dog attacking a person and after photos of that person lying in a pool of blood was "just for fun"? 2K photos and many videos were taken. It seems that the purpose was more than "just for fun". This defense won't go to far. Following orders defense won't lessen a sentence either. The "abuse" and torure goes all the way up the chain of command ending with the CIC of the USA!

[sandnsea]

5. That's the prosecution

They want to prove she was doing it "just for fun" so there's no reason to go up the chain of command.

[Gyre]

16. Spot on.

The motive for the torture is of critical importance. If it was just "for fun", then it was obviously not because they had been told to "break" the prisoners regardless of how they did it, which would lead to the issue of "who" told them to do the breaking.

Gyre

[Myrina]

4. Hmmm ...

"...Just before the pictures were taken in October 2003, there had been a prison riot and some soldiers had been injured...."

Sounds like REVENGE to me ....

[nonbelief]

8. and we know why the prisoners rioted...

the prisoners knew torture was occuring. They also knew they were receiving rotten food infested with bugs.

[tlcandie]

6. So their punishment can be just for fun then?

For the pleasure of those she and others humiliated/tortured, etc.? My question would be:

If you think it was only fun and no harm intended, would you mind if we put you in their care for a while, as your punishment, to see how you feel?

[Elidor]

7. "Common criminals of little or no value to interrogators"

That's the story now. But what were "common criminals" doing in the Hard Site at Abu Ghraib? Why were "common criminals" singled out by Donald Rumsfeld and Major Miller for special treatment?

Holes you could drive a truck through.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. So transparent

trying to avoid getting Karpinski to testify, or Sanches... how about Rummy?

[daleo]

10. The nazis should have tried this defense

Himmler - "We were just goofing around, having a bit of fun during the Holocaust - a few bad apples got out of hand."
Goering - "We were having some fun during the night shift at the air fields. Sure, we might have vented some frustration on London."

This story is about as believable. But the fix is in, so they will probably get away with it.

[riverwalker]

11. she was off duty

and visiting her boyfriend Granger on the night shift "to have some fun". Englund worked as a clerk and her shift was over. I suppose she was "so stressed out" that instead of getting some rest, she decided to torment prisoners. The "stressed out" excuse doesn't fly.
The chick is a SADIST. Period. Like Dahmer and Bundy, these morans are common sadistic criminals.

[They_LIHOP]

13. I don't believe she's a sadist...

I think she was following orders.

I also feel bad for her right now - she's got two sides both telling her to say what they want her to say, both promising to protect her if she'll just say what each wants her to say, and she's probably very frightened and confused about what the 'right' thing to do is.

I do not envy her position AT ALL... She's really only a kid for godsakes!

[thebigidea]

18. so frightened that she grins through interviews

what frightens and confuses me is the extremely misplaced sympathy for England. I suppose we should fret about Graner and Wolfowitz, too. Doug Feith is only a middle-aged neocon, for godsakes! He was only following orders!

[Barrett808]

19. I was explaining to a friend who hadn't seen the photos (she was at sea)

She asked, "What are they smiling?"

And I could only say, "They're crazy."

[gatlingforme]

20. were they following orders when her and her slimmy boyfriend were screwing

while on duty ? The only sympathy I have is for the child .

[Hobarticus]

12. We'll leave ya unarmed out in the open some night in Baghdad, then...

...just for fun.

[The_Casual_Observer]

17. They didn't ever show the sex pictures with Lynndie

That must have been one hell of a night. "Caligula would have blushed". Those "people" were really messed up.

[saigon68]

21. This is lynddies LEASH MATE

he doesn't lokk like he's having fun

ALSO WHO IS THE DOG HANDLER INVOLVED---none of them are CHARGED???????

[The_Casual_Observer]

22. Just another Saturday night

What the hell is that guy going to skin with that knife>