Hi,


"He screamed out, Allah, Allah, Allah, and my first reaction was he was crying out to his God.

"It became a running joke and people kept showing up to give him a strike just to hear him scream Allah... It went on over a 24-hour period and I would think that it was over 100 strikes."

Source:BBC News

Fresh details have emerged of the alleged abuse of prisoners in Afghanistan by US soldiers.

The deaths of two inmates and alleged abuse of others is detailed by the New York Times citing a 2,000-page document leaked from a US army investigation.

US officials have said the incidents were isolated and have been dealt with.

The report says some prisoners were chained to ceilings and that one female interrogator stepped on a man's neck and kicked another in the genitals.

The New York Times said it received the report from a person involved in the US investigation who was critical of the interrogation methods used at the detention centre at Bagram, north of Kabul, and of the subsequent inquiry.

The key issue in the report covers the treatment of two Afghans who died in custody at Bagram in December 2002.

The detainees who died were a 22-year-old taxi driver known as Dilawar and a man called Habibullah.

'Innocent taxi driver'

The New York Times gives a detailed account from the leaked report of their treatment.

Dilawar had been chained to his cell ceiling by his wrists for four days and his legs pummelled by guards when he was brought to be re-interrogated at 0200 hours about an attack on a US air base, it says.

After the interrogation he was returned to be chained up and died before a doctor came to see him.

The report says most interrogators believed him to be an innocent taxi driver who simply drove past at the time of the air-base attack.

In earlier treatment of Dilawar, one soldier told investigators that when the prisoner was beaten: "He screamed out, Allah, Allah, Allah, and my first reaction was he was crying out to his God.

"It became a running joke and people kept showing up to give him a strike just to hear him scream Allah... It went on over a 24-hour period and I would think that it was over 100 strikes."

The US military initially said there was no indication of abuse in the two men's deaths and that interrogation techniques were methods that were "generally accepted".

Only after a later inquiry was it indicated, in October last year, that 27 soldiers faced probable criminal charges.

Seven of these have since been charged. No one has yet been convicted over the deaths of the two men.

US officials point to the detailed investigation into the abuses that has been carried out.

Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita told the New York Times: "What we have learned through the course of all these investigations is that there were people who clearly violated anyone's standard for humane treatment."

Drums of excrement

The New York Times says: "The file depicts young, poorly trained soldiers in repeated incidents of abuse. The harsh treatment... went well beyond the two deaths."

It details sworn statements from soldiers about a woman interrogator who stepped on one prisoner's neck and kicked another in the genitals.

Other reported abuses included a prisoner being forced to kiss the boots of interrogators and another forced to pick plastic bottle tops out of a drum mixed with excrement and water.

One sergeant told investigators that detainees were considered terrorists until proven otherwise and that the Geneva Convention only applied to prisoners of war.

Peace
-=SF_13=-

My main problem with this is the continual blaming of " Young poorly trained soldiers." as the root of all evil.

IMO The blame needs to be laid directly at the feet of the NCO's, SNCO'S and Officers (all the way up to flag grade) who allow the conduct (provided the investigation is accurate). It is their responsability to supervise/command their people. If they allow it they are culpable and they need to anty up just like the Snuffies. It was their responsability to ensure their people were trained. So the excuse doesn't give them an out. It places most of the fault on them.

Btw Terrorists are not granted protection under the Geneva Convention.

Hi,

Btw Terrorists are not granted protection under the Geneva Convention.

03USMC Not all detaniees are Terrorists ............... take the case of Habibullah a Taxi driver reports say that he happened to just pass by when the Airport was attacked by Taliban ........... He died During the Interrogations ?

Dilawar had been chained to his cell ceiling by his wrists for four days and his legs pummelled by guards when he was brought to be re-interrogated at 0200 hours about an attack on a US air base, it says.

After the interrogation he was returned to be chained up and died before a doctor came to see him.

In earlier treatment of Dilawar, one soldier told investigators that when the prisoner was beaten: "He screamed out, Allah, Allah, Allah, and my first reaction was he was crying out to his God.

"It became a running joke and people kept showing up to give him a strike just to hear him scream Allah... It went on over a 24-hour period and I would think that it was over 100 strikes."

............ We all know what aTerrorists desearve but Who are we or the Solders to decide their Fate at least let the Triel happen and let them be convicted .............. Labling everyone who is being Detained as Terrorist ?

Peace
-=SF_13=-

Originally Posted by 03USMC

Btw Terrorists are not granted protection under the Geneva Convention.

Which is why I was wondering why that Marine got in trouble for killing that insurgent who was pretending to be dead.

he didn't get in trouble

Are you sure about that?

A military official said he would be charged when interviewed.

The investigation showed that the Lcpl acted within the ROE's and rules of land warfare. He was not charged.