News New images amplify abuse at Iraq prison

[Adam]

In a collection of hundreds of so-far-unreleased photographs and short digital videos obtained by The Washington Post, US soldiers are shown abusing detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/A1A5B043-D8D1-4EA4-A49C-074592F70E54.htm

Worse and worse.

 

[kat]

Do you need a refill on your oversized popcorn and soda-pop?

 

[olde drunk]

sorry folks, this is war! we were not there to have a picnic. what would you do if these people were shooting at you? or had the ability to carry a bomb into your tent?

i am pro-peace, does everyone that agreed we should have war believe that only the other guy is barbaric? you can not win a war by being 'nice'.

sadly, it looks like the enlisted men will get most of the blame - punishment.

love and peace,
olde drunk

 

[Adam]

Do you need a refill on your oversized popcorn and soda-pop?

How is that related to the topic of the thread?

 

[kat]

sorry folks, this is war! we were not there to have a picnic. what would you do if these people were shooting at you? or had the ability to carry a bomb into your tent?

i am pro-peace, does everyone that agreed we should have war believe that only the other guy is barbaric? you can not win a war by being 'nice'.

sadly, it looks like the enlisted men will get most of the blame - punishment.

love and peace,
olde drunk

I've been indexing a historical book for the town I now live in and I came across a statement by an elderly woman who recently passed away. She was talking about an old corn processing plant that was active during the 2nd world war and how some of the POW's from Germany were used as workers there. I found it interesting that she mentioned that some of these men did not want to return because they were treated better here, working in the fields, then they were in their own country.
Now, I'll admit I'm a bit of a romanticist but...It would be nice to retain that image. I understand that it's important to garner information from some of these men and that many are fanatical, brutal, bigoted and dangerous misogynist but..still, I think we are losing as much as they are when we allow our own men and women to represent us in this way, and make no mistake about it..they do represent us.
After hearing the parents of these men and women speak, I've been thinking about how I would feel if these were my children who had acted this way and honestly the disgust I would feel..I just don't know how I would handle it BUT I don't think I could make the excuses these people appear to be making for their own children. I would hope that they would have a great enough knowledge of right and wrong, no matter the situation to at the very least report it. It seems to me that the procedures that are in place to handle this type of thing were working, it was reported..it was investigated it was in the midst of being prosecuted when the story came out full blast in the media (it was initally reported in both January and March, I believe).
But, I can't help but think that there is a major flaw in the moral values that our children/young adults are being given when this type of behaviour becomes not only acceptable but, seemingly excused by many because well..this is war..and war is ugly.

 

[kat]

How is that related to the topic of the thread?

Maybe it's because it's in print, but you seem to be enjoying this as much as anyone who's ever sat through a good horror show at a first rate movie theatre.

 

[Adam]

Sorry, Kat, but I think you have a very warped perspective. I do not enjoy news of such horrible acts. How about you comment on the topic, rather than me?

 

[Simon666]

sorry folks, this is war! we were not there to have a picnic. what would you do if these people were shooting at you? or had the ability to carry a bomb into your tent?

Those people weren't all shooting at them. One guy had the tough luck of driving the same type of car as one that was frequently used in attacks on US troops, but was otherwise innocent. He was one of those piled up naked guys.