Iraqi Victim Says U.S. Torture Worse Than Saddam (testimony, punishment)

[Rex]

Iraqi Victim Says U.S. Torture Worse Than Saddam

by Adam Tanner

FORT HOOD, Texas - A former inmate at Iraq Abu Ghraib prison forced by U.S. guards to masturbate in public and piled onto a pyramid of naked men said Tuesday even Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein did not do such things.

The inmate testified at the court martial of reservist soldier Charles Graner, accused ringleader of guards who engaged in the abuse, which prompted outrage when pictures of the sexual humiliation were published around the world.

"I couldn't believe in the beginning that this could happen, but I wished I could kill myself because no one was there to stop it," Hussein Mutar, who was sent to Abu Ghraib accused of car theft, said in videotaped testimony.

"They were torturing us as though it was theater for them," he said, as the prosecution wound up its case against Graner on assault, dereliction of duty and other charges that could bring him up to 17 1/2 years in prison.

An obviously ill-at ease Mutar added: "I was extremely emotional because (even) Saddam didn't do this to us."

Graner and Pvt. Lynndie England, with whom he fathered a child and who is also facing a court-martial, became the faces of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal after they appeared smiling in photographs that showed degraded, naked prisoners.

Since the scandal erupted last year, the Bush administration has blamed it on a small group of soldiers.

But investigations have shown many prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba also suffered abusive treatment after the government looked at ways to obtain more information in its war against terrorism.

SEXUAL HUMILIATION

At the trial military prosecutors have presented evidence not seen before in public from Abu Ghraib, including a video of forced group masturbation and a picture of a woman prisoner ordered to show her breasts.

Graner's lawyer Guy Womack argues his client was only following orders to soften up prisoners for military intelligence agents. He said activities such as making human pyramids with naked hooded prisoners were not illegal.

In earlier video testimony Tuesday, Ameen Al-Sheikh, a Syrian who said he went to Iraq to oppose the U.S. occupation, declared," Graner was the primary torturer."

Al-Sheikh, well known in Abu Ghraib for having once obtained a gun from an Iraqi guard and exchanged fire with American soldiers, appeared wary in his testimony.

"That Graner guy is a man who hurt his country, hurt his people and I think he will receive his punishment," he said. He said Graner forced him to eat pork and drink alcohol, practices against his Islamic religion.

Graner said outside court of the man, "The last time I saw him he was threatening to kill me."

Three soldiers in Graner's former unit had testified on Monday about his key role in stacking naked prisoners into a pyramid, putting a leash on a prisoner and other abuses in the highest security area of the prison just outside Baghdad. Two investigators testified that they had identified prisoners shown in the abuse pictures as common criminals arrested on charges including robbery, assault and prostitution. Wednesday, the defense will open its case that will include testimony from Graner.

[Mr Spinkles]

That's just disgusting. I hope the soldiers who did this and the officers who allowed it to happen receive the maximum penalties.

[fromthe heart]

That whole situation is such an embarrassment to us as a country. These people got caught or we wouldn't have heard a thing about it...perhaps someone in that bunch had a conscience and that's how it got out. I hope the ones who did this are punished...but if one of the higher-ups were at the forefront of it happening to begin with we'll doubtedly never know it all. We will have to leave the untold for God to deal with.

[Watcher]

This is the kind of stuff the just sickens me...... This is why I think we should leave Iraq.

[Faminedynasty]

It is terribly appalling, and unfortunately, I think that if anyone really believes that it is just an example of a few bad, low ranking soldiers run amok, they are greatly mistaken. I believe that in the years to come, the facts will point to a much more systematic nature of the abuse and a few soldiers taking the blame for an action that started with the policies of the executive branch.

[robtex]

If this all turns out true and this one idiot is a ring leader.....I mean wouldn't ya think that sadistic personality would have shown up on a pshych test? There better be one for getting a job in a military prision .......The pork thing was horrible.....

All this hate.....that is what war generates. I still meet vietnam vets....30 years after the fact that feel pain. Ironically on the bbc website today US intelligence has just admitted they are given up the search for WMD.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4169107.stm

[Dr. Nosophoros]

The way I see it, all these trials and media attention on the people in Abu Gahraib is only a result of our government giving the public what they think they need to try to clean up their mess, a scapegoat- or punishing the so called few "bad apples". Our government probably knew someone would get caught eventually, so they have to appear that they are doing something. It's just a way to try to keep the gold facade over the rotten wood from peeling off.

There is no doubt in my mind that the decision to torture detainees in Abu Gahraib, Guantonomo and elsewhere came from the highest levels of our government. We are talking about the same U.S. government that has routinely "rendered" suspects to countries that are well known for torture to get them to "confess" to whatever they want them to confess too, Pakistan and Egypt both have been used as well as others. This is the same U.S. government that has in the past encouraged and supported repressive, torturous regimes in Latin America and elsewhere- it's nothing new.

There is no doubt these soldiers did what they did, but I see the myth of the "bad seeds" and their punishment as just a way to attempt to satisy public outrage and for the higher ups to protect themselves.

[Druidus]

It's just a way to try to keep the gold facade over the rotten wood from peeling off.

The gold facade is long gone. Even the rotten wood is gone. All all that's left now is a bunch of worms.

[michel]

Very sad; unfortunately soldiers are only human, and therefore there will always be some 'rotten aples in the Barrel' ; if it makes you feel any better guys, the British army are doing a purge..............

[robtex]

Guilty. Here is the cnn report on it from today
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/14/gr...ial/index.html