Iraqis claim British abused them, demand probe

Iraqis claim British abused them, demand probe

www.cnn.com

London, England (CNN) -- Scores of Iraqis who claim they were abused by British troops are demanding an independent inquiry into their treatment, via a lawsuit against the British government this week.

At least 125 Iraqis allege they were subjected to mistreatment including sleep deprivation, hooding, being forced to stand or kneel in stress positions, or being exposed to "loud pornography."

The mistreatment was not the work of rogue soldiers disobeying orders, but part of a "deliberate policy of abuse being used to assist interrogation," lawyer Philip Shiner argues.

The "allega

(visit the link for the full news article)

First let me start by saying that this is awful if it is true.
I wonder if the same folks that are pro Britain and anti- US will be speaking in here?

I remember the grenade incident where the US soldiers took a beating on here.

Folks were stating that the US is the sole evil in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The way I look at it. These soldiers are under extreme stress and extreme conditions. They are all subject to a momentary lapse of reason.

The US has more occurances because of the # of troops.
If someone were to take the percentages of soldiers vs the # of claims of wrong doing... I would be willing to bet the playing field would look much more balanced.

Its sad to try and justify any of this with percentages and #'s... But I just want to attempt to stick up for our boys over there. The majority of them are our buddy from down the street, the guy at the end of the bar, the guy at drop in hockey... They are humans that are living a day to day hell.

I really hope this isn't true... But it shows that humans always feel that, their specific situation is serious enough to justify breaking the rules.

Why does it have to be such a quagmire to end this war.. How hard is it to "Just pack up and leave".

Nobody wants their country occupied.. Lets give them what they want.. Pull all of our troops out of ALL countries..

Bring them home and put them to work fixing our infastructure!



www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

There could also be the possibility that these people are making the claims up. Don't get me wrong, I understand the implication, but there are other documented cases where they were told to file complaints for the payoff when in fact, no abuse ever occurred.

The claims should be investigated thoroughly of course.

Originally posted by Resurrectio

Iraqis claim British abused them, demand probe

So, since the British abused them, they want the aliens to probe them now, too?

Standard interrogation tactics.
Where's the problem?

I can see this been true.

I know a lot of troopes and they are not the most intelligent of people. Most of the guys I went to school with who ended up as cannon fodder in the army, was some of the most stupid people in school.

I saw some of them torture animals at school (I evan got into a fight with one of em about it) Allso one of my friends from school who ended up in the army used to have a nazi flag on his bed room wall, lol what does that say?

I know how racist and ignorant most of these guys are and if this story is true then it wouldnt supprise me at all.

Im not saying they are all like that but all the ones i know are.

reply to post by Resurrectio



Good for them, at least some may get some justice. Uk gov are pure evil, and they indeed torture, and your denials will not stop some truths coming out.

Pure evil resides in power, and the uk gov think they have loads.

One thing I have noticed here allegedly doesn't matter if it's the left bashing the militarty, they take it as gospel. Sounds like normal tacticts to me, what did they expect, a stay at the Ramada? Anyway, someone will be on here blaming America for it in 5,4,3,2,.....

reply to post by Resurrectio


"At least 125 Iraqis allege they were subjected to mistreatment including sleep deprivation, hooding, being forced to stand or kneel in stress positions, or being exposed to "loud pornography." "


Sounds an awful lot like my old College frat....

So compared to being blown up by insurgents they were being interrogated then released. I noticed that those who are making the claims are alive and well.

reply to post by andy1033


For pity's sake Andy, when are you going to supply some evidence to support your outlandish claims.
This is getting very boring and monotonous.

reply to post by Freeborn


Wait, did you not read what he said:

Originally posted by andy1033
reply to post by Resurrectio

 

Good for them, at least some may get some justice. Uk gov are pure evil, and they indeed torture, and your denials will not stop some truths coming out.

Pure evil resides in power, and the uk gov think they have loads.

Your denials will not keep the truth from coming out. Just not today.

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by Resurrectio

Iraqis claim British abused them, demand probe

So, since the British abused them, they want the aliens to probe them now, too?

Lol!

Yeah thats what came to mind when I clicked on to ATS and scrolled down the breaking news!

Probably a serious matter (for sure) but the title is fantrastic!

reply to post by Xcathdra


This is very possible.
The higher ups in both the Taliban and Al-q know what the media does with stories like this..

Lets say 2 stories are made up.... Then say 12 are made up.... The headline would read "Too many claims to disregard"

Originally posted by bigfatfurrytexan

Originally posted by Resurrectio

Iraqis claim British abused them, demand probe

So, since the British abused them, they want the aliens to probe them now, too?

You are just evil.
Such a disgusting thought would never have occurred to me -

- if my mind was clean as it should be.

Originally posted by Resurrectio
The way I look at it. These soldiers are under extreme stress and extreme conditions. They are all subject to a momentary lapse of reason.
. . . .

I really hope this isn't true... But it shows that humans always feel that, their specific situation is serious enough to justify breaking the rules.

No good putting the responsibility onto individual soldiers. They're just following orders.

Humiliate, strip, threaten: UK military interrogation manuals discovered

The British military has been training interrogators in techniques that include threats, sensory deprivation and enforced nakedness in an apparent breach of the Geneva conventions, the Guardian has discovered.

Training materials drawn up secretly in recent years tell interrogators they should aim to provoke humiliation, insecurity, disorientation, exhaustion, anxiety and fear in the prisoners they are questioning, and suggest ways in which this can be achieved.

One PowerPoint training aid created in September 2005 tells trainee military interrogators that prisoners should be stripped before they are questioned. "Get them naked," it says. "Keep them naked if they do not follow commands." Another manual prepared around the same time advises the use of blindfolds to put prisoners under pressure.

A manual prepared in April 2008 suggests that "Cpers" – captured personnel – be kept in conditions of physical discomfort and intimidated. Sensory deprivation is lawful, it adds, if there are "valid operational reasons". It also urges enforced nakedness.
. . . .

The training material recommends that after a prisoner's clothes are removed, the interrogator ensures he is searched behind his foreskin and that his buttocks are spread. This is part of the conditioning process, rather than as a security measure.

I'm so glad my sons never became soldiers. One specifically applied to get into intelligence, but luckily was turned down.

As some have already said, this is standard interrogation techniques. They're not supposed to be comfy, but they won't cause any permanent damage either. It's not until we're talking torture that you should be angry. And by torture, of course we're talking about experiences that simulate dying, or whatever the textbook description of it is. Standing in an uncomfortable position isn't that.

Not nice, no. But not a crime against any international conventions either.

Besides, playing "loud pornography" sounds as far from torture as possible, in my book.