Newly unclassified info about the Army's systematic use of torture and abuse (and even killing) of prisoners -- some of whom the Army itself acknowledges were completely innocent and should never have been held in the first place -- has come to light, says LA Times. No surprises, but it's still a shock to read that:
Army officers in Iraq told their superiors last year that soldiers often lacked the training to handle detainees, did not always understand what constituted abuse and sometimes used techniques against prisoners that they "remembered from movies," according to military records made public Thursday.The Army defends itself by pointing out they've conducted some 400 investigations, some resulting in court martials, non-judicial punishment and other penalties. But 400 invesitations is no reason to assume a pattern.
In two incidents described in the reports, bound detainees were shot and killed by soldiers. Although the circumstances were unclear, officers or Army lawyers said afterward that the killings could have been prevented with better training, facilities and understanding by soldiers of the rules of engagement.
Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman, said the documents represented "Army reports and Army information, where the Army was looking into allegations and sorting out the situation about detainee mistreatment."So if 400 investigations doesn't constitute widespread -- that's about 1 new investigation every day and a half for the past 21 months -- what would? 4000?
But he said they did not show widespread abuse.
