Attorney says soldier pawn in abuse

[The Sushi Bandit]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/31/attorney_says_soldier_pawn_in_abuse/

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Defense attorneys for a military police soldier charged with detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison argued in court yesterday that their client was a pawn in a widespread policy of abusive military intelligence procedures, citing two extensive Army investigative reports released last week as evidence that the soldier was following orders.

The argument, on behalf of Private First Class Lynndie R. England, 21, was the first opportunity for defense attorneys representing seven low-ranking MPs to use the government's own investigations in defending soldiers charged in the notorious abuse case. The two investigations -- one led by a former defense secretary and the other by three Army generals -- identified nearly 50 soldiers who either were involved in abuses at Abu Ghraib or failed to report it. Both reports also criticized top commanders in Iraq for leadership failures, and the Army's report found that military intelligence interrogators asked Military Police soldiers for help using harsh and, in some cases, illegal tactics against detainees.

[Heddi]

1. How can she be a pawn when she willingly participated

You know, I *might* give her the benefit of the doubt if she were just in the pictures, solemn face, looking like she didn't want to be there or was being forced to participate.

However, she had a smile on her face, a ciggy in her mouth, and had fingers pointing to a man's genitals.

SHe didn't look like an unwilling pawn. NONE of the 'soldiers' (and I do use that term quite lightly) looked like they were having anything BUT the best whoop-up they ever done seen.

Fuck them.

Yes, I'm sure the orders for abuse came from higher up. Yes, I'm sure there are many, many top level officials who encouraged, no, ORDERED torture and abuse.

But these assholes didn't have to follow orders. And "I was just following orders and doing what they told me to do" has been proven to NOT absolve one from committing war crimes. They knew what they were doing was wrong. Immoral. Inhumane.

Of course, these douchefaces say "but we were never taught about the Geneva Convention"---So, you have to be TAUGHT that it's not okay to sic dogs on another human being? You have to be TAUGHT that it's not okay to sexually and religiously humiliate people? You have to be TAUGHT that it's not okay to sexually abuse and rape other people? You have to be TAUGHT that it's not okay to do ANY of the things they did?

What fucking planet are they from? I thought that the lessons they supposedly weren't "taught" were just common fucking knowledge among higher-thinking humans.

But then again, that's probably the problem.

[TX-RAT]

2. Horse shit.

She was a willing participant.

[0007]

3. These were indeed a bunch of jokey pawns who enjoyed life

This young lady just loves her job and dealing with death, eh?


This boy just loves to see humans in a shitty way!


More pawns, 'eh?