RAW STORY
Veterans for Common Sense (VCS), a nonpartisan veterans’ organization with 12,000 members, called for a commission to investigate torture allegations today, in response to the Pentagon refusal to release photos and videos from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay, the group said in a release Monday. Details follow.
#
In an open letter, signed by more than 2,000 veterans and supporters (including 5 flag-rank officers and more than 200 commissioned officers), the veterans urged Congress and the President to “commit — immediately and publicly — to support the creation of an independent commission to investigate and report on the detention and interrogation practices of U.S. military and intelligence agencies deployed in the war on terror.”
How can Republicans possibly condone Bush’s stonewalling on this? I wish we could force the issue and force them to defend hiding photos and videos of torture, abuse and murder.
From all reports, there exists in these hidden photos proof of severe abuse of children… CHILDREN! What kind of monsters are running this war?
These people aren’t afraid to speak out against this most outrageous and callous attempt to hide the truth:
Veterans for Common Sense is part of a coalition of civil liberties groups responsible for a lawsuit and subsequent release of thousands of pages of details on torture and abuse at the hands of the US military. Sounds like they’re not going to take this stonewalling lying down.
Read the entire article from Raw Story here
I’m hoping that eventually, this material comes out. I recall Rummy’s comments about how inflammatory they would be. OK, pictures are inflammatory, but a war based on bald faced lies is not? Now that Bush has threatened to veto legislation because it contains language against torture, no one should have any doubts that the orders came right from the top. This is Bush’s legacy… you’d think he’s be proud of his handiwork.
Bush hasn’t vetoed anything yet, to my knowledge. I say, bring it on. See if he will carry out his threat, and go on the record defending torture….
tip jar?
redwagon
I don’t usually post a tip jar, but since you asked, here it is, thanks for asking.
I can’t begin to scream loud enough…
I remember seeing some photos from some war site (mars something) that had pix from troops and they had freaking captions on them even.
The “troops” who take part in these photos are not heroes. They and their leaders need to brought to the full letter of the law of the planet as the monster that they are.
and to think – not all the attrocities are being filmed. Like roaches, I bet, for every ONE that gets out to us.. how many more are not?
Thank you Nag!
The thing that gets me is that there supposedly have been rapes, child abuse, sexual abuse and murders. It goes beyond a search for information and into the depraved world of masochism.
Can I point out for the sake of accuracy that the picture you use to illustrate your diary is of a British soldier involved in an incident near Basra.
Those directly concerned have been tried in courts marshall and there have been convictions. The incident involved looters found in a warehouse complex where they were stealing food from stored civilian rations. The junior soldiers were ordered to get the looters to clear up the site and “work them hard”. This was interpreted in the parlance as mistreating them. I have to say in fairness that the abuse was fairly minor compared to that in Abu Gharib and over one day. Certainly it was on the level of “phasing” or abuse as a fair description rather than simulated electrical torture, rape or sexual abuse. Nevertheless these were considered war crimes and prosecuted. The sentences if I remember correctly were more severe than for some of those convicted in connection with Abu Gharib. The unsatisfactory aspect of this was the fairly lenient treatment given to the senior officers who allowed it to happen and who gave the illegal order to get the prisoners to work in the first place.
Thanks for pointing that out. This is the photo that accompanied the article from Raw Story. I was wondering where it was from as I hadn’t seen it before. I knew that British soldiers had been involved in some sort of abuse but didn’t know the story. I wonder why they didn’t use one of the abuse photos involving Americans?
It’s upsetting to learn about any torture or abuse, but I’m not surprised that the senior officers got off easy. No one in authority wants to take the responsibility… same story, different day. I think our soldiers got off easy, and of course, the real perpetrators are all getting medals and promotions. We all know that this came from the very top, that’s what’s so maddening about it.
we’ll all pay for this.
Our children will pay for this.
Our great-grandchildren will pay for this.
Make it 2001!
Thanks, BobX… I salute you. Thank heavens that we have veterans who are not afraid to stand up for what is right. As I write this, Cheney is fighting and lobbying the anti abuse legislation being written by Republican Senators McCain and Graham, and Bush has threatened a veto. Disgusting. I honestly don’t know how anyone can possibly think Bush, Cheney or Rumsfeld gives a rat’s ass about our troops. I shudder to think how much worse it is now for our captured soldiers because of the public way they have condoned torture.
I read they are ripping off the wounded coming from Iraq by not paying them. When will the insanity end?
I was going to post a diary on the additional photos and videos and what they captured, the other day – but I couldn’t do it. I was so upset by what I had found Googling, that my husband shut off the computer and wouldn’t let me back on for the rest of the w/e. (I guess he gets worried when I start bawling at my computer screen…)
I was just so outraged by it all. My question after reading all the ‘stuff’ I did was this:
What did the congress people and defence department staff do after viewing these horrible acts? Knowing these acts were being carried out in their name. That they could be going on at that very moment?
NOTHING.
One year ago, they saw the most vilest, detestable, horrific acts carried out on CHILDREN and did nothing to stop it.
If you witnessed children being tortured and screaming on video (alledged rape of young boys) all captured by your military, the people wearing your flag, your symbol to the world, what would you do?
Apparently, these people decided to do NOTHING.
We’re talking torture of children in front of their parents.
We’re talking rape of women and children.
We’re talking murder – beating people to pulpy messes.
I’m shaking again after writing this comment.
This is the reason the government does not want the public to see these photos and videos.
Olivia, I share your grief and your outrage. I also have cried over this many times. The frightening thing is that there are many people in this country who not only don’t care, they think it’s great. They laugh and make fun of people like you and I who are horrified and heartbroken knowing that our government is Torture,Inc. This administration’s Fascist tendencies did not happen in a vacuum. Limbaugh has pages and pages of photos of listeners proudly wearing his Club Gitmo shirts… they have parties and have themselves photographed in front of offices of liberal Democrats, etc. Republican Senators and Congressmen have gone on record defending Bush’s evil policies. They are the enablers of this corrupt, morally bereft, power drunk administration.
Please know that you are not alone. I have to believe that the majority of people in our nation feel as we do… the wingnuts are just loud and hard to ignore. We will keep the pressure on. My outrage over this is like a slow burn that doesn’t dissipate. The damage Bush has done to our country will last a very very long time… much longer than any terrorist act ever could. My burning hope is that when all this is over, and it will be someday, the terms Republican and Conservative will forever be associated with incompetence, corruption, and torture.