troung

Just posting this because it is news...


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http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/arti...10222409990008

CIA and SEALs Beat Prisoners, Witness Said
By SETH HETTENA, AP

SAN DIEGO (Jan. 10) - Navy SEALs and CIA officials kicked, punched, choked and gouged the eyes of detainees in 2003 at a U.S. military base in Iraq, a former SEAL testified Monday.

The witness said he saw the "interrogation by means of abuse" take place in 2003 at Camp Jenny Pozzi, the SEAL base at Baghdad International Airport, in an area the troops called the "sand pit."

He said a prisoner under interrogation by the CIA in October 2003 was abused by two or three SEALs.

On another occasion a month later, the witness said, he watched for 10 minutes as SEALs punched, choked and poked their fingers in the eye of Iraqi Manadel al-Jamadi, who also was punched by a CIA official when he did not answer questions.

Al-Jamadi, a suspect in the bombing of a Red Cross facility in Iraq, died a few hours after he was captured during a joint CIA-special operations mission in November 2003. He died while being interrogated by CIA personnel in the shower room of the Abu Ghraib prison.

The former SEAL, who was not identified, was the government's main witness at Monday's Article 32 hearing.

The hearing, the military equivalent of a civilian grand jury, was for a Navy SEAL lieutenant who is accused of assault, maltreatment and conduct unbecoming an officer for his handling of detainees, including al-Jamadi. A Navy officer hearing the evidence will make a recommendation whether the lieutenant, who also has not been identified, should face a court martial.

Although the lieutenant is not charged with al-Jamadi's death, it could be an aggravating factor that could yield stiffer punishment.

The ex-SEAL who testified Monday served under the lieutenant in Iraq, and was kicked out of the elite unit after he was convicted of stealing a fellow SEAL's bulletproof vest. The sailor said he saw the lieutenant abuse prisoners, including al-Jamadi, three different times.

Defense attorney Matthew Freedus challenged the ex-SEAL's credibility during his two-hour cross-examination.

Other details about the October 2003 interrogation were deemed classified.

Details of al-Jamadi's death, such as what position he was in when he died, were also deemed classified by the CIA. However, Freedus said the CIA has declassified the matter and will allow him to present details in the hearing, perhaps as early as Tuesday.


01/10/05 22:23 EST

lemontree

Someone stop these idiots (ex-SEALs/marines)from opening their mouths.

__________________

Cheers!...on the rocks!!

Leader

To be fair it doesn't look like this one had a choice. When you're a witness in a trail, your choice is between opening your mouth or going to jail.

__________________

Anon

"The ex-SEAL who testified Monday served under the lieutenant in Iraq, and was kicked out of the elite unit after he was convicted of stealing a fellow SEAL's bulletproof vest. The sailor said he saw the lieutenant abuse prisoners, including al-Jamadi, three different times."

IOW: I'm a thieving scum-bag, but if you don't prosecute me, i can 'give' you a good prosecution.

smilingassassin

Don't you just get sick of this crap?, no mention of what the supposed prisoner was there for, he could have raped, pillaged, butchered and harased AND gets to be the witness that puts away another U.S. troop for possibly exacting justice.
This isn't to say torture is right but we are all to eager to string up our troops when the enemy targets inocent civilians as a ligit target without remorse or guilt.

rotorooter

Gouging eyes out is really gross and sick.

Confed999

Worse, they make them out to be heros. Worse than that, people actually believe it.

__________________
No man is free until all men are free - John Hossack
I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq-John Kerry
even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act-John Kerry
He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat-John Kerry

jon_j_rambo

Don't believe everything you read. Our troops are doing a great job!

gautrek

Well he could also be inocent but don't let that get in the way of a good story.

smilingassassin

You seem all too ready to dismiss his percieved crimes merely because the U.S. locked him up, spare me your usual "evil empire" propoganda gautrek it gets tiresome.

gautrek

Oh so the fact he has been locked up makes him guilty does it.
In my evil Empire(Britain) we are inocent until proven quilty.
I thought that even in America(you know home of the free and all that). Being locked up meant nothing until you get to court and then its proved one way or the other.
So why is it differant anywhere else.

And i said he could ALSO be inocent.As none of here know if he is or isn't quilty then get off you high horse again.
It was just an observation.

Do you rememeber the guy who was filmed standing on a box with a bag over his head and wires taped to his hands at Abu Grab(or what ever the place was called).
Remeber the crap that caused.
Do you know what happened to him afterwards.
Well he was released without charge a few days after the photo was taken.

smilingassassin

I do beleave in Inocent until proven guilty, but I'm also open to the possibility that they may not be, you on the other hand seem all to eager to dismiss the likelyhood that they are criminals, because you can't wait to prove your beleif that Americans are the real criminals.

You also don't seem to have a clue what kind of crap goes on in our own prisons, but again this dosn't conform to your quest to demonize Americans. How many inocent people go throw the crap in prisons here in the west?

gautrek

Where you there when these guys were picked up off the streets.
Have you been able to see the reports on them for the reasons that they were taken in.
Have you interogated anyone from there yet.
NO so how do you know they are inocent or guilty


I didn't say he was quilty or inocent i was just trying to point out he MAY be inocent.AND as nobody here knows one way or the other.
So if you believe in what i said.IE he could be inocent.
What is your point.

And i am getting sick of your personal attacks on me.
Not content with calling me a racist and a terror supporter in another thread you are now saying i think Americans are the the real criminals.

Where did i say America is a demon?
Where did i say that Americans are Criminals?
Or is this yet another case of you not reading what been written but replying to what you think i wrote.Its getting a bit tiresome having to point out the errors of you ways on nearly every reply you make.
So please learn to argue on the points i make not what you think i may be thinking.As even you are not that clever to mind read.

And do you know what an empire is?
As i thought that we invaded Iraq and Afghanistan to liberate them not conquer them.So why would i be thinking of an evil empire.
Or is this something else you think i am thinking even though you know nothing about me.

Leader

So you can give it, but you can't take it. What amazing hypocrisy.

gautrek

Please point out my personal attacks.
Have i called anyone here a racist,A terror supporter or some one who thinks that all Americans are criminals and America is a demon.

Just because i don't subscribe to the common view held on this forum doesn't give anyone the right to call me a racist or a terror supporter.Especialy if i havn't made any comments in post's to back up his claims.

I can take it as it happens but the rules here say that personal attacks are not allowed as is the same on most forums.
So yes i do object to someone who doesn't know me from adam making outlandish and totaly false personal attacks against me(ie i am a racist and a terror supporter) when all i have done is expressed a differant point of view.

And please alse show me the hypocrisy where i have made personal attacks against anyone here.
And if you can then report me to the mods and if you can't then BUTT out.