| "Agent Romero wanted him stressed," Frederick told a military court at the nation's largest Army base. He quoted the agent as saying, "I don't give a f--- what you do, I just want him to talk tomorrow."
Frederick said a second soldier later placed the Iraqi man on the box. The soldier, temporarily on leave from prison to testify at Harman's court-martial which began on Thursday, said investigators found the Iraqi did not have information about the deaths, and he was eventually given special privileges. In later testimony, a military intelligence soldier said he was present when three men accused by the U.S. military of raping a boy were brought in and were handcuffed together naked in a pile on the prison floor by Frederick and abuse ringleader Charles Graner. Spc. Israel Rivera said he was too intimidated to report the incident or to protest. "They were the ones with the authority," Rivera said. |
The men and women who are serving in our armed forces today are doing so with honor and courage. Some have made mistakes, yes. And for that they should be held responsible. But in our system of government, civilians have ultimate authority over the military. It is on their watch this happened. Why aren't they accepting responsibility? Why aren't they being held responsible? Where is the outrage?
Hang on. Maybe it's out there after all:
| Dear Mr. Attorney General:
We are writing to request that you appoint a special counsel to investigate whether high-ranking officials within the Bush Administration violated the War Crimes Act, 18 U.S.C. 2441, or the Anti-Torture Act, 18 U.S.C. 2340 by allowing the use of torture techniques banned by domestic and international law at recognized and secret detention sites in Iraq, Afghanistan Guantanamo Bay and elsewhere. One year and 10 investigations after we first learned about the atrocities committed at Abu Ghraib, there has yet to be a comprehensive, neutral and objective investigation with prosecutorial authority of who is ultimately responsible for the abuses there and elsewhere. While more than 130 low-ranking officers and enlisted soldiers have been disciplined or face courts-martial for the abuses that occurred, there have been no criminal charges against high-ranking officials. Yet the pattern of abuse across several countries did not result from the acts of individual soldiers who broke the rules. It resulted from decisions made by senior U.S. officials to bend, ignore, or cast rules aside. If the United States is to wipe away the stain of Abu Ghraib, it needs to investigate those at the top who ordered or condoned torture. As a result, it is in our interest to finally show the world that we are taking these matters seriously and resolving them free of political taint. |
That letter bears the signature of 50 House Democrats. It's about time they stepped up and did their job!
Do I think anything will come of this? I doubt it. In fact, I suspect it will be a loser politically. But that's entirely beside the point. Torture should not ever be a weapon in the arsenal of democracy. Ever. At least a few of our reps have remembered that.
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