Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Abu Ghraib and Lynndie are back in the news

"The Central Intelligence Agency crucified a prisoner in Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, according to a report published in The New Yorker magazine.
"A forensic examiner found that he (the prisoner) had essentially been crucified; he died from asphyxiation after having been hung by his arms, in a hood, and suffering broken ribs," the magazine's Jane Mayer writes in the magazine's June 22nd issue. "Military pathologists classified the case a homicide." The date of the murder was not given.
"No criminal charges have ever been brought against any C.I.A. officer involved in the torture program, despite the fact that at least three prisoners interrogated by agency personnel died as a result of mistreatment," Mayer notes.
An earlier report, by John Hendren in The Los Angeles Times indicted other torture killings. And Human Rights First says nearly 100 detainees have died in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hendren reported that one Manadel Jamadi died "of blunt-force injuries" complicated by "compromised respiration" at Abu Ghraib prison "while he was with Navy SEALs and other special operations troops." Another victim, Abdul Jaleel, "died while gagged and shackled to a cell door with his hands over his head." Yet another prisoner, Maj. Gen. Abid Mowhosh, former commander of Iraq’s air defenses, "died of asphyxiation due to smothering and chest compression" in Qaim, Iraq.
"There is no question that U.S. interrogations have resulted in deaths," says Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU. "High-ranking officials who knew about the torture and sat on their hands and those who created and endorsed these policies must be held accountable. America must stop putting its head in the sand and deal with the torture scandal." At least scores of detainees in U.S. custody have died and homicide is suspected. As far back as May, 2004, the Pentagon conceded at least 37 deaths of prisoners in its custody in Iraq and Afghanistan had prompted investigations.

The above is from Sherwood Ross' "CIA Crucified Captive in Abu Ghraib Prison" (Information Clearing House). What? You thought we were going to open with the play-day, for-show 'pull-out'? That's actually the place to open since AP published a piece of nonsense interview with Charles in Charge look-alike Lynndie England. It's garbage but, hey, when you're profiling garbage they may be all you can come up with. P.J. Dickersched and Vicki Smith wrote the article (Smith also took photos).

Lynndie, for those who forgot, was featured in several torture photos at Abu Ghraib. She's minimizing her actions so that she declares, "People don't realize I was just in a photo for a split second in time." A photo? A photo?

Lynddie's the criminal who didn't just torture, she thought you went to Iraq to sleep around. That's how she got pregnant. She wasn't 18. She wasn't under 18. She was an adult who knew what she was doing. She knew the man and she knew his wife. The man of course was the ringleader of the abuse. Yes, orders came from higher up and yes, Charles Graner was selected because of his past history.

The guilt doesn't end with Lynndie and Charles. It goes all the way up. But that doesn't absolve them of guilt either.

And I don't have any sympathy for liars.

Lynndie wants the world to believe she's harmed by her involvement in torture.

Really?

She's tortued by what she did?

No.

She can't escape her infamy. Boo-hoo. She tells you she tried dying her hair (she did) and that she tried gaining weight (false, she gained it because she ate too much and she was no longer living a physically active life). It's so awful, she insists, because she's recognized.

But she didn't try to change her name.

She claims her face is so famous that it wouldn't make any difference. Lynndie's confusing scandal with fame.

And if she really wanted to start over, she'd have changed her name and then gone on to reply, "I get that a lot," if anyone did say, "You look like that criminal."

Lynndie didn't change her name because she wants the shame she mistakes for fame.

That's why she's doing the interview now and prepping for, yes, her book tour.

AP tells you that Lynnide "said she's paid her dues and repeatedly apologized." Did you hear that apology? Not only is it not in the article but anyone who's followed her press (including while she was in prison) is damn well aware that she never apologized and always pushed responsibility for her own actions off on others.

There is no question in my mind that the torture publicly revealed in 2004 was authorized by the White House. Even believeing that doesn't allow me to excuse the involvement of Lynndie and her co-workers. They made a decision to participate and Lynndie -- as the photos demonstrate -- gleefully demonstrated.

She has never, NEVER, apologized for the shame, humiliation and pain (mental and physical) she and the others brought to Iraqis that they were supposed to be protecting. Protecting. They were prison guards not to toture, but to ensure the safety of those prisoners.

Lynndie didn't give a damn about her job, that's why she was able to get pregnant. She was sleeping around with Charles while she was on duty. She was sleeping with the married Charles Graner while the US tax payers were paying her to do some work. (Charles was sleeping around on the tax payer dime as well. He's not absolved. But he's also not the one giving an interview to AP. When he shows his ass in public, we'll call him out too.)

"We were just pawns," whines Lynndie. "People were just playing us." No, the pawns were the Iraqis. You went along with it. You damn well knew better and you chose to go along with torture. You could be a whistle blower, you could have said no. You chose to go along and those were War Crimes. Are others guilty as well? Absolutely. But don't think you can whine and play poor little victim after what you put Iraqi prisoners too or, for that matter, after the shame you brought to your own country.

Her shamelessness is appalling, her desperation to make a buck disgusting. Her inability to take accountability proof that she's learned nothing from her experience.

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