A little more news from Iraq...

[mrph]

US troops face court martial for abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/27/60II/main614063.shtml

Pretty grim reading. Although the really scary bit is the guy who claims that he didn't know he was doing anything wrong because he hadn't seen the Geneva Convention rules until he was charged.

He needed the Geneva Convention to tell him that these things were wrong? Things like attaching wires to prisoners and threatening them with electrocution...? Yeah, right.

Comments

[zarbi.livejournal.com]

Its pretty terrifying, but at least they are facing court martial for it. Under Saddam...etc. etc.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

True. But that's a bit like the Met saying "sure, we have police corruption... but we do put them on trial when we notice it...". It's still not reassuring, because it's an institution where it shouldn't be happening at all.

[zarbi.livejournal.com]

Yes, but you must remember that there is always going to be something suspect about the motivation of people who join a military organisation.

[mrph.livejournal.com]

Some of them, sure. But some are there because they actually think it'll give them a chance to do some good.

[deeply-spurious.livejournal.com]

But who is facing court martial for Camp Delta? (which although *slightly* less visually crude, is certainly within the same area of activity (i.e. torture) and every bit as unlawful and repugnant - but on an infinitely larger scale)