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Originally posted by BlueGoose
Two thoughts - Haven't there been pictures of Brits doing these things too?
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Yes. I hope you aren't implying that that excuses the USA in any way.
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And when were these pictures taken? I know it came out now, but do we know for sure that all of this is still happening? I mean, a few of the people who comitted the crime are back in America and not in Iraq.
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It is thought that the pictures were taken after August 2003, which is when General Geoffrey Miller took over the prison. Miller had been in charge of Guantonomo, and he is the one who thought it would be a good idea to get the soldiers involved with interrogations.
Serious investigation into the torture began in January, and I'm sure that since then the USA has played absolutely by the rules in Iraq. So, broadly speaking the abuse seems to have occured from September to December 2003.
I am absolutely certain that no abuse is going on now. I imagine that the prisoners are *very* well treated at the moment.
At minimum right now, I would say that General Miller should be relieved of his command. It is his reorganization of the interrogation techniques that led to the torture. At minimum, he is directly responsbile, and the responsibility may go higher.
Unless a general is sacked out of this investigation, I will not believe that we are serious about the issue. A bunch of reservists do *not* torture people over a three month period without some encouragement from the top, and without a command structure that permits it. Even if Miller is guilty of just creating a bad command structure without proper supervision, and knew nothing of the torture itself, he should still lose his job.
(Sorry, ranted a little off your original question there.
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