U.S. Soldier Pleads Guilty to Iraqi Prisoner Abuse

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier pleaded guilty on Wednesday before a court martial to abusing prisoners in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, including forcing one to masturbate and photographing naked prisoners.
Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, a military policeman, told the hearing at a U.S. military base just outside the Iraqi capital he had been trying to humiliate the prisoners and set the scene for their interrogations.

Judge Col. James Pohl is expected to announce his verdict and the sentence Thursday.

Frederick, 38, pleaded guilty to five charges, including indecent acts, dereliction of duty and assault, but denied some of the details.

"I was wrong about what I did and I shouldn't have done it. I knew it was wrong at the time because I knew it was a form of abuse," Frederick told the court. He is the most senior enlisted person to be tried so far in the Abu Ghraib prisoner scandal
www.reuters.com.../GetContent§ion=news

I am so torn on this issue. Part of me says that the acts that happened in Abu Graib will never compare to what the Iraqi militants have done to their prisoners. But, the other part of me says that is no justification for what our soldiers have done. In the end, I beleive that this man must be punished severly.

[edit on 20-10-2004 by mpeake]

At this point, its about saving the US goverments money. Trials are costy. Im sure they are getting good pleas. It just needs to look like the Goverment is doing its job.

I don't think that you can under estimate the effect of the events, which took place behind those walls, had on the general security situation over here.

The Iraqi's were OUTRAGED when they saw the photo's and heard first hand accounts from detainees. They were of the opinion - the US has come here to save us from treatment like this at the hands of Saddam.

I believe that the events which were uncovered have probably sealed the fate of any US or UK hostages, certainly at present and in the future. Before the Abu Ghriab scandal Westerners were being kidnaped, but they were also being released within a couple of hours. It was a bit of an inconvienience, but you didn't get your head chopped off!

If you want someone to blame next time you hear of a US/UK or other citizen being the victim of a beheading..........blame the so called 'Professional Soldiers' who tourtured Iraqi prisoners!

Honestly, These guys are in jail most likely because they had something to do with 9/11 ... You know what bring 'em over here ... You thought they abused them. You would throw me in jail, but hte next time that anything happend they would wonder where I was at and why they threw me in jail.

Originally posted by BillyTheCat
If you want someone to blame next time you hear of a US/UK or other citizen being the victim of a beheading..........blame the so called 'Professional Soldiers' who tourtured Iraqi prisoners!

- Wow! Interesting concept and IMO absolutely spot on.

Mind you there are plenty around these parts that seem to think anyone actually stating this truth are just being a 'traitor' and 'aiding the enemy'.

The first casualty of war is the truth? You better believe it....along with any existant sense folks ever had.

Originally posted by bet555
Honestly, These guys are in jail most likely because they had something to do with 9/11 ...

Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11. it has been peoven over and over many times, by many sources. What our army was doing, was no better than What Saddam was doing. Two wrongs do not equal a right.

Originally posted by mpeake
I am so torn on this issue. Part of me says that the acts that happened in Abu Graib will never compare to what the Iraqi militants have done to their prisoners. But, the other part of me says that is no justification for what our soldiers have done. In the end, I beleive that this man must be punished severly.

I have no mixed emotions about this at all. What took place at Abu Ghraib wasn't torture in the sense that Americans have suffered at the hands of its enemies, but it was none the less, prisoner abuse and therefore reprehensible.

It was made even more reprehensible by its utter stupidity and depravity. These were rank amateurs acting out their own sick proclivities with these prisoners.

The men in that prison were not to be pampered, but civilized nations treat their prisoners with respect for their basic human rights and these idiots brought disgrace upon themselves, their units, the military, and the nation.

They should serve the maximum sentences allowable without hope of parole.

[edit on 04/10/20 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by SpittinCobra
What our army was doing, was no better than What Saddam was doing. Two wrongs do not equal a right.

I don't believe that statement to be factual. I've seen videos (that I won't post here due to the graphic nature of them) that show Saddam's soldiers beating prisoners that were tied to a tree. They would just basically beat them to death. Another favorite trick that they used was taking prisoners onto a two story roof, tying their hands behind their backs, and them pushing them off the building. They sat around thinking of new ways to kill prisoners all the time.

I'm not saying that what the U.S. soldiers did was right, but that it wasn't on the same level as what Saddam was doing. I haven't heard of any soldiers being accused of murder, but correct me if I'm wrong. The U.S. prisoner abuse was more of a mind game on the prisoners. Still abuse, but not on the level of what Saddam did.

I think the mindset with Islamic men is that they would rather be beat to death than have to go through homosexual sex acts. It is far worse in their eyes.

Originally posted by dbates
[ I haven't heard of any soldiers being accused of murder, but correct me if I'm wrong. The U.S. prisoner abuse was more of a mind game on the prisoners. Still abuse, but not on the level of what Saddam did.

Actually they have been: "FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) - Four soldiers accused of smothering an Iraqi general during an interrogation last fall have been charged with murder, bringing the total number of U.S. troops charged with murder in Iraq to at least 10...The Army said Mowhoush died of asphyxiation from chest compression and from being smothered. "
www.guardian.co.uk...

So as not to blame it all on national guardsmen: "Three U.S. Navy SEALs have been charged with maltreating an Iraqi detainee who died after he was turned over to the U.S. Army in Mosul in April 2004,...Four other Navy SEALs were charged September 2 in connection with the death of a detainee at Abu Ghraib Prison in Baghdad in 2003."
www.cnn.com...

It is also not limited to Iraq: "American military investigators have opened a criminal probe into allegations of murder and torture involving an 18-year-old Afghan army recruit who died while in U.S. custody last year...The previously undisclosed death occurred in March 2003 after the eight soldiers were arrested at a remote firebase operated here by the U.S. Army Special Forces...Alleged American mistreatment of the detainees included repeated beatings, immersion in cold water, electric shocks, being hung upside down and toenails being torn off...Some of the Afghan soldiers were beaten to the point that they could not walk or sit, Afghan doctors and other witnesses said."
ccmep.org...

What I find most troubling about the abuse issue is that were it not for a soldier following his conscience and handing the pictures over to the media, the public may never have known the extent of the charges other than that soldiers were court-martialled.

Originally posted by Tesla
I think the mindset with Islamic men is that they would rather be beat to death than have to go through homosexual sex acts. It is far worse in their eyes.

As messed up as that is, I beleive that to be the motivating factor for the type of abuse the soldiers inflicted on the prisoners. They probably could have beaten them, or found much more physically painful methods of torture, but they decided to hit them where it really hurts.

Originally posted by dbates

I haven't heard of any soldiers being accused of murder, but correct me if I'm wrong. The U.S. prisoner abuse was more of a mind game on the prisoners. Still abuse, but not on the level of what Saddam did.

My point is, wrong is wrong. You are picking the worse of two evils, Is there a worse evil? Evil is Evil.





[edit on 21-10-2004 by SpittinCobra]

Originally posted by Tesla
I think the mindset with Islamic men is that they would rather be beat to death than have to go through homosexual sex acts. It is far worse in their eyes.

I think there are a lot of men, muslim and otherwise, who feel that way.

My theory is, the plan was to photo and video these innocent people, maybe picked up at random, maybe targeted, and then release them after they tortured them for awhile.

When they are released to their towns, the US could blackmail them with the photos and videos.

The US then would have informants who work for them under fear of having the videos and photos released.

Some Muslim men would rather die than get panties on the head, or be touched with the underside of a Westerner's foot. Much less some of the more heinous acts committed.

WOW, what a plea, 8 years. That is alot of time.