Five U.S. soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment have been accused of beating detainees in Iraq, the U.S. military said Monday. "The allegations stem from an incident on September 7 in which three detainees were allegedly punched and kicked by the soldiers as they were awaiting movement to a detention facility," according to a news release from the U.S. military. The charges were filed November 5 after an investigation into the alleged abuse, the statement said.
The announcement came on a day when President Bush told reporters that the United States does not condone torture. "Our country is at war and our government has the obligation to protect the American people," Bush said in Panama City, Panama. "There is an enemy that lurks and plots and plans and wants to hurt America again. So you bet we'll aggressively pursue them. But we will do so under the law." Bush was responding to questions about reports of secret U.S. prisons in eastern Europe. The White House's opposition to a Senate measure banning torture has also faced criticism from some in the president's own Republican Party.
Our soldiers deserve better than a continuation of this insulting stuck-on-stupid media drivel. A load kak from the likes of liberal, lawyer, bleeding heart fagots. RLTW, always have, always will. (Thats Rangers Lead The Way) Hope I've not used too harsh a level of rhetoric or offended some parasite lawyer. I'm not much on gentility or mincing words for whinning squaters. I take Rant to mean just that, Rant. Cyber execute me if you will, but "Shoot straight you bastards."
| My opinion's kind of different. There are times when torture is called for, despite what many who would prefer to believe otherwise may think. I don't think it should be routine; drugs and psychology — think LTC West — are more reliable and they don't leave bruises. But there's a difference between torture and rough handling, something else that escapes the warm milk crowd. It sounds like this is a case of the latter. Slapping prisoners around isn't usually a good or an honorable thing to do, though there are occasions when it can be called for, usually with a group's alpha male, occasionally in response to a provocation. Thumping them for fun is a different matter yet again. Those who do it are bully boys and should be tossed out of the military — think Graner and his pals at Abu Ghraib. It's not conduct I'd normally expect from Rangers, so I'll wait until the facts come out. |
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