AMERICAblog: Army Knew Abuse Of Prisoners Was Ongoing and Could Have Been Prevented

by Michael in New York - 9/18/2005 12:40:00 AM

Newly unclassified info about the Army's systematic use of torture and abuse (and even killing) of prisoners -- some of whom the Army itself acknowledges were completely innocent and should never have been held in the first place -- has come to light, says LA Times. No surprises, but it's still a shock to read that:

Army officers in Iraq told their superiors last year that soldiers often lacked the training to handle detainees, did not always understand what constituted abuse and sometimes used techniques against prisoners that they "remembered from movies," according to military records made public Thursday.

In two incidents described in the reports, bound detainees were shot and killed by soldiers. Although the circumstances were unclear, officers or Army lawyers said afterward that the killings could have been prevented with better training, facilities and understanding by soldiers of the rules of engagement.