Colonel's accuser is traffic policeman | The Independent Colonel's accuser is traffic policeman Sunday 25 May 2003 23:00 BST Click to follow Indy Politics The American soldier who accused a British Army colonel of war crimes in Iraq was named yesterday as Major Re Baistre, a reservist in the US Marines. Major Baistre, 37, is a part-time traffic policeman and school counsellor, whose unit, the 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion, was assigned to the British 16th Air Assault Brigade. The Ministry of Defence has opened an investigation after Colonel Tim Collins, of the Royal Irish Regiment, was accused of pistol-whipping a prisoner, staging a mock execution and denying food to prisoners. But reports yesterday suggested the MoD was ready to throw out the allegations. Major Baistre is also said to have accused the British Army of displaying open hostility towards US forces. His sworn statement said British officers questioned the need for the war, said the British public did not support military action and portrayed President George Bush as a "cowboy" and Tony Blair as his "puppet". He admits he did not see mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners first hand.

Supporters of Colonel Collins, 43,say the allegations are motivated by revenge after Major Baistre was given a dressing-down by Colonel Collins for handing lollipops to Iraqi children. "He screamed at me, 'What the f*** do you think you are doing'," Major Baistre claimed. "I asked him who he was. He screamed as loud as he could he was Lieutenant-Colonel Collins of the Royal Irish." Col Collins is said to have been concerned for the safety of the children and is vigorously defending his innocence over the war crimes allegations. Major Baistre's commander, Major Stan Coerr, does not support him. He said: "This guy has an axe to grind because Colonel Tim embarrassed him in front of his troops." Ministry of Defence sources have been quoted as saying Col Collins will be "completely exonorated". But an MoD spokeswoman could not confirm or deny these claims. "The investigation is continuing," she said. ¿ British troops have disbanded Basra's city council, because the local leader, Sheikh Muzahem al-Tamimi, is accused by many Iraqis of having close links to Saddam Hussein.

More about: BBC NEWS | UK | Officer cleared of Iraqi war crimes Officer cleared of Iraqi war crimes Lt Col Tim Collins won praise for his speech to troops A British Army officer investigated for alleged war crimes during the conflict with Iraq has been cleared of any wrongdoing. The Ministry of Defence said Colonel Tim Collins, who won wide praise for a rousing speech to his troops on the eve of battle, was not guilty. The allegations are understood to have involved the mistreatment of Iraqi civilians and prisoners of war. Welcoming the MoD's verdict, Colonel Collins' solicitor Lewis Cherry said the officer wanted to put the matter behind him and get on with his Army career. Mr Cherry made a point of adding: "His pre-war speech said 'You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest, for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation'." Despite being cleared of war crimes, Colonel Collins is still waiting for the completion of a separate inquiry into the running of a battalion while it was under his command. 'Good name' Colonel Rory Clayton, a former colleague of Colonel Collins, said he was glad he had been cleared.

He told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: "Tim Collins is a very tough leader, he did drive a very tough regiment of soldiers and he was in a very tough theatre of operations. Robust leadership is what is required in those situations." Announcing the findings of the first inquiry the Ministry of Defence said: "We can confirm that the investigation into the allegations against Colonel Collins have now concluded and that no criminal proceedings will be taken against him." After being accused of misconduct in Iraq, apparently by an American officer, the 43-year-old said he was "astonished". Profile: Colonel Tim Collins As the investigation was launched Colonel Collins, who was a Lieutenant Colonel with the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment but has since been promoted, said: "I am confident my good name will be restored." The Iraqi man at the centre of the allegations, Ayoub Yousif Naser, told the Times newspaper he was struck by the colonel and that he and his son were then made to face a wall. He is reported to have said he heard the officer give the order to fire before he saw other troops approach with bandages to treat their wounds.

If he had been found guilty of the allegations Colonel Collins could have faced disciplinary action or even expulsion from the Army. 'Public scrutiny' Mr Cherry said the allegations against Colonel Collins' were unique. He said: "His actions in battle have been examined by a detailed investigation. "This must be the first time in history a battlefield commander has faced such immediate public scrutiny." Mr Cherry added: "Iraq was, and remains, a dangerous place for the British Army. Colonel Collins brought his battle group home safely from the war." The investigation was carried out by the special investigations branch of the Royal Military Police. 'Farcical' In May it emerged that the second inquiry involving Colonel Collins was to be held. "If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory. Colonel Tim Collins It includes the apparent suicide of 18-year-old soldier Paul Cochrane at Drumad barracks in Northern Ireland in 2001 and will look into issues of the command culture and discipline. The dead soldier's father, Billy Cochrane, said he had no confidence in the inquiry. He said: "It will be another internal inquiry by officers into officers. Nothing will come out of it.

It is all farcical." Speech Colonel Collins - known as "Nails" to his troops - made headlines around the world with his speech to British soldiers hours before they entered battle in Iraq. In his address to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, he said: "If you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory." The speech earned him lavish praise from the Prince of Wales and was admired by US President George W Bush. It was said that the president even had a copy of the speech tacked up on the wall of the Oval Office. Photos indicate torture and sexual abuse by British troops in Iraq - World Socialist Web Site World Socialist Web Site Published by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) Photos indicate torture and sexual abuse by British troops in Iraq By Paul Mitchell 4 June 2003 Staff in a British photo-processing shop have handed-over photographs to the police that indicate British troops tortured and sexually abused Iraqi prisoners of war. One picture taken in a warehouse shows a man stripped to the waist, while suspended from a rope attached to a forklift truck. A soldier driving the truck is apparently laughing at the man’s plight.

Another picture seems to show an Iraqi man being forced to perform oral sex on a (white) man. A third picture shows two Iraqis apparently being forced to perform anal sex. A fourth picture shows two naked Iraqis cowering on the ground. Amnesty International spokeswoman Lesley Warner said if the photos “are true then this is clearly a violation of the Geneva Convention, which absolutely prohibits any torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.” An assistant in a photo processing shop in Tamworth, Staffordshire, Kelly Tilford (22), uncovered the photographs when checking that a film handed in by a soldier had developed properly. She said, “I felt sick when I looked at the pictures. They were grim. I just felt awful.... I immediately realised something terribly wrong had happened and something had to be done about it. I started shaking and was panicking.” Officers from the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) of the Royal Military Police have arrested Gary Bartlam, a private in the First Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers who brought the film in to the Max Spielman’s photo-processing shop last week. Bartlam was on leave from the regiment presently stationed in Iraq’s second city Basra and the port of Umm Qasr.

The detention facility at Umm Qasr now holds about 500 detainees—down from the 6,000 it held after the fall of Baghdad. The SIB has not said where Bartlam’s pictures were taken, nor the function of his unit. At the height of the aggression in Iraq, British Army Chief of Staff, General Sir Mike Jackson praised the Fusiliers as a “thoroughly competent and well-organised infantry battalion”. He regrets that the “good name of the British Army appears to have been tarnished by a few ill-disciplined and unprofessional soldiers”. The “good name” of the British Army was a key component in Prime Minister Tony Blair’s campaign to try and get the British public to accept the war in Iraq. It was promoted as the most professional and humanitarian force in the world dedicated to liberating people from despotic regimes. Stuart Crawford, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Fourth Royal Tank Regiment, told the Daily Telegraph’s Olga Craig, “Britain and other European nations have imperial traditions.

As a result, British troops have been inculcated with the ethos and tradition of colonial policing, where small numbers of men would have close contact on a daily basis with local populations.” It did not take long for the real “ethos and tradition of colonial policing” of depravity and brutality to be revealed. A few days before details of Bartlam’s alleged war crimes emerged, it was reported that Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Collins, commanding officer of the First Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, was under investigation for alleged mistreatment of civilians in Iraq. Ayoub Younis Nasser, an Iraqi Ba’ath Party official and former headmaster of a school in Rumailah near Basra, claims that he was pistol-whipped, beaten and threatened with a mock execution by Collins. Nasser said, “They put our faces towards the wall, me and my son. I heard Colonel Collins telling a soldier to ’kill them’.

Then I heard the soldier cock his gun.” A US Army Major Re Biastre of the 402 Civil Affairs Battalion has also accused Collins of mistreating civilians, but the veracity of his claims are disputed as he was not present when the acts he lists were said to have happened and is said to have a personal grudge against Collins who severely and very publicly reprimanded him on one occasion. What is not in doubt is that Collins helped set the tone for the type of brutal treatment of Iraqis that is now being alleged to have occurred. He was glorified as a hero by the British media in March after he delivered a pre-battle oration to 800 troops at Fort Blair Mayne camp in Kuwait during which he warned, “The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction. There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place.

Show them no pity.” It is no wonder then that Bartlam and his unit may have felt no pity towards their captives and thought they could get away with filming their depraved acts with impunity. Bartlam’s mother sensed who was really to blame for her son’s predicament when she told reporters, “He does not belong to us any more. The army is his mother. It’s the army which looks after him. We have not been able to contact him and we know nothing about what’s happened to him, so we’re saying nothing.” The Ministry of Defence has downplayed the significance of the Bartlam photos saying, “Usually there is a flurry of allegations in the wake of a conflict or a highly publicised case like this one. That is the pattern.” The Royal Irish Regiment was formed in July 1992 from the discredited Ulster Defence Regiment and prides itself on its anti-terrorism expertise. It is the subject of an inquiry into allegations of bullying and abuse of recruits. The inquiry is charged with investigating the death of teenage soldier Paul Cochrane who was found shot dead in 2001 at the regiment’s Drumadd barracks in Northern Ireland.

But the Ministry of Defence claims it will also tackle issues about the “wider military culture” in the regiment. Paul’s father Billy emphasised that he had no faith in the inquiry, saying “I don’t trust these people.” Robert Peterson, a military lawyer said his law firm deals with several cases every month from soldiers especially recruits who say they were assaulted or abused and noted the culture of bullying and brutality “can easily spill over into a war situation.” "I hate those bastards more than the scumbag insurgents." | William Gibson Board "I hate those bastards more than the scumbag insurgents." Closed8 replies SAS soldier quits Army in disgust at 'illegal' American tactics in Iraq "We go to liberate not to conquer. We will not fly our flags in their country. We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own. Show respect for them. There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly. Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send. As for the others I expect you to rock their world. Wipe them out if that is what they choose.

But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory. Iraq is steeped in history. It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham. Tread lightly there. You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis. You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing. Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country. Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you. If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day. Allow them dignity in death. Bury them properly and mark their graves. It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive but there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign. We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back. There will be no time for sorrow. The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction.

There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell for Saddam. He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done. As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity. It is a big step to take another human life. It is not to be done lightly. I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts, I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them. If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure that one day they go home to their family. The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please. If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is your family who will suffer. You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest for your deeds will follow you down through history. We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation. [Regarding the use by Saddam of chemical or biological weapons] It is not a question of if, it's a question of when.

We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already taken the decision himself. If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack. As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there. Our business now is north." Speech given by Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins, 20 March 2003, Kuwait, near the Iraqi border. Is it any wonder so many Americans are Anglophiles? 3/13/069:03 AM "(Filed: 12/03/2006) An SAS soldier has refused to fight in Iraq and has left the Army over the "illegal" tactics of United States troops and the policies of coalition forces. After three months in Baghdad, Ben Griffin told his commander that he was no longer prepared to fight alongside American forces. He said he had witnessed "dozens of illegal acts" by US troops, claiming they viewed all Iraqis as "untermenschen" - the Nazi term for races regarded as sub-human. The decision marks the first time an SAS soldier has refused to go into combat and quit the Army on moral grounds.

It immediately brought to an end Mr Griffin's exemplary, eight-year career in which he also served with the Parachute Regiment, taking part in operations in Northern Ireland, Macedonia and Afghanistan." From the second link given by doggo. RUR Member 3/13/065:41 PM Beautiful speech! By the same Collins guy who later resigned after being "cleared" of war crimes? "Col Collins has spent the past four months under the scrutiny of the Army's Special Investigations Branch over claims that he: Punched, kicked and threatened a Ba'ath Party official and his son to force information out of them; Pistol-whipped the official, gashing the back of his head; Fired on the ground to intimidate the official and his son, both civilians; Threatened the official to force him to comply with his demands; Shot the tyres out of a car when there was no threat to allied life". "Is it any wonder so many Americans are Anglophiles?" I thought it was all about rock n roll. The brits make better rock than the americans. doggo Member 3/15/069:37 PM Yeah, yeah, RUR, I heard all about all the allegations against Col.

Collins. He was cleared. "Collins was promoted to full Colonel after the war, and was then accused by US Army reservist Major Re Biastre of the mistreatment of Iraqi civilians and prisoners of war. Following an investigation by the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police he was cleared of any wrongdoing. He later won substantial undisclosed libel damages from both the Sunday Express and the Sunday Mirror newspapers. On 31 October 2003 it was announced he was to be made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the British Army, and he was awarded the honour on 7 April 2004. In January 2004, Collins announced his resignation from the army, citing bureaucracy, chronic underfunding, and the MoD's lack of support over the mistreatment allegations." - Wikipedia Tragic story for a guy who appeared to be trying to act on the side of righteousness and honor, as we understand in terms of the military. Whatever. My point about the original post is that Collins' speech represents the very best of intentions, which apparently could only be expressed so eloquently by someone who understands what war is all about.

The clowns at the top over here, and many of our soldiers appear incapable of understanding what the mission is about, much less talk about it with any intelligence. I thought this "war" was a bad idea going in, and my opinion has only been bolstered by the terrible mismanagement of it. From the incidents in Abu Ghraib, to the ridiculous logistical excesses. It's done nothing to help the so-called "war on terror", and done loads more to further terrible political and social agendas in the US, especially the quashing of dissent wherever possible, a small and mundane example of which is the cancelling of the FX series Over There . The show was simultaneously propaganda, and criticism, yet it was still too controversial to allow to run on American television. You'll notice my presence on the News of the day & Current Issues forum has dropped off. Frankly I find the state of US politics and foreign policy just too depressing and hopeless. I've even stopped listening to Air America Radio, both because of the content, and the greedy corporatism of its management. I'm ashamed of our government. I'm ashamed of our president. I'm ashamed of our military. And I'm ashamed of my fellow citizens.

You can see the seed of corporatism taking root quite blatently with the influence of business on our politicians, its invasion into government agencies, the military, and the blind consumerism of our society. It won't be long before the dystopian world WG wrote about in the Sprawl Trilogy becomes a reality. Bah. I don't know why I ever bother to come over to the NOTD&CI forum. It brings out the worst in me. Sorry guys. From hero to villain - but why? - Telegraph UK News From hero to villain - but why? Ten weeks ago he was being feted as a national hero. Now Colonel Tim Collins is engulfed in a malestrom of claims which threaten to destroy his career, name and character. His friends talk to Sean Rayment 12:01AM BST 25 May 2003 On March 19, 24 hours before the start of the second Gulf War, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins made what has been widely accepted as one of the most inspirational eve-of-war speeches of modern times. He was feted as a national hero by the media and the Government before a single shot was fired in anger.

A copy of his speech was framed and mounted on the wall in the Oval Office, he won praise from Prince Charles and even the former Speaker of the House of Commons, Lady Boothroyd, was moved to declare him as "a proper man". Now, just 10 weeks later, he, his wife Caroline and his five children are virtually confined to their Army quarter at Howe Barracks in Canterbury, Kent, sheltering from a maelstrom of damaging allegations which threaten to destroy his character, name and military career. Col Collins is by his own admission a complex character. Those officers who know him well describe him as a "soldier's soldier", a "leader rather than a manager", a "one off". In reality, he was, and remains, a ruthless, highly professional and uncompromising "warrior", determined to impose his personality on the 650 1st battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment (1RIrish) and God help anybody who got in his way while he was doing so. In short, exactly the person you want to lead young and inexperienced men into the van of battle.

Related Articles Colonel's new inquiry 24 May 2003 It was his abiding belief that if his battalion was ever sent to war, not only should it be able to vanquish the enemy in battle, but that it should do so with as few casualties as possible. It appears, therefore, all the more surprising that after being lauded for the eloquence of his speech-making and leading his men throughout the Iraqi war, he should be the only casualty that the battalion suffered. Until March 19, Col Collins was just another anonymous Army officer on active duty in the Gulf readying his men for war. Then, of course, he made that speech - and life changed overnight. Wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses and chewing on a cheroot, he appeared more like Clint Eastwood than Colonel Blimp. The Ministry of Defence could not believe its luck. It appeared that it had discovered a ready-made hero. Usually reticent MoD press officers could hardly contain themselves; rarely has the department been so effusive about one of its own. Last week, however, life changed again and Col Collins is now the subject of an investigation by the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) of the Royal Military Police.

The colonel, an officer of 22 years' service, who grew up in tough East Belfast at the height of the Troubles, has gone, it would appear, from hero to zero in spectacular fashion after it was announced that an investigation would examine his alleged mistreatment of Iraqis. It was ordered after claims by an American army major, a reservist with a civil affairs unit, who was operating inside Col Collins's area of responsibility. The 43-year-old officer expressed his deepest fears when he told friends yesterday: "I feel as though I'm being hung out to dry. I'm in no position to defend myself. Everybody knows mud sticks and I don't think this lot is going to be brushed away very easily - I'm accused of war crimes after all.

"I'm being treated as though I should be sitting in the dock at the Nuremburg Trials alongside my chums Herman Goering and Adolf Eichmann listening attentively into my ear piece to the hideous deeds I have supposedly committed." (In fact Eichmann was never tried at Nuremburg, but Collins's meaning is crystal clear.) Col Collins, who has been involved in operations to capture war criminals in Bosnia, told friends: "Now I'm sitting here at home wondering who is going to be bursting into my house coming to get me. "I'm in a very difficult position because I cannot talk publically about what's going on - I haven't even had a chance to speak to the people carrying out the investigation into these allegations," he added. "I am deeply concerned about my future career. This business is not only damaging to me but also to my regiment and the 650 soldiers who served in it during the operation in Iraq." Late last week it emerged - and has been privately confirmed by the MoD - that the American army major who made the claims had been humiliated and placed under arrest by the Col Collins while on duty in southern Iraq.

Witnesses were reported to have told the Sun newspaper that Col Collins was infuriated by the actions of the American officer who insisted on handing out sweets to Iraqi children after the colonel had ordered an end to the practice because he wanted aid to be distributed properly. One soldier told the newspaper: "Col Collins said: 'This is my area of responsibility. I've put a ban on this. It is not good for security and I don't want the locals treated in this way. They have pride.' " According to reports, the major was then heard to respond: "You do your job and I will do mine." The soldier added: "Majors do not speak to colonels like that. The colonel apparently blew his top and stormed: 'Do you realise who you are talking to? This is Col Tim Collins of the Royal Irish Regiment. Stand to attention when I'm talking to you.' "The major stood up in a sloppy, disrespectful manner while saying 'yeah, fine', instead of snapping to attention.

"At that point Col Collins got angry and ordered a sergeant-major to arrest him for insubordination." It now appears that the US officer has responded with a series of allegations now under investigation that Col Collins maltreated prisoners, fired shots into the ground in front of civilians and pistol-whipped a Ba'ath party official." The inquiry into the allegations, all of which Col Collins denies, will run separately from an MoD investigation into the "wider military environment" within 1RIrish in the months preceding the suicide of Ranger Paul Cochrane in July 2001. Ranger Cochrane, 18, shot himself as he was speaking on the telephone to his father. In farewell notes, he wrote about alleged bullying and mental torture. Allegations of verbal assault were also made against him by a former chaplin to Col Collins's unit, who claims the officer bellowed a string of expletives into his face - unusual behaviour for a man who describes himself as a committed and devout Christian. Col Collins was investigated for verbal assault against the padre in 2001 by the Royal Military Police but no charges were brought against him.

The allegations and the subsequent investigation into the colonel's behaviour is beginning to cause a ripple of discontent through the ranks of the Army's officer corps, several of whom have told The Telegraph that they believe more should be done to protect Col Collins until - indeed, if - he is convicted of a crime. Many officers, however accept that, once a complaint has been made, the machinery of the military investigation process takes on a momentum of its own. It is understood that the American major would have made a formal complaint to his immediate superior, which would have then been passed up the US chain of command to "general" level. At that point it would have been passed over to Major General Robin Brims, the commander of 1st(UK) Armoured Division, the most senior British officer in theatre. The general would have been informed of the nature of the complaint and authorised for it to be passed onto the SIB for investigation. What happens next depends on what is uncovered by the investigating officers. They will create a file of evidence supporting the allegations, if there is any to be found, which will be passed onto the Army Prosecuting Authority (APA), the military equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service.

The APA will then decide whether any charges should be brought against Col Collins. If charges are brought, depending on the type and severity, he will either be dealt with by his immediate superior officer, or face a general court-martial. One officer who has known him for 15 years and served with him in the Gulf described him as a first class "operational" officer but added that he had the ability to "rub people up the wrong way". He said: "Tim Collins is Tim Collins. He's a one-off. He writes his own script in life. He's a very strong leader. I don't know what he got up to because I wasn't with him all the time but the allegations being made against him don't square with the man I know or from what I saw in Iraq. "I can't help feeling that after his excellent speech he became a marked man. As soon as he became a "celebrity" he had to be cut down, that appears to be the way we do business in this country." Friends of Col Collins said that he had told them last week that "there was not five minutes during the war when I was not in the presence of a journalist, either TV or newspaper".

He added to them: "If I committed these offences, why haven't they been reported?" Alex Gardiner reported for Abu Dhabi TV and was one of several journalists "embedded" with 1RIrish. He is also a former officer in the Royal Green Jackets, who has known Col Collins for more than a decade. "I am saddened that allegations of misconduct have been levelled against Tim and can only conclude that these are the work of a malicious and overactive imagination," he told The Sunday Telegraph. "I saw nothing but exemplary leadership from Tim and his officers and an outstanding performance by all of the men of the Royal Irish. The allegations, even when proven unfounded will leave a mark for some time to come. Where there is success there is inevitably jealousy and when there is a flamboyant, forthright and robust leader then egos will get bruised.' As Churchill said: 'Medals glisten but they also cast a shadow.' " Iraq prison abuse scandals : Wikis (The Full Wiki) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia About six months after the invasion of Iraq rumors of Iraq prison abuse scandals started to emerge. The best known abuse incidents occurred at the large Abu Ghraib prison . Graphic pictures of some of those abuse incidents were made public.

Less well-known abuse incidents have been documented at American prisons throughout Iraq . Coverup operation was extensive, consisting in partly admitting the undeniable, shifting the blame (standard method of diffusion), and minimizing the damage arisen from this unfortunate exposition of daily torture practices of USA soldiery. Despite this skilful damage control psychop operation, and dilligent obedience of the mainstream media (FOX, CNN and other exponents of the specialized propaganda warfare), the reputation of USA as leader of "free" world was tarnished, its true plutocratic essence became apparent to at least the more intelligent people from outside USA, that didn't go through drill preparation of USA propaganda totalitarism, and together with 2008. collapse of western capitalism marked the end of USA as a superpower. From now on, opinions of such powers as China, India, Russia and Europe will have to be taken into account even in USA domestic policies, like health care. Contents Church Report Timeline of events According to the Washington Post , the coalition forces regularly use " torture -like" methods during the interrogation of suspects. Such methods were reportedly applied to people to find the hiding place of Saddam Hussein in Operation Red Dawn . British troops have also on occasion been accused of abusing Iraqi detainees.

Such treatment violates article 17 of the Third Geneva Convention and the USA and Britain 's official policies on combat and occupation . Despite numerous complaints by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch , it took a year before the first US soldier was court-martialed for their actions concerning abuse of Iraqis. Unknown date Eight marine reservists were investigated for abuse and the death of a prisoner, outside Nasiriyah . [3] A photograph leaked after the initial set shows Spc. Sabrina Harman smiling and giving a thumbs up next to the body of Manadel al-Jamadi . Jamadi was reportedly beaten to death during interrogations in the prison's showers. [4] Death certificates repeatedly stated that prisoners had died "while sleeping", and of "natural reasons". Iraqi doctors are not allowed to investigate the deaths of prisoners, even if death certificates are allegedly forged. No investigations against US military doctors who are alleged to have forged death certificates have been reported. Spring 2003 A US veteran sergeant reports witnessing torture of Journalists and writers all over Iraq. Kurdistan region was not an exception.

Writers without Borders embarrassed the Iraqi government quite frequently in reports covering minority, women and marginalised Iraqis from all over the country but with much focus on Baghdad, Karkuk, Salahedin and Mosul. Honorably discharged US veteran, Sergeant Frank "Greg" Ford reports that he witnessed war crimes in Samarra, Iraq. [5] [6] Ather Karen al-Mowafakia died in Basra , while in British custody. Details about the investigation are not known. [7] Gary Bartlam, a British soldier of the Desert Rats , was arrested after submitting film to a photo developers shop in Tamworth, England while on leave. The photographs depict a gagged Iraqi POW suspended hanging by rope from a fork lift, and other pictures seem to show prisoners being forced to perform sexual acts. Bartlam and two other soldiers were convicted at court martial of abuse - a fourth soldier was cleared. [8] British Lieutenant Colonel Tim Collins was alleged by US Army Major Re Biastre to have been responsible for mistreatment of Iraqi civilians and prisoners of war. Lieutenant Colonel Collins was later cleared of any wrongdoing by an MOD investigation.

[9] May 2003 In separate incidents, the Royal Military Police declared that Radhi Natna died of a heart attack while in British custody, yet his family reports that he had no heart trouble; and the Black Watch regiment arrested the 17-year-old Ahmad Jabber Kareem Ali in Basra, who then drowned after being ordered to swim across a river despite not being able to swim, according to his friend Ayad Salim Hanoon. [7] Reservists from the US Army abused Prisoners at Camp Bucca , and were later court-martialed . Brigadier General Ennis Whitehead III reported that Master Sergeant Lisa Marie Girman, a state trooper, "repeatedly kick[ed a prisoner] in the groin , abdomen and head, and encouraging her subordinate soldiers to do the same," Lieutenant colonel Vic Harris reported that Staff Sergeant Scott A. McKenzie who worked at a Pennsylvania Department of Corrections boot-camp -style prison , and Specialist Timothy F. Canjar: held prisoners' legs, encouraged others to then kick them in the groin, stepped on their previously injured arms, and made false sworn statements to the USA Army Criminal Investigation Division.

They received "general, under honorable conditions" discharges , were ordered to forfeit 2 months' salary, and returned to the USA. Sergeant Shawna Edmondson, also involved in the case, received an "other-than-honorable" discharge, after she requested it instead of being court-martialed. [10] Hossam Shaltout said the abuse at Camp Bucca was similar to that at Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse , and that his torture included scorpions placed on his body. [11] Said Shabram died in custody, but no information of the investigation were made public. [7] July to December 2003 US forces detained the family of an unidentified lieutenant general to induce him to turn himself in. [12] The abuses at Abu Ghraib prison were reportedly committed by MPs. [13] There are allegations that private contractors contributed to them as well and that intelligence agencies such as the CIA ordered them to do so in order to break prisoners for interrogations. It is said to be a usual practice in other US prisons as well, such as in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay .

[14] The International Committee of the Red Cross submitted a detailed report to the U.S. Army in October 2003 about abuses in prisons, and the president of the Red Cross stated he had informed high-ranking members of the Bush administration about the abuses during a meeting in the White House in January 2004. A soldier came forward that month with photos of abuse that he found disturbing, some showed the stacking of prisoners into a human pyramid, with one prisoner's skin visibly bearing a slur written in English. Another showed a prisoner being forced to stand on a box with wires attached to his head and hands, who had reportedly been told that if he fell off the box, he would be electrocuted. Photos released to the public later included a person being attacked by a guard dog, which the soldier involved described as being useful for intimidation of prisoners. [15] It was also reported that an Iraqi hired as a translator raped a juvenile male prisoner while a female soldier took pictures. [16] [17] No charges have been brought against the contractor because he does not fall under military jurisdiction; it is questionable whether any charges will or even can be brought against him.

Donald Rumsfeld had said that army and government had only been informed in January and not in detail. [18] On January 16, 2004, a press release was issued by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) stating that an investigation had been initiated in response to allegations of detainee abuse at an unspecified detention facility (now known to be Abu Ghraib prison). [19] In March 2004, 6 soldiers in Abu Ghraib were charged with dereliction of duty, cruelty and maltreatment, and sexual abuse. 17 others were suspended from duty, including the seven U.S. officers who ran the prison. Also recommended for discipline was Brig. Gen Janis Karpinski , the commander of the 800th brigade. The Red Cross , which had access to these prisons, has stated that the instances of torture were not aberrations but were systemic. Some officers have attempted to defend themselves by saying that they were only doing their duty. In response to ongoing complaints, the US military initiated a program to reform the internment and treatment systems.

The reforms are expected to increase safeguards for prisoners' rights, to ensure each prisoner receives a copy of their internment order, and has their charges explained to them within 72 hours. They additionally plan to publicly post information about detainees so that family members can know what happened to their loved ones. Reforms were made in March 2004. Theft of prisoner's possessions by soldiers, dirty, cramped quarters and bad food, prisoners forced into uncomfortable positions for prolonged periods of time, extreme exposure to the elements, and excessive jailings of people based on the paid testimony of individual informants were reported. 55-year old cafe owner Mahmoud Khodair, who was arrested and held for six months before being released in early march without ever knowing what he was charged with, stated, "It was just like hell", and "Nothing has changed since Saddam. Before, the Mukhabarat [secret police] would take us away, and at least they wouldn't blow down the door. Now, some informant fingers you and gets $100 even if you're innocent." [20] During April 2004 the media started to report on the abuse.

The journalist Seymour Hersh (who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his disclosure of the Vietnam War tragedy at the hamlet of My Lai ) published a series of articles in The New Yorker with photo coverage of U.S. soldiers abusing prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison on 2004-04-30. [21] In an interview with Dan Rather, the deputy director of operations for the US-led coalition, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt , stated "We're appalled. These are our fellow soldiers. These are the people we work with every day. They represent us. They wear the same uniform as us, and they let their fellow soldiers down. If we can't hold ourselves up as an example of how to treat people with dignity and respect, we can't ask that other nations do that to our soldiers." On May 1, 2004, photos of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq being abused and humiliated by United States soldiers provoke an international outrage. [22] Furthering the charges, excerpts from the Abu Ghraib Taguba report were published on May 3, 2004.

The report documented: the sodomizing of a prisoner with a chemical light, pouring phosphoric liquid on detainees, rape of a female prisoner, forced masturbation, "ghost detainees" moved around to avoid the Red Cross , and many other abuses. [23] [24] The release of the photographs and reports had led to renewed calls for investigations into the abuses reported in other US military prisons, such as Camp X-Ray and Camp Delta . [25] On May 14, 2004, reporters for the Guardian documented a coercive technique which soldiers called "bitch in a box". The prisoner was shoved into the trunk of a car on a hot day, and driven around until the prisoner was near ready to pass out. Another technique documented was "waterboarding", which involves holding a prisoner underwater until the prisoner believed he was about to drown. They also interviewed many soldiers not involved in the current scandal, who claimed that they were taught to use sleep deprivation , to stage mock executions, and to use other procedures. One platoon leader who objected to these practices was reportedly told that his stand could end his military career.

[26] USA Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told an armed services committee of the Senate on 2004-05-07 that "There are a lot more photographs and videos that exist [...] I looked at them last night and they're hard to believe [...] The pictures I've seen depict conduct, behaviour that is so brutal and so cruel and so inhumane that anyone engaged in it or involved in it would have to be brought to justice." He also said that the abused detainees may be offered compensation. [27] In a scene described as "surreal" by AFP, it was found in mid May, 2004 that US troops were handing out cash to freed prisoners along with a note stating "You have not been mistreated.". A reporter visiting the prison Camp War Horse described the tour: "Have you been mistreated?" the governor asks the detainees, dressed in orange boilersuits. "No. We have never been tortured," chorused those behind bars as some 50 soldiers stood nearby. [28] August 2003 It was claimed that eleven Iraqis had been severely beaten by members of the SAS in Majar al Kabir; they were released and paid compensation for their injuries.

[7] Sadiq Zoman , 57, is delivered in a vegetative state, to a hospital in Tikrit. His body bearing telltale signs of torture: burn marks on his skin, bludgeon marks on the back of his head, a badly broken thumb, electrical burns on the soles of his feet. Additionally, family members say they found whipmarks across his back and more electrical burns on his genitalia. He had entered US custody healthy barely 1 month earlier. [29] Hassan Abbad Said died in custody, but no information of the investigation were made public. [7] September 2003 Corporal Donald Payne of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment now the 1st Battalion, Duke of Lancaster's Regiment (King's, Lancashire and Border) , became Britain's first convicted war criminal after pleading guilty to abusing Iraqi detainees, which resulted in the death of one detainee Baha Mousa .

[30] November 2003 An al Jazeera cameraman, Salah Hassan, reported various abuses in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison complex , such as being forced to strip naked, standing up for 11 hours and being kicked when he collapsed, being forced to wear a vomit-covered jumpsuit, and many other abuses. He later also witnessed a 12 or 13 year old girl who was stripped naked and beaten. Her brother was held in another cell and heard her screams. [31] January 2004 January 3: Marwan Hassoun and his cousin Zaydun Al-Samarrai are taken from their broken-down truck at about curfew time and forced to jump from the Tharthar dam into the Tigris River; the latter drowns. First Lt. Jack M. Saville and Sgt. 1st Class Tracy E. Perkins were charged on 2004 June 7 with manslaughter, assault, conspiracy, making false statements , and obstruction of justice. Sgt. Reggie Martinez was charged three weeks later with manslaughter and for making false statements, and Spec. Terry Bowman with assault and making false statements.

[32] Martinez' and Bowman's charges were dropped; Perkins got six months in jail. [33] Daily Mirror false allegations Alleged photographs of prisoner abuses by UK troops were published by the Daily Mirror [34] within 48 hours of the breaking of the story of abuses by US troops in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. General Sir Mike Jackson , Chief of the General Staff , said "if proven, the perpetrators are not fit to wear the Queen's uniform and they have besmirched the Army's good name and conduct". The authenticity of the photographs was called into question a day later. In particular, a number of specifics in the images, such as the type of rifles the soldiers in the pictures are carrying and the type of truck pictured did not match the equipment used by UK troops in Iraq. The Mirror responded to these criticisms of the photographs on May 3, 2004.

[35] On May 14, 2004, the Daily Mirror reported that the pictures it had published, allegedly showing UK troops abusing an Iraqi prisoner, were fake and that "the Daily Mirror has been the subject of a calculated and malicious hoax." [36] [37] The Daily Mirror editor, Piers Morgan , was sacked due to the controversy. Rape Accusations On May 11, 2004, The Boston Globe covered a press conference by Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner and local civil rights activist Sadiki Kambon during which they distributed photographs they alleged showed American soldiers raping Iraqi woman. [38] In its early editions on May 12, photographs from the event clearly showed some of the pictures presented, the Globe later apologized for the error. [39] Other news agencies quickly responded to the story by linking the photographs to American and Hungarian pornography sites. [40] [41] One week prior to the press conference, WorldNetDaily had published a story detailing the origin of these pictures and how they were being used as propaganda.

[42] Amnesty International report Amnesty International claimed that British soldiers had killed innocent civilians who were no threat, had kicked a prisoner to death and that the British military did not investigate the abuses appropriately. [43] February 2004 Death in U.S. custody of chemistry professor Mohammed Munim al-Izmerly . An autopsy concluded death was caused by a sudden hit to the back of his head and that the cause of death was blunt trauma. [44] June 2004 The Pentagon confirms a report in the New York Times that CIA chief George Tenet was allowed by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to have an Iraqi prisoner secretly detained at Camp Cropper in November, preventing the International Committee of the Red Cross from monitoring their treatment, a possible violation of the Geneva Conventions . [45] June 29: Oregon national guardsmen intervene in the beating of bound prisoners on the grounds of the Iraqi Interior Ministry; are told to back off and let the newly "sovereign" Iraqis run their own affairs. [46] July 2004 The International Red Cross reports that more than 100 children were kept in six different prisons of the coalition.

Witnesses say US forces also abused children and youths. Soldier Samuel Provance from Abu Ghraib reported the harassment of a 15 to 16 year old girl in her cell as well as a 16 year old boy who was driven through the cold after he had been showered and who was then covered with mud. Allegations have been made that children have been subjected to torture and rape. This has been used to make detained parents talk in cases where other interrogation methods have failed. Seymour Hersh told a San Francisco audience: "what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys, children, in cases that have been [video] recorded, the boys were sodomized, with the cameras rolling... the worst above all of them is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking." An unpublished Unicef report is said to include statements about children that were arrested in Basra and Kerbela and routinely detained in Umm Kasr. The children are said to be without contact to their families and cannot expect a trial.

[47] [48] [49] August 2004 Death penalty "reluctantly" reinstated in Iraq "until stability [is] restored." [50] December 2004 Reports of mock executions by the US Marines in Iraq have surfaced in December 2004, as the ACLU published internal documents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) obtained through the Freedom of Information Act . The documents were written seven weeks after the publication of the photographs which triggered the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal. [51] Several torture cases were also reported, notably torture by electricity, beatings, and sprayings of prisoners with fire extinguishers. On 21 December, the ACLU released further documents [52] documenting tortures. Notably, in a case of shooting of suspects without warning, Army commanders are reported to have interfered with the investigation. Procedures of autopsy of detainees who died in unclear circumstances have been canceled by battalion and group commands. Other cases include An apparent attempt by a soldier in Baghdad to force a detainee to hold a gun to create the appearance of a justifiable homicide.

Two mock executions of Iraqi juveniles by Army personnel (documents obtained by the ACLU two weeks ago showed that U.S. Marines had also conducted a mock execution of juvenile detainees). Allegations of a competition among Army dog handlers at Abu Ghraib prison to see who could make Iraqi detainees urinate themselves the fastest. The use of death threats during interrogations. Command failures in providing appropriate training to military interrogators in Baghdad detention facilities. [53] January 2005 On 24 January 2005, the ACLU accused the Pentagon of deliberately closing investigations over Human Rights violations and torture cases before they were over. [54] Human Rights Watch accused Iraqi security forces of using torture and improper treatments on prisoners. Arbitrary arrests and long periods of isolation are now common. Human Right Watch interviewed 90 prisoners, among which 72 said they had been tortured during interrogation. Sarah Leah Whitson , HRW director, said that the Iraqi provisional government was not holding to its promise to stand by Human Rights: "A new Iraqi government requires more than a change of leadership - it requires a change of attitude about basic human dignity" . "During the first three days there was continuous torture.

I was beaten with an aluminum rod and with cables. ? Then I was told to sign a statement with my hands tied behind my back, so I didn't even see the paper and I don't know what I signed." Among bad treatments were such elements as beatings with cables, electric shocks, including on genitals, being tied and blindfolded for days, cells so crowded that it is only possible to stand, arbitrary detention, refusal of trials, access to lawyers or contacts with families. These treatments were inflicted to insurgents and criminals alike. [55] [56] [57] September 2005 In a report published by Human Rights Watch in September 2005, U.S. Troops are accused to routinely torture prisoners in Iraq. Two sergeants and a captain describe e.g. the breaking of a detainee’s leg, and applying chemical substances to detainees’ skin and eyes. Capt.

Ian Fishback of the 82nd Airborne who made persistent efforts over 17 months to raise concerns about detainee abuse with his chain of command was consistently told to ignore abuses and to “consider your career.” When he made an appointment with Senate staff members of Senators John McCain and John Warner , he says his commanding officer denied him a pass to leave his base. [58] [59] November 2005 -173 detainees found in an Iraqi government bunker in Baghdad were found starved , beaten and tortured . [60] [61] -Colin Powell's former Chief of Staff, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson , stated in an interview with Amy Goodman on November 22 that: [62] "the difficulties [our troops face] come from the two decisions that I had the most insight into that were made in this more or less alternative decision-making process. And those two decisions were the inept and incompetent planning for post-invasion Iraq, and [...] the decision... from that alternative decision-making process to depart from the Geneva Conventions and from international law, in general. "[The President's memorandum said] the spirit of Geneva would be adhered to... consistent with military necessity.

[...] It did not say 'consistent with national security demands.' It did not say 'consistent with the demands of the war on terror.' It said 'consistent with military needs.' Now, military needs are very simple and clear to a man like me who spent 31 years in the military. It means that if one of my buddy's life is threatened or my life is threatened, I can take drastic action. I can even shoot a detainee. And I can expect not to be punished under Geneva, or at least if I am court-martialed, I have a defense. It doesn't mean that I can take a detainee in a cold, dark cell in Bagram, Afghanistan, for example, in December 2002, shackled to the wall, and pour cold water on him at intervals when the outside temperature is 50 degrees anyway, and eventually kill him, which is what happened." The Haditha killings occurred on November 19 in the town of Haditha, Iraq . A convoy of United States Marines was attacked with an improvised explosive device which killed Lance Corporal Miguel Terrazas.

Up to twenty-four Iraqis were subsequently killed; it is alleged that they were non-combatant local residents who were massacred by Marines in the aftermath of the insurgent attack. [63] December 2005 John Pace, human rights chief for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), told Reuters that there were an estimated 14,000 people being held in prison in Iraq contrary to UN Resolution 1546, according to which the US government claims legal permission to occupy Iraq. In a December 5, 2005, interview, Pace said, "All [prisoners in Iraq] except those held by the Ministry of Justice are, technically speaking, held against the law because the Ministry of Justice is the only authority that is empowered by law to detain, to hold anybody in prison. "Essentially none of these people have any real recourse to protection and therefore we speak ... of a total breakdown in the protection of the individual in this country. "It's very rare to get judges ordering you to be released and effectively the police respecting that order.

"We have cases also where the judge who has ordered a group of people to be released, about 50-60 people, and the police, the Interior Ministry simply refuses. "We have another case in another part of the country where the judge was actually the subject of reprisal for having found people not getting, as ordered, their release. "The judge is now in jail. "The judiciary has a lot to answer for in this country. It is really not carrying out its duties," he said, adding that bribes were sometimes paid for jobs in the judiciary and police. "This is not denied," Pace said. "This is symptomatic of the corruption problems in this country and stands in the way of any kind of rule of law." [64] June 2006 According to the Iraqi Defense Ministry, Private First Class Thomas Tucker and Private First Class Kristian Menchaca were reportedly "killed in a barbaric way," "slaughtered," and tortured to death, and their bodies were so mutilated that DNA tests are being performed to help identify their remains.

The alleged group has said it was a revenge for the rape and murder of a 14 year old Iraqi girl and her family in Mahmoudiya by the soldiers of the same brigade. [65] Video of the killing of four Russian diplomats kidnapped in Iraq appear on the Internet. A group called the Mujahideen Shura Council released the hostage video. [66] Investigations Several sets of investigations, both congressional via the Senate Armed Services Committee , military via courts-martial , and criminal for non-military contractors, were launched in response to the scandal. Seymour Hersh , who exposed the Abu Ghraib scandal, and reports in Newsweek, has taken the case even further. [67] [68] In 2003, Donald Rumsfeld instituted a policy that "encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners in an effort to generate more intelligence about the growing insurgency in Iraq.". This policy stemmed from an earlier policy taken toward al-Qaeda prisoners. A memo to the Bush White House from counsel Alberto Gonzales claimed that the new sort of war renders the Geneva Conventions' limitations on interrogating enemy prisoners "obsolete". The program was approved by the CIA , NSA , and the National Security Council .

President George W. Bush was informed of it. The undersecretary of Defense for intelligence Steven Cambone administered the operation. His deputy, William Boykin , instructed the head of operations at Camp X-ray Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller to do the same at Abu Ghraib . Miller told Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski that the prison would now be dedicated to gathering intelligence. Douglas Feith and William Haynes were also involved in the operation. On May 18, 2004, a military intelligence analyst named Samuel Provance came out to the press, stating "There's definitely a cover-up". Provance, who ran a computer network used by military intelligence in the prison and who had been ordered not to speak to the press, told ABC News "Anything [the MPs] were to do legally or otherwise, they were to take those commands from the interrogators," and that the sexual humiliation began as a technique ordered by the investigators. He described several of the goings-on in the prison that he witnessed, such as the punching people in the neck hard enough to knock them unconscious after assuring them they weren't going to be hit, in order to catch them off guard. He also stated that Maj. Gen.

George Fay , the Army's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, has shown little interest in investigating the interrogators and has gone only after the MPs, and that there is a culture of silence right now among those involved, who fear that if they say anything, the investigations will turn to them. [69] On May 19, 2004, a court martial hearing was held for Cpl. Charles A. Graner Jr. , who has been accused of being the ringleader of the group employing torture at Abu Ghraib. In an unexpected move, all three key witnesses - Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan , Capt. Donald J. Reese, and contractor Adel L. Nakhla - refused to testify. This is an almost unheard of action. Under court martial proceedings, one cannot refuse to testify unless they have a belief that they will be exposed to criminal charges for doing so. Consequently, it is likely that the investigative proceedings will be forced to move higher up the chain of command. [70] See also

Question: What was the name of the British Lieutenant Colonel accused by a part-time American Major of mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners of war?
Answer: TIM COLLINS