[Marxism] Why Americans remain ignorant about Abu Ghraib

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Below are three reports on the trial of Spec. Charles A. Graner now 
being conducted at Ft. Hood. Graner has been identified as the 
ringleader of the enlisted soldiers who were so prominent in the Abu 
Ghraib offenses.

The public has been presented an image of some unsupervised 
rank-and-file soldiers running amok. The following articles show how 
the media selects and reports what it wants the American people to 
know. Only the Washington Post page 3 article presents the essence of 
Staff Sergeant Frederick's startling testimony (Graner's superior). 
Although Frederick was expected to support the prosecution (having 
earlier received a light sentence), he gave the court martial a 
surprise. This dramatic event was either left out entirely or blurred 
by the NY Times (which chose another part of Frederick's testimony) and 
the LA Times.

Although a few papers picked up T.R. Reid’s Washington Post account, 
the overwhelming reportage was slanted to ridicule the defense and the 
defense attorney.

Brian Shannon
__________________

NY TIMES
The most dramatic testimony on Monday came from Pvt. Ivan Frederick, 
sentenced last year to eight years in prison in the case, who discussed 
the episodes portrayed in photographs that outraged the world after 
their publication last year.

After prosecutors screened grainy video that was previously not made 
public showing naked and hooded Iraqi male prisoners masturbating, 
Frederick said Graner and England joked about the incident.

``He (Graner) said something to the fact that it was a present for her 
birthday,'' said Frederick, who, like Graner, was also a prison guard 
in civilian life.

Frederick recounted several occasions on which Graner hit prisoners, 
including once when he knocked out a man before piling him and others 
into a naked human pyramid. ``He shook his hand and said 'damn, that 
hurt','' Frederick said.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?N1E22173A
___________

LA TIMES
Guard Enjoyed Beating Iraqis, Three Testify

Under Graner's leadership, recalled Pvt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II, 
"everybody was smiling and carrying on."

The three former guards acknowledged their participation in the abuse 
as part of plea bargains reached last year. In their testimony, they 
were highly critical of Graner's conduct. But some testimony seemed to 
support Graner's defense that he acted under orders from Army 
commanders to soften up the inmates so they would cooperate with 
interrogators.
. . .
Frederick said he never saw a list of approved torture techniques for 
prisoners, but that "we were given orders to punish them for talking" 
and other offenses. Guards often deprived inmates of food and sleep and 
handcuffed them to doors — "things like that," Frederick said.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?Q1231673A
__________

WASHINGTON POST
FORT HOOD, Tex., Jan. 10 -- Army officers and CIA operatives at Iraq's 
Abu Ghraib prison condoned the beatings and humiliation of Iraqi 
prisoners there and repeatedly praised the enlisted soldiers who abused 
the inmates, a former guard testified as the first military trial 
stemming from the prison scandal got underway Monday.

Frederick, a staff sergeant who was demoted to private after pleading 
guilty to abuse at Abu Ghraib, said he had consulted with six senior 
officers, ranging from captains to lieutenant colonels, about the 
guards' actions but was never told to stop. Frederick also said that a 
CIA official, whom he identified as "Agent Romero," told him to "soften 
up" one suspected insurgent for questioning.

The agent told him he did not care what the soldiers did, "just don't 
kill him," Frederick testified.
. . .
Frederick, who was Graner's superior at the prison, testified that 
senior officers did praise the work of the guards, and that Frederick 
always told his subordinates about the compliments from the top brass.

http://makeashorterlink.com/?L1133173A
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