Stuff Happens! Don't call it torture. It's just a broomstick up the butt.

The Village Voice ^ | May 5th, 2004 | Richard Goldstein Richard GoldsteinRichard Goldstein

[Norman Arbuthnot]

Donald Rumsfeld was, fielding unfriendly fire on Tuesday over the military's torture of Iraqi prisoners. This time, his usual pose of barely concealed contempt seemed more like scarcely repressed rage. Every muscle in his body was tensed, and his shoulders looked like wire hangers were holding them up. It was Rummy's Strangelove-ian attempt to keep from shrugging.

Hey, the voice within him longed to say, those fuckers are lucky to have their fingernails. But Rummy is a master of extenuation. When Baghdad was looted while the U.S. army stood by, he uttered his most famous euphemism: "Stuff happens." Now he was saying something even more elliptical: Torture? Don't call it that.

The military report that describes forced masturbation and anal rape, threats of electrocution, and terror inflicted even unto death? Rummy hasn't finished reading it yet. The failure to inform Congress? He cited a memo issued last January that was as oblique as the fog of war itself. The probe of similar conduct at some 20 U.S.-run detention centers in Iraq and Afghanistan? The guilty will be punished, Rummy vowed—but surely not the intelligence officers who devised this "softening-up" process or the two private companies contracted to perform interrogations (because they are exempt from military law). Or the secretary of defense.

Two immigrants held in New York after 9-11 have filed a suit charging guards—supervised by intelligence officers—with subjecting them to casual violence and repeated body-cavity searches. (As in Iraq, large objects were allegedly inserted in the rectum.) But don't call it torture; why, that would be against U.S. law. The events at Abu Ghraib prison are an aberration, Rummy insisted, even though there are dark accusations of prisoner abuse by our British allies. For that matter, many of the 3,000 men detained since 9-11 were shipped to countries whose governments are known to practice interrogation methods anyone but Rummy would consider a bit much.

What if the military had stuck to the "rule book" of prolonged sleep deprivation, protracted isolation in a small space, and a severely limited diet that John Walker Lindh, the so-called American Taliban, says he was subjected to? What if we contented ourselves with variations on the old rubber hose? These techniques are so acceptable that you can see them in many cop movies, even though they're against the law. The truth is that most Americans are willing to tolerate such acts, and far worse, in the name of safety—especially today. We just don't want to have the evidence shoved in our faces. And we sure don't want to see pictures of our heroic troops acting like pervs.

Or do we?

One reason why these photos are such a sensation is that they are stimulating. Especially the image of that woman grinning over a pyramid of naked men. She's the Phallic Female, watching guys parade around naked and jerk off before her. This really gets the kitten-with-a-whip crowd drooling. And when it comes to sadistic pleasure, there's nothing like forcing a man to give a simulated blowjob or take a peg-leg–sized anal probe. Shit, you won't even see that on Oz.

But that's the great perk of war. You can unleash the darkest reaches of your libido. Murdering, mutilating, and raping are all part of the adrenaline rush—and nothing feels better than that forbidden thrill in the name of God and country.

The most distressing thing in those photos from Abu Ghraib was also the least remarked upon. That soldier standing over his prostrate prisoners, holding his thumb up, was wearing surgical gloves. Was he afraid of being contaminated by his victims' blood, feces, semen—or just their humanity? We'll never know. But it's an astonishing symbol of what America is becoming: a nation where suffering is tolerable—even pleasurable—as long as the shit doesn't get on our hands.

[Norman Arbuthnot]

I find interesting that publications like Voice are so offended by the conduct in Abu Ghraib. If they had their way open homosexuality would be common in U.S. military facilities around the globe.

[Reactionary]

Oh, the media Stalinists will quickly back away from the homoeroticism of the prison guards. They might offend the sexual propetariat, you know, if they were to display outrage at such behavior!

They won't ask and they won't tell.

[xm177e2]

Raping men like that is not an example of homosexuality. It is an instance of one person seeking to completely dominate/humiliate the other person. It is not done for sexual reasons, although the perpetrator gets off on the sexual shame the victim feels.

[anniegetyourgun]

Actually, I think the author is a very sick puppy indeed. He is projecting....

[prion]

One reason why these photos are such a sensation is that they are stimulating.

Noooo, not to me, Mister Goldstein. Do you have something you'd like to share with the rest of the class?

[cyborg]

Well yesterday I saw a very bizarre article in Newsday about gay men relating to these photographs. Too creepy.

[Mr. Mojo]

But that's the great perk of war. You can unleash the darkest reaches of your libido

Uh oh. .....The Village Voice has just unwittingly become a military recruiting instrument for its loyal readers.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Especially the image of that woman grinning over a pyramid of naked men. She's the Phallic Female, watching guys parade around naked and jerk off before her.

Oh yeah, and on the other side, adults and children stand on dusty streets jabbing sticks into burnt human torsos while praising their God....

This really gets the kitten-with-a-whip crowd drooling. And when it comes to sadistic pleasure, there's nothing like forcing a man to give a simulated blowjob or take a peg-leg–sized anal probe. Shit, you won't even see that on Oz.

Nothing like a peg leg anal probe? This guy seems to be enjoying this.

[steplock]

They are jealous that THEY didn't get the broomstick up theirs!

[hattend]

I thought by the title that this was written by Mark Morford.

[McGavin999]

The military report that describes forced masturbation and anal rape, threats of electrocution, and terror inflicted even unto death?

I think the left is beginning to understand what a serious mistake they made by touting these pictures. The rather obvious homoerotic content is going to cause a real backlash against the Don't Ask-Don't Tell gang.

[Askel5]

== You can unleash the darkest reaches of your libido.

The essence of Sadean Sexual Revolution.


== forced masturbation

Soon, Iraquis liberated with Women's Rights and access to porn will realize masturbation is a gabillion dollar "right" of the West.

[BIGZ]

Hey, the voice within him longed to say, those fuckers are lucky to have their fingernails

Fingernails hell! What those Terrorists, insurgents, non Iraqi, Saddam loving,dicks need is Pigs chingus mingus put up you know where.

Pay these A--holes reparations with my money, Toro Kaka.

[The Old Hoosier]

The military report that describes forced masturbation and anal rape, threats of electrocution, and terror inflicted even unto death?

This is all terrible stuff, and criminal.

On the other hand, I'm sure 2/3rds of the Village Voice staff does it voluntarily every weekend.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

From the Taguba report :

"Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and PERHAPS a broom stick."

From statements by the " detainees " with some supporting statements by US military.
Nothing has been proven conclusively, as far as I know.

A chemical light is a small ,plastic glowstick, like you give your kids on Halloween.

I don't know why the hysterical left refuses to accept that those who committed criminal acts or violated the UCMJ, are already in the justice pipeline.
And have been for a long time.

[Cicero]

Raping men like that is not an example of homosexuality. It is an instance of one person seeking to completely dominate/humiliate the other person.

I hate to differ with you, but raping a man would not even occur to a normal man, and if it did, he would say "Yech" and refuse. Raping women, perhaps, if he was nasty enough. I say that not to excuse raping women but only to point out that normal men don't rape men, whatever their motive.

[antaresequity]

It should be noted that the 'broom stick and chem light' incidence come from unsubstantiated allegations of detainees [though Tugaba feels they are credible enough to warrant further investigation], these claims are not supported by photographic or video evidence.

[muawiyah]

Good point. If we followed the dictates of The Voice open homosexuality would not only be common, it would be required.

Intriguingly, the writer has has described one of the pregnant women tormenting the prisoners as being a male soldier.

[Don Corleone]

You can see color movies of this sort of thing all day and all night within walking distance of Times Square. What's their problem?

[muawiyah]

OK, let's see if I can follow this logic. One man raping another man is not an example of homosexual behavior. Therefore, one man raping another is not homosexual behavior.

Look, homosexuality is defined by the act, not by the intent. Therefore, heterosexual men do not rape other men. If a man is raped by a man, the actor is by definition a homosexual.

The even more horrific stuff is yet to be made public. This will include a video made by some of these sexual psychopaths of male Iraqi guards raping young boys.

No doubt you will be among the first to inform us that most pedophiles are actually heterosexual. In this case they're not since they are homosexual!

[ShorelineMike]

Well yesterday I saw a very bizarre article in Newsday about gay men relating to these photographs. Too creepy.

I presume that the article said that gay men related to these photographs in a sexual way. They certainly did not interview this gay man.

As xm177e2 said in post #3, we're really talking about complete domination here. That having been said, I would not at all be surprised to find some straight folks who are into bondage and submission "getting off", so to speak, on some of these photographs.

[cyborg]

The article made it sound like it was ALL gay men. I found the article to be unnerving since I'm willing to bet that most people didn't even THINK of bondage stuff to begin with.

[LtKerst]

I heard that Barney Frank is outraged!...that He didn't
get an opportunity to play with the boys.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Perhaps they should rename the prison 'Abu Gerbil'...

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" come from unsubstantiated allegations of detainees [though Tugaba feels they are credible enough to warrant further investigation )"

I read the Taguba report,that is available on the internet and I was surprised to find that a lot of what we have been hearing about, are allegations made by detainees and not yet, proven fact.
A lot of the report details the overcrowded conditions, the logistical problems which compounded security and many command and procedural breakdowns.
In spite of that,most of the MPs acted appropriately during many prison riots, prison escapes and when assaulted by the detainees-many of whom were " hardened criminals. "

Here's some things from the Taguba Report that no one talks about :

(U) 9 June 03- Riot and shootings of five detainees at Camp Cropper. ... Several detainees allegedly rioted after a detainee was subdued by MPs ....
after STRIKING A GUARD in compound B of Camp Cropper. A 15-6 investigation by ...
concluded that a detainee had acted up and HIT AN MP. After being subdued,
one of the MPs took off his DCU top and flexed his muscles to the detainees,
which further escalated the riot.

The MPs were overwhelmed and the guards fired lethal rounds
to TO PROTECT THE LIFE OF THE COMPOUND MPs,
whereby 5 detainees were wounded.

(U) 12 June 03- ( Camp Cropper )Several detainees allegedly made their escape in the nighttime hours prior to 0300. Battalion search team recaptured detainee .. and detainee ..was shot and killed by a Soldier during the recapture process.
Contributing factors were overcrowding, poor lighting, and THE NATURE OF THE HARDENED CRIMINAL DETAINEES at that location.
It is of particular note that the command was informed at least 24 hours in advance of the upcoming escape attempt
and started doing amplified announcements in Arabic stating the camp rules.

The investigation pointed out that rules and guidelines were not posted in the camps in the detainees’ native languages.

13 June 03- .... At about 1600 the same day, 30-40 detainees RIOTED and PELTED THREE INTERIOR MPS WITH ROCKS.

ONE GUARD WAS INJURED and the tower guards fired lethal rounds at the rioters injuring 7 and killing 1 detainee.


(U) 24 November 03- Several detainees allegedly began to riot at about 1300 in all of the compounds at the Ganci encampment.
This resulted in the shooting deaths of 3 detainees, 9 wounded detainees,
and 9 INJURED US SOLDIERS.
investigation ...concluded that the detainees rioted in protest of their living conditions, that the riot turned violent, the use of non-lethal forc
e was ineffective, ... the use of deadly force was authorized.

24 November 03- A detainee allegedly had a pistol in his cell and around 1830 an extraction team shot him with less than lethal and lethal rounds in the process of recovering the weapon.
investigation concluded that one of the detainees in tier 1A of the Hard Site had gotten a pistol and a couple of knives from an Iraqi Guard working in the encampment.

Immediately upon receipt of this information, an ad-hoc extraction team consisting of MP and MI personnel conducted what they called a routine cell search,
which resulted IN THE SHOOTING OF AN MP
and the detainee.
Contributing factors were a corrupt Iraqi Guard,...

13 December 03- Several detainees allegedly got into a detainee-on-detainee fight around 1030 in Compound 8 of the Ganci encampment, Abu Ghraib...
the MPs used a non-lethal crowd-dispersing round to break up the fight, which was successful.

13 December 03- Several detainees allegedly got into a detainee-on-detainee fight around 1120 in Compound 2 of the Ganci encampment, Abu Ghraib.
...MPs used two non-lethal shots to disperse the crowd, which was successful.

13 December 03- Approximately 30-40 detainees allegedly got into a detainee-on-detainee fight around 1642 in Compound 3 of the Ganci encampment, Abu Ghraib compound
and the MPs used a non-lethal crowd-dispersing round to break up the fight, which was successful.

17 December 03-Several detainees allegedly ASSAULTED AN MP at 1459 inside the Ganci Encampment, Abu Ghraib (BCCF).

[hellinahandcart]

One reason why these photos are such a sensation is that they are stimulating

Richard Goldstein has a problem.

[ladyinred]

The job of Our military is to kill and destroy our enemies in the defense and interest of America. Using any and all means available: military force, psychological warfare, propaganda, and intense interrogation. Assassination and murder can get a lot done in a hurry. Destroy the enemy any way you can. Period.

Let's don't confuse anyone with the truth. :-)

[TheSpottedOwl]

Good post. I totally agree with you.

[XtionSldr]

I second that. The conclusion that I have come to is this. America seems to be the only one that would even attempt to take out these monsters and now our own government has whittled that away. There is no hope unless the very people that WE put into office pull their head out of their a$$. I do not see that happening unless a civil war broke out and we all know if that happens the commies and muslims will try to take over America. Not like it is not already happening. The only other option is a cleansing by Jesus Christ and believe me, I can’t wait!

[Zhangliqun]

Of course. It's those demented breeder heterosexuals who find these pictures "stimulating". How could it be otherwise? This is, as someone alluded earlier, a CLASSIC case of projection. And perhaps another look-down-the-nose way for gay activists to say "It's only okay when WE do it.."

[CWOJackson]

All the outrage over a "broom stick" and none over a fully loaded passenger jet full of innocent people into a building full of innocent people.

Hmmmmmm?

[philman_36]

I'm glad to see that others, besides myself, got past the first section.

[weegee]

Homosexuals also wrote at length about the "erotic" subtext of the torture they witnessed in The Passion. Some claim that they would use it for S&M fantasies when it comes out on video.

This is not rumor, BTW.