Hearing Yesterday for MP's Accused of Abusing EPW's

Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre)/AP ^ | 8/28/03 | TAREK AL-ISSAWI

[Born Conservative]

Witness: Iraqi POW screamed Four soldiers based in Ashley face accusations they abused prisoners. By TAREK AL-ISSAWI Associated Press Writer

UMM QASR, Iraq - An Iraqi prisoner was "screaming for his life" as he was being subdued by U.S. soldiers, a squad leader testified Wednesday at a military hearing into accusations that four Ashley-based U.S. Army reservists abused Iraqi prisoners of war at a camp in this southern port city.

Charges include dereliction of duty, assault and maltreatment of prisoners. Three of the soldiers also have been accused of making a false official statement and one faces an obstruction of justice count.

The hearing, being held at Camp Bucca, is the equivalent of a civilian grand jury investigation that will produce a nonbinding recommendation to be forwarded to senior military officials for a final judgment.

The four - Spc. Timothy Canjar, 21; Sgt. Shawna Edmondson, 24; Master Sgt. Lisa Marie Girman, 35; and Sgt. 1st Class Scott A. McKenzie, 38 - are all from the 320th Military Police Battalion, based in Ashley, Pa.

They are alleged to have punched and kicked several Iraqis, breaking one man's nose, while escorting a busload of prisoners to an enemy prisoner of war processing center at Camp Bucca in May in Umm Qasr. The soldiers have said they acted in self-defense.

"The hearing is being held to determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial or dismiss the case," said Maj. Vic Harris, a U.S. Army spokesman.

The list of allegations included kicking and hitting the prisoners in the groin, face, abdomen, and head, and holding prisoners and encouraging others to kick them.

Staff Sgt. Stephen R. Stallard of the National Guard in Kentucky was a squad leader of a unit involved in transporting 44 Iraqi EPWs on the day of the alleged incident. He testified that Girman told him, "I think we show the prisoners too much respect."

Stallard recalled the alleged abuse of one of the prisoners and testified, "In my opinion, he was screaming for his life."

Several of the reservists have experience in handling prisoners in their civilian jobs.

Girman, a Pennsylvania state trooper in the Hazleton area, served at an EPW camp during the 1991 Gulf War. McKenzie, who was decorated for his previous service in Bosnia, is a lieutenant in a boot camp-style prison run by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. Edmondson is a campus security officer at the University of Scranton, where she also takes classes. Canjar has been enlisted for three years.

The case has caused an uproar in Pennsylvania, where their relatives have enlisted the help of politicians, veterans' groups and friends to support the four reservists.

"A bloody nose and a twisted arm, and our kids are facing prison time?" said Edmondson's mother, Linda. "In time of war, it's ridiculous. She could have shot them, if she wanted to hurt someone."

Harris said the military was aware of the families' feelings, "but they have to know that this is how the system works."

"They (the prisoners) are human beings and they should be treated with dignity and respect, and certainly according to the Geneva Convention," Harris said.

Amnesty International has said some former prisoners have complained of being treated poorly, held in filthy conditions, restrained in painful positions, and exposed to bright lights and loud music for long periods.

[Born Conservative]

This article seems very slanted against the MP's (then again, it's from the AP). I did a Google News search and couldn't find anything. I have a gut feeling that the MP's are getting the shaft.

Related posts: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/971374/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/969827/posts

[Born Conservative]

ping

[hauerf]

I am naive re the ways the US military handle situations like the events that reputedly happened, and I don't understand how this became a court case.

Perhaps they were out of line. I frankly doubt that the court will be able to make an accurate assesssment of that. But assuming they erred, then why were they not chewed out by their commanding officer, firmly instructed on how things must be done henceforth, and sent back to work, matter closed. There's a politically correct stench to this affair; I'm wondering if the handling was decided by the same guy who blocked the drone plane strike on Mullah Omar's car (who I am sure has been assigned to slightly lesser duties than he had back then).

I hope a Freeper with relevant background knowledge will comment on how this became a legal matter.

[hauerf]

And, oh by the way, your observation that the report is from the Associated Press, yeah, that does tell me that I haven't heard diddly squat about what's really going on.

AP reporting = socialist crock.