Whistleblower's Identity Revealed (Iraqi POW abuse exposed by US Soldier)

The Age (Australia) ^ | May 4, 2004 | unknown

[E Rocc]

The whistleblower who alerted officers to the torture of Iraqi prisoners of war was Specialist Joseph Darby, 24.

Bernadette Darby, his wife of six years, said she didn't know about her husband's role until a reporter called her on Sunday, but it sounded like something he would do. "Whenever he knows something's wrong, he doesn't stand by it," she said.

Darby's name emerged this weekend in an article by Seymour Hersh in The New Yorker, which detailed a report by Major-General Antonio Taguba in February that accused soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Company of "sadistic" treatment of Iraqi prisoners.

The article said that Mr Darby saw photographs of naked prisoners and wrote an anonymous letter about the mistreatment, which he slipped under the investigators' door. He later gave a sworn statement.

"He felt very bad about it and thought it was very wrong," Special Agent Scott Bobeck, of the army's Criminal Investigation Command, said in a transcript of a military hearing quoted in The New Yorker.

[E Rocc]

It wasn't the media. It wasn't the UN. It wasn't Congressional investigators. It was a US Soldier who blew the whistle on the abuse of the Iraqi prisoners.

The media loves to compare this to My Lai, when it's not. One thing is comparable...they didn't pay much attention to Hugh Thompson and his crew then, or specialist Darby now.

-Eric

[LS]

This is exactly what Gen. Karpinski should have done, except not anonymously.

As Rush would say, "Aaaad-mmeeeeee-rraaal Roooooo-da committed sooooo---eeee---cide for much less."

[68skylark]

I wish the pictures had stayed secret -- those pictures are putting lives at risk in the Middle East.

Nevertheless, it shows the good side of our system when our own people are able to uncover and fix wrongdoing -- unlike the totalitarian societies we're fighting.

[Poohbah]

It wasn't the media. It wasn't the UN. It wasn't Congressional investigators. It was a US Soldier who blew the whistle on the abuse of the Iraqi prisoners.

No doubt, there is a group of FR wingnuts tuning up to say "Specialist Darby should be executed for treason" and to accuse him, without evidence, of being paid off by Teresa Kerry...

[Names Ash Housewares]

If this is indeed the case he had to make a tough decision.
Perhaps not so much a whistleblower, Im sick of that word, seems to always be some leftist agenda attached with that word. He was doing his duty, It had to be rough. Those are your fellow soldiers in there and he had to do this. Very difficult indeed. You cant help but wonder if you could have done the same thing? Can you imagine the conflict and pressure? Its too early to know for sure who knew what when and why they did things just yet. But I think we will learn what we already know, that American soldiers overwhelming serve with honor after all of this.

[commish]

And they will be dead wrong ... Darby blew the whistle back in january to his higher ups --totally different from the scumbag who released the photo's to the press.

[jackbill]

Specialist Joseph Darby saw "atrocities" in Iraq, and reported them.

John F'n Kerry saw (and perhaps committed) atrocities in Vietnam and kept his mouth shut until he started his quest for the Presidency.

[commish]

ROFL -- Ya gotta Love newspapers trying to say they have a SCOOP!!!!

From the PENTAGON REPORT LISTED YESTERDAY!!! :
b. (U) SPC Joseph M. Darby, 372nd MP Company discovered evidence of abuse and turned it over to military law enforcement.

Some scoop--- his wife says it sounds like him -- Well DUH he has already been identified and commmended in the report (rolls eyes)

[Polybius]

I wish the pictures had stayed secret -- those pictures are putting lives at risk in the Middle East.

If the honor of the U.S. Army was upheld, we can thank that U.S. soldier.

If those photos are being distributed world-wide, we can thank the anti-American news media.

[MHGinTN]

Photos of a British origin have been circulating for months without the dnc lapdog media reporting a peep. Not until they could have Americans in the pix and thus seek to impugn OUR Soldiers and this administartion did they decide to out the abuse. Sadly, most Americans will be successfully manipulated by this treachery of the media and the dnc outrageous amplification.

[L.N. Smithee]

It wasn't the media. It wasn't the UN. It wasn't Congressional investigators. It was a US Soldier who blew the whistle on the abuse of the Iraqi prisoners.

It appears that Darby has the moral high ground, having reported the misdeeds within the chain of command. The question is, who leaked the photos to the New Yorker? That I have a problem with.

[Grut]

"The Distinguished Service Medal is awarded to any person who, while serving in any capacity with the United States Army, has distinguished himself or herself by exceptionally meritorious service to the Government in a duty of great responsibility. The performance must be such as to merit recognition for service which is clearly exceptional. Exceptional performance of normal duty will not alone justify an award of this decoration."

Seems like a pretty good fit to me.

[okie01]

No doubt, there is a group of FR wingnuts tuning up to say "Specialist Darby should be executed for treason" and to accuse him, without evidence, of being paid off by Teresa Kerry...

This "wingnut" bears no grudge against Spec. Darby. I salute him for having done the right thing.

The guy who should be executed for treason (and was probably paid off by Teresa Heinz) is the pinko liberal fanatic who slipped these photos under the media's door.

[commish]

is the pinko liberal fanatic who slipped these photos under the media's door

And my invesigation into that would start with one BG Janice Karpinski!

[Ann Archy]

Someone wrote that you can see these same kind of pictures in PORN MAGAZINES! I think there is something to this.

Everyone I've seen connected to this scandal looks GAY!!....am I wrong? This seems like SEX ABUSE, as everything had a SEXUAL connataton.....not pulling our thumbnails.

[45Auto]

1968 Buick Skylark GS

[commish]

That's why our response to the Democrats about this scandal should be "It's Just About Sex, Can't we Just MOVE ON!"

[MEG33]

If some want to attack the messenger,I will refer them to the opinions of active military,the majority of vets,the investigation(it wasn't all "naked picture abuse",it was worse).They abhor the abuse.These jerks who did this abuse should give an apology to every member of the armed forces,sacrificing and serving with honor for our country.

They feel splattered by the stain these cretins created.It should not be the innocent in the military that suffer for the sins of the perps and their enablers,of course.

[Judith Anne]

I absolutely agree.

[dandelion]

This is a VERY important piece of information - Spc. Darby and his wife have both said they support the war effort, they support our reasons for being there, and neither one has anything to gain from this.

American soldiers, for the most part, are doing exactly what they need to do to get the job done. Now we have to see if the photos he saw were real, and if the allegations are true...