Commentary ~ December 4, 2004: More than 40
photos found posted on a commercial photo-sharing Web site show
smiling Navy SEALs with shackled and abused prisoners, some with
their heads in bags. "SEAL" stands for the elite group
of Sea, Air, Land troops.
The photos present yet more evidence of gross negligence,
or perhaps premeditated criminality, of Defense Secretary Donald
Rumsfeld.
In some of the images an automatic weapon appears
pointed at the heads of inmates. The photos were posted onto an
Internet site by the wife of a Navy SEAL and found by The Associated
Press. According to The Associated Press, the photos were
brought to San Diego by a SEAL who had been deployed in Iraq.
The Navy has reportedly launched a criminal investigation. Navy
Commander Jeff Bender, spokesman for the Coronado, California special
forces command, told AFP that the Navy was presented with the unofficial
photos last week. “Navy regulations prohibit photographing
detainees for other than official purposes," he said.
The Navy appears to be more concerned that the photos were taken,
rather than what the photos themselves depict – more gross
human rights abuses under the watch of recently re-appointed Defense
Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
In a related case, a confidential report to a top general in Iraq
raised concerns over abuse of prisoners by members of a joint special
operations-CIA task force before the Abu Ghraib scandal broke, a
Pentagon spokesman confirmed to AFP on Wednesday.
The Washington Post said the report by retired colonel
Stuart Herrington found that members of Task Force 121 had been
abusing detainees throughout Iraq and had been using a secret interrogation
facility to hide their activities.
Aljazeera reports that so far only seven U.S. military
police reservists faced trial over Abu Ghraib prison scandal which
first emerged in April, when photos showing U.S. soldiers torturing
and sexually abusing Iraqi prisoners were released, sparking international
outrage.
The photos were originally discovered by a reporter working for
The Associated Press. Out of fear some Navy SEALS may seek
revenge, the news organization refuses to identify the woman who
posted the photos on the website.
Some of the Navy SEAL photos showing obvious abuse of Iraqi
detainees:
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Photos that appear to show commandos
in Iraq sitting on hooded and handcuffed detainees are seen
on a commercial photo-sharing Web site operated by a woman who
said her husband brought the photos from Iraq after his tour
of duty. The Navy SEALs have launched a criminal investigation
into the photographs. Date stamps on some photos suggest they
were made in May 2003, which could make them the earliest evidence
of abuse of prisoners in Iraq. |
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