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Subject: How many of the torture pictures are fake?
Blackwood    4/30/2004 9:27:14 PM
There's questions about the alleged torture pictures being passed around on the internet.

The BOTTOM set of photos on the arab site
link
that are not from
link

are obviously from a porn film and not legit
Their uniform is nothing at all like the Iraqi issue.
They're wearing jungle fatigues in a desert.
The tire props are cheap and look like from a Honda, not a Hummer
They have no indentifying insiginia of any army at all.
Some clothing is too large and ill fitting. (One guy's shirt reaches down to his knees in the third from the bottom photo, which was laughed at by a veteran looking over my soldier here.)
Their shoes are cheap and not military issue.
The women gang raped appear to be hispanic and russian, not iraqi.

But the photos on:
link
are harder to dismiss.

The guy in a hospital gown standing on a box does NOT have wires connected to his testicles, despite the earlier verbal reports.

The man "beaten to death" leaves the question, "beaten by whom"? He's certainly not in a US Army body bag, but appears to be wrapped in saran wrap from some arab deli. He may be a shopkeeper beaten to death by a gang. It definately is out of sequence with the rest of the series.

The series with the woman and hooded naked men appears to be legit, the uniform fatigues correct. But is it a training exercise with American GIs playign Iraqis that later fell into goofing off for the camera?

One man has "Rapeist" written across his buttock. He later appears stacked in a naked pyramid with this same word displayed. He may or may not also be the one miming forced oral sex to another man with a bag also still on his head.

While the guy with glasses has rubber gloves for body excavation, the girl who this exercise seems to be about does not. Her role mostly seems to be not laugh outloud at her crew appearing in the buff. The men pose for the camera and strut their stuff while keeping hooded anonymnousness.

Most importantly, all the men are in a jail cell, outnumbering the army staff 8-2, hooded, but with unobstructed hand usage. You can even see one taking off his hood in boredom in the lower right picture, carefully obscurred by a body in the front. Wouldn't prisoners undergoing a body cavity search usually be in handcuffs, at least until any concealled weapons were cleared?

There unfortunately are no tattoos visible in the pictures released. which would be a sure sign of GIs, not Iraqis. There do appear to be bikini tan lines, but that may be a trick of the pixillation. The prisoners do seem to be much more well fed and exercised than you'd expect of someone who's been in prison for a long time. And they're into American frat boy stunts like stacking in a pyramid for the camera. Arab culture also has a severe taboo about exposing the soles of one's feet that seems to be disregarded here.

Currently, I can't conclusively rule out the link photos as a training exercise, but I can say it's possible.
 
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On Watch    RE:evidence of fact -- boom boom   5/2/2004 11:07:13 PM
>>The Islamo-fascists, the French and Democrats Haha! Is this your new axis of evil? --'boomhauer<< No, that's the pre 9-11 Axis. GW Bush & Friends messed up their plans to destroy Western Civilization & the USA! The Islamists & the French are now trying to coalese under the Kerry/Heintz/UN Banner. Hopefully the Republican's damage control to the Ship of State will hold! At least until the US voters send in Congressional Reinforcements in November. On Watch
 
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sentinel28a    RE:evidence of fakery--boom   5/2/2004 11:30:14 PM
No, the evidence itself is probably true. The question is over whether or not it's being blown out of proportion by the antiwar types and the Arab media because it suits their ends. The Memory Hole already got nailed by NASA for publishing "coffin photos" that were actually those belonging to the Columbia astronauts. The idea behind this is to imply to the world that Americans are brutally raping, killing, and pillaging Iraq wholesale, rather than an isolated incident of abuse with a few idiots. A similar myth has been perpetrated from Vietnam, that all American soldiers were dope-smoking, gang-raping, baby-killing high school dropouts, when the overwhelming majority of them were not. It's why we see "Apocalypse Now" being touted as a great war film, whereas "Hamburger Hill" barely registers as a blip. AN bears about as much resemblance to Vietnam as horse crap does to peanut butter.
 
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leoinnyc    RE: On Watch   5/3/2004 12:37:56 AM
Ahh, this has the nutcases coming out of the woodwork. I wonder if Hunts Ketchup is also in on the IslamoFascist-French-Democrat-Kerry-"Heintz" conspiracy? I'll have to start avoiding their products... I guess to prove that I'm really a red-blooded patriot through-and-through I'll just give up condiments altogether. Remember folks, the next time you eat relish, you help the Terrorists win..
 
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On Watch    RE: On Watch   5/3/2004 2:13:55 AM
>>Remember folks, the next time you eat relish, you help the Terrorists win.-- cleo << Well Uncle Leo, feel free to Boycot Heinz Relish if you must but remember your costing some 3rd world schmuck his job.
 
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ChdNorm    RE: On Watch   5/3/2004 2:46:10 AM
Y'all laugh if you want, but I quit buying Heinz ketchup and 57 several months ago. Which is sort of sad ... I haven't found a decent replacement for Heinz 57 yet.
 
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On Watch    RE: On Watch--->Brer Chad's dilemma   5/3/2004 9:08:26 AM
>>..I quit buying Heinz ketchup and 57 several months ago. Which is sort of sad ... I haven't found a decent replacement for Heinz 57 yet. Chad<< DANG! A Texan gives up his steak sauce on principle, and 'Boomhauer & Leo' think I'm being paranoid! You boys better start cookin with propane! OW P.S. mebe this big D stuff can buck-up yer chuckwagon chad... "I have just had, which was probably the best tasting T-bone steak ever. My wife prepared the steak with Nick The Greek, Greek Seasoning Mix. She had not marinated the steak because it was a last minute decision to cookout. (Great Sunday afternoon). Now that I use Nick The Greek products on my steaks, I do not use steak sauce anymore. I used to splash on A1 or Heintz 57. That would only kill the great flavor that the Greek Seasoning now adds to the steak".... link
 
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azure    A few idiots.   5/3/2004 9:35:10 AM
I'm happy that you feel as though the torture cases are limited to a "few idiots" within the american forces. I'm not sure (I dare say, neither could you be) so all that is left is to wait, watch, and learn. Oh, and of course, speculate intelligently. We know, for instance, that these horrible atrocities must have been overlooked by more than just the actual physical perpetrators. There are commanding officers that would have had to, well, stop commanding and pretend nothing happened. And just as the disgusting practice was 'ratted' by fellow soldiers of conscience, how many knew about the incidents but did nothing? I wonder. It can't be zero. The sad fact is is that this assinine defence of this spectacle cannot simply be "oh, well, it's not widespread; 100% of our military does not engage in these kinds of things..." is pretty lame. Shouldn't that be the case? I mean, are we self congratulating each other because the military isn't completely corrupt? Only partially? The fact is, the USA comes marching into countries on highly suspect reasoning (which may not be their fault, the reasoning is determined by government, not them) and the USA trumpets its own values and respect for human dignity, and then we find out about this. Leadership is about trust and credibility. It has been lost. I'm assuming someone will try and argue this point, too.
 
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Andrea    RE:A few idiots.   5/3/2004 2:17:31 PM
Well fake or not. Those responsible wouldn't even be prosecuted by the US army even if it would be real. Soldiers just don't prosecute soldiers. Too bad, but true. I can remember the american A-6 intruder pilot that was stunting in Italy and crashed into a cable car, leaving about 20 people that. But the military blamed the altitude indicator instead of the stunting pilot that wanted to give a private airshow. although I believe the pictures of the torture are for real, apart from the rape pictures then. I believe that's from a pornfilm, but that doesn't mean it's not happening in Iraq. If american forces are accused with rape, it wouldn't surprise me at all. That's what soldiers do, and that's not limited to the American soldiers only. All armed forces in the world rape women when they invade another country
 
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NewGuy    Once again Azure shows his bias.   5/3/2004 2:22:33 PM
"We know, for instance, that these horrible atrocities..." What "horrible atrocities"? These pictures show abuse of power on part of the US soldiers involved, and humiliation of the prisoners involved to be sure, but exactly where are the "horrible atrocities" you speak of? If this is "horrible atrocities", exactly how do you define what bloody Saddam did to his prisoners? Hike down your skirt azure, you bias is showing. NewGuy
 
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leoatwork    RE:On Watch   5/3/2004 3:19:06 PM
You know, I was always suspicious of ketchup. It is, after all, RED. Thats right -- another commie attempt at mind control through the most seemingly innocent tabletop item. My God! Have they no decency! Will peanut butter be next!? ARE OUR PICKLES SAFE????
 
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On Watch    RE:On Watch   5/3/2004 5:49:00 PM
>>Will peanut butter be next!? ARE OUR PICKLES SAFE??? Leogetowork<< According to my scientific research Peanut Butter is safe -- as long as Carter sized peaNuts aren't mixed into the batch! Well Leo, what can I tell ya -- my Pickle is safe! Yu'll have to worry 'bout your own. OW
 
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American Kafir    RE:A few idiots.   5/3/2004 7:06:38 PM
Azure, I'm fairly certain that the US military was prosecuting the servicemen involved in the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners long before CBS News ran with the photos of their crime along with shots from porn films to sensationalize the story. I'm also fairly certain that CBS News' Dan Rather never asked Saddam Hussein about his treatment of prisoners. Nobody is defending the actions of those Americans accused of mistreating the Iraqi prisoners - the consensus has been that their punishment should be severe if not lethal. This punishment would have happened even if CBS News never ran with the story, even if no one outside the military even heard that this had happened - the prosecutions for the crimes were already underway. These images are being used to misrepresent the entire US military, and that is unfair and unfortunate. What these accused servicemen allegedly did was wrong, but does not qualify in my book as an "atrocity" - I look to Auschwitz, the fields of Cambodia, Kurdish villages, and September 11th for images of atrocities. The "lame" defense you're objecting to is the counter to the use of these images as representative of the entire US military in Iraq. Surely you don't believe the entire US military should be punished for the actions of a few? Believe me, the US military is focusing on the people responsible. Why can't you?
 
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azure    RE:A few idiots. -- A.K.   5/3/2004 8:10:17 PM
I do not disagree with you on the whole. But let's be honest: what would have happened had this situation been reversed? At the beginning of this invasion, for instance, when Iraq did take American prisoners? America would have gone INSANE. I mean, come on, urinating on a prisoner? (Brit or American, no difference.) How does *that* related to the "war on terror" ? Isn't this just nuts? It's like when a bunch of cops are found out to be involved in criminal activity: it's not just against the law, it's a complete breach of trust. In this case, it's a breach of a lot of things. I don't know the details about when the prosecution began or didn't begin, but, as Andrea mentioned in the Italian cable-car calamity, the USA's response is tied to public relations, not some independent moral code. The killing of the 4 Canadians due to reckless US engagement is also a good example: Canadian support for U.S. action plummeted further, so the USA started publicizing all of the cozy court proceedings, commenced to address the issue. If memory serve, everything was dropped and all got off scot-free. I know these soldiers are doing a tough job, and I know that the parameters of that job are not determined by them, so again, I do not think that the entire military is criminal. I'm sure you have friends in the military; I do, too. And I hear some pretty wacky stories, on par with frat-bot shenanigans. That may be innocent play in college, but the seriousness of war and death deserve more, don't you think?
 
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leoinnyc    RE:A few idiots. -- A.K.   5/3/2004 8:22:21 PM
And besides, the point is that perception trumps reality in this case. For better or worse, the Arab Muslim world is beating us handily in the PR game and this will make things much, much worse. This is going to be THE story in Al-Jazeera and al hayat etc. Every Iraqi who hates or fears the US is one more person our guys over there have to worry about, be spit-on by. Many Iraqis will see these photos and have their worst notions of the US confirmed. And that won't help bring our troops home any sooner..
 
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American Kafir    RE:A few idiots. -- A.K.   5/3/2004 10:03:12 PM
I guess I have this insane belief that people, even Iraqi people, tend to make us their own minds based on the information they are given. I'm certainly not going to take Al Jazeera's word that the US military is entirely composed of torturers and criminals, even with a photo of some US servicemen commiting crimes. I find this tendency towards collectivist thinking - extending the analysis of a sordid event to a broad-brush portrayal of it as representative of the actions of the entire group, be it in criticizing the entire US military or in determining that the entire Iraqi people are represented by Fallujah insurgents - is cartoonish in scope and offensive in reality. It's about the same as joining the KKK because "some black guy" was unpleasant to "someone you know." Maybe I'm erring on the side of naivete, but if I thought the Arab world were comprised of mindless robots salivating for the next Pavlovian dose of anti-American propaganda to hit the airwaves and that if said propaganda stopped they would all go back to being disinterested mindless robots, I would not be bothered by this topic at all. Are you sure you're defending human dignity when you magnify the crimes of a few to indict the whole? I find it curious that you could be simultaneously concerned for what the Arab world thinks and also convinced that the Arab world only thinks what Al Jazeera tells them to. Give the Iraqi people some credit. I'm sure prisoners being peed on or made to pose in degrading photographs is not helpful to our image, but I'm almost certain that the mass graves of over 300,000 Iraqis slaughtered by Saddam Hussein and his regime, or even the car-bomb attacks on Iraqi civilians, are not helping the image of Saddam or terrorists. I'm just asking for a better perspective.
 
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