WASHINGTON (AFP) - A US Army captain staged the mock execution of an Iraqi in 2003 and was later reprimanded for a string of abuses, according to newly released military documents.
The captain, who was not identified but came from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, was found to have engaged in abuse of Iraqi detainees and civilians during a weeklong period, mostly following a roadside bomb attack on a Humvee vehicle from his platoon in western Iraq.
Details of the abuses were in 2,000 documents released by the army this week in response to a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, which posted them on is website.
After the bombing, soldiers detained the driver and occupant of an Iraqi fire truck that was in the area after they did not turn off the truck's headlights, which were interfering with the soldiers night vision equipment.
Their wrists bound and held face down on the ground, the detainees offered no resistance.
But soldiers said they saw the captain kick one of the detainees, press a boot into his head and neck, put a pistol to his head and threaten to kill him. The two detainees were later released.
Two days later, the captain and his troops went to Ar Rutbah and picked up an Iraqi welder who the captain thought had information about the bombing.
They told the welder they were hiring him to make some repairs at an army base camp, but once outside the city the soldiers handcuffed and blindfolded the man. The captain then proceeded to forcefully interrogate him, an investigation report said.
"He had the welder dig a pit; he led the man to believe he was digging his own grave," the report said.
"Moreover, he had his soldiers stage an attempt to shoot this man; in his mock interruption of a shooting shots were actually fired by Captain (deleted)(and) maintenance soldiers."
Around the same time, the soldiers stopped a white Nissan that was in the area with eight people inside. The Nissan's driver was separated from the others.
The captain "kicked this driver, and using a captured pistol he fired a round in the vicinity of the driver to scare the remaining seven detainees as to the fate of the driver," the report said.
Eventually, the captain released the welder but kept the driver for 24 hours, obtaining from him the location of another man's home.
The captain and his soldiers then went to that man's home to "make similar threats to kill this man (in front of the man's family) if he does not also provide information," the report said.
In yet another episode, soldiers said the captain went to the Ar Rutbah police station and attempted to interrogate three detainees there, severely beating one of them.
Less than two weeks later, an investigation found the captain guilty of "offensive treatment and unnecessary force against Iraqi detainees," and was given an administrative reprimand.
"Your behavior has been detrimental to the regiment's mission in rebuilding this country through our efforts working with the Iraqi people," the reprimand said. "You have also abused the human rights of these people whom we are asked to protect."
It sure would be nice to know how serious he was "reprimanded".
Facebook
Twitter