US Soldiers detain wives of Iraq Insurgents

RichardE

Banned
Dec 31, 2005
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I forget the post a while ago, where a tape released said something along the lines of "Destroy our country, rob our homes and steal our wives" in which it was rediculed here, since no one could see the US army stealing wives.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11061831/


The U.S. Army in Iraq has at least twice seized and jailed the wives of suspected insurgents in hopes of ?leveraging? their husbands into surrender, U.S. military documents show.

In one case, a secretive task force locked up the young mother of a nursing baby, a U.S. intelligence officer reported. In the case of a second detainee, one American colonel suggested to another that they catch her husband by tacking a note to the family?s door telling him ?to come get his wife.?

The issue of female detentions in Iraq has taken on a higher profile since kidnappers seized American journalist Jill Carroll on Jan. 7 and threatened to kill her unless all Iraqi women detainees are freed.

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The U.S. military on Thursday freed five of what it said were 11 women among the 14,000 detainees currently held in the 2½-year-old insurgency. All were accused of ?aiding terrorists or planting explosives,? but an Iraqi government commission found that evidence was lacking.


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Iraqi human rights activist Hind al-Salehi contends that U.S. anti-insurgent units, coming up empty-handed in raids on suspects? houses, have at times detained wives to pressure men into turning themselves in.

Iraqi official refutes claim
Iraq?s deputy justice minister, Busho Ibrahim Ali, dismissed such claims, saying hostage-holding was a tactic used under the ousted Saddam Hussein dictatorship, and ?we are not Saddam.? A U.S. command spokesman in Baghdad, Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, said only Iraqis who pose an ?imperative threat? are held in long-term U.S.-run detention facilities.

But documents describing two 2004 episodes tell a different story as far as short-term detentions by local U.S. units. The documents are among hundreds the Pentagon has released periodically under U.S. court order to meet an American Civil Liberties Union request for information on detention practices.

In one memo, a civilian Pentagon intelligence officer described what happened when he took part in a raid on an Iraqi suspect?s house in Tarmiya, northwest of Baghdad, on May 9, 2004. The raid involved Task Force (TF) 6-26, a secretive military unit formed to handle high-profile targets.

?During the pre-operation brief it was recommended by TF personnel that if the wife were present, she be detained and held in order to leverage the primary target?s surrender,? wrote the 14-year veteran officer.

He said he objected, but when they raided the house the team leader, a senior sergeant, seized her anyway.

?The 28-year-old woman had three young children at the house, one being as young as six months and still nursing,? the intelligence officer wrote. She was held for two days and was released after he complained, he said.

Like most names in the released documents, the officer?s signature is blacked out on this for-the-record memorandum about his complaint.

Of this case, command spokesman Johnson said he could not judge, months later, the factors that led to the woman?s detention.

Undisclosed number of women
The second episode, in June 2004, is found in sketchy detail in e-mail exchanges among six U.S. Army colonels, discussing an undisclosed number of female detainees held in northern Iraq by the Stryker Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division.

The first message, from a military police colonel, advised staff officers of the U.S. northern command that the Iraqi police would not take control of the jailed women without charges being brought against them.

In a second e-mail, a command staff officer asked an officer of the unit holding the women, ?What are you guys doing to try to get the husband ? have you tacked a note on the door and challenged him to come get his wife??

Two days later, the brigade?s deputy commander advised the higher command, ?As each day goes by, I get more input that these gals have some info and/or will result in getting the husband.?

He went on, ?These ladies fought back extremely hard during the original detention. They have shown indications of deceit and misinformation.?

The command staff colonel wrote in reply, referring to a commanding general, ?CG wants the husband.?

The released e-mails stop there, and the women?s eventual status could not be immediately determined.

Of this episode, Johnson said, ?It is clear the unit believed the females detained had substantial knowledge of insurgent activity and warranted being held.?

Perhaps we really are no different from our enemies, just with more advance technology.
 

compuwiz1

Admin Emeritus Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
27,111
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That would seem like a stupid thing to do, since males over there show such little regard for their women. I would think taking their gun or bomb away from them would have a bigger impact, for that is something they would care about. Hell, they can always go find and abuse another woman. ;)
 

Martin

Lifer
Jan 15, 2000
29,178
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Originally posted by: RichardE
I forget the post a while ago, where a tape released said something along the lines of "Destroy our country, rob our homes and steal our wives" in which it was rediculed here, since no one could see the US army stealing wives.

Perhaps we really are no different from our enemies, just with more advance technology.

that is a filty socialist lie, the US is radically different from its enemies.

For example:
Saddam tortures people in Abu Ghraib: evil
US tortures people in Abu Ghraib: good

Insurgents kill innnocent people: evil
US kills innocent people: good

Insurgents kidnap poeple: evil
US kidnaps people: good.

Now get with the program before you end up in Guantanamo, silly liberal. :)
 

RichardE

Banned
Dec 31, 2005
10,246
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Originally posted by: compuwiz1
That would seem like a stupid thing to do, since males over there show such little regard for their women. I would think taking their gun or bomb away from them would have a bigger impact, for that is something they would care about. Hell, they can always go find and abuse another woman. ;)

Don't know if you were being sarcastic or not... but...for those that might "Actually" think along those lines.. Love is still a human trait in all humans..not just us ;)
 

compuwiz1

Admin Emeritus Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
27,111
926
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Originally posted by: RichardE
Originally posted by: compuwiz1
That would seem like a stupid thing to do, since males over there show such little regard for their women. I would think taking their gun or bomb away from them would have a bigger impact, for that is something they would care about. Hell, they can always go find and abuse another woman. ;)

Don't know if you were being sarcastic or not... but...for those that might "Actually" think along those lines.. Love is still a human trait in all humans..not just us ;)

Rest assured, I was. :)

 

maluckey

Platinum Member
Jan 31, 2003
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It is comon practice in the United States to detain the spouse of a violent felon for questioning. The rationale is that the spouse would have to have known know, therefore is aiding and abetting in some cases.

In tis case though, I can't see the wisdom....I have seen villagers that asked for recompense for the death of their goat, but not their wife when accidents in battle occurred. It's not uncommon for them to ask for money for the death of their male child but not for he death of their daughters. I can't see this being much different, since most extremeists value the cause more than their own life, or family honor.
 

Buck Armstrong

Platinum Member
Dec 17, 2004
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Originally posted by: compuwiz1
That would seem like a stupid thing to do, since males over there show such little regard for their women. I would think taking their gun or bomb away from them would have a bigger impact, for that is something they would care about. Hell, they can always go find and abuse another woman. ;)

But who's going to slave over them in a beekeeper suit and take a righteous beating whenever the husband's upset?
 

RichardE

Banned
Dec 31, 2005
10,246
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Originally posted by: Martin
Originally posted by: RichardE
I forget the post a while ago, where a tape released said something along the lines of "Destroy our country, rob our homes and steal our wives" in which it was rediculed here, since no one could see the US army stealing wives.

Perhaps we really are no different from our enemies, just with more advance technology.

that is a filty socialist lie, the US is radically different from its enemies.

For example:
Saddam tortures people in Abu Ghraib: evil
US tortures people in Abu Ghraib: good

Insurgents kill innnocent people: evil
US kills innocent people: good

Insurgents kidnap poeple: evil
US kidnaps people: good.

Now get with the program before you end up in Guantanamo, silly liberal. :)

Yeah..I better go back to my Foxnews, Lays chips and coke and stop thinking :(

 

RichardE

Banned
Dec 31, 2005
10,246
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Originally posted by: Passions
Whatever it takes to get the job done.

It's a war, lest you liberals forgot.

Oh don't get me wrong, Im all for everything in war is fair, it is the hypocritical speak of the "insurgents" who are evil blah blah blah, when the US does the same.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
Interesting that the US just released 5 women being held in Iraq in the unstated hope that the insurgents would release the woman they are holding.

As a strategy the US plan shows the complete stupidity of those prosecuting this war in Washington.
The insurgents will believe the US is raping their wives. The outrage will fuel the insurgency and directly contribute to American deaths. Without serving a single useful purpose.
 

beyoku

Golden Member
Aug 20, 2003
1,568
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Originally posted by: techs
Interesting that the US just released 5 women being held in Iraq in the unstated hope that the insurgents would release the woman they are holding.

As a strategy the US plan shows the complete stupidity of those prosecuting this war in Washington.
The insurgents will believe the US is raping their wives. The outrage will fuel the insurgency and directly contribute to American deaths. Without serving a single useful purpose.


Yep and i would doubt it for a minute that they are "Letting off some steam."
 

Aimster

Lifer
Jan 5, 2003
16,129
2
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I sure hope this has nothing to do with the kidnappings in Iraq.

The U.S kidnaps their wives

They kidnap their journalist, etc.

Yep.
 

homercles337

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2004
6,340
3
71
Originally posted by: compuwiz1
That would seem like a stupid thing to do, since males over there show such little regard for their women.

This just shows you how little we knew about the "enemy" prior to the invasion.
 

tommywishbone

Platinum Member
May 11, 2005
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Originally posted by: homercles337
Originally posted by: compuwiz1
That would seem like a stupid thing to do, since males over there show such little regard for their women.

This just shows you how little we knew about the "enemy" prior to the invasion.

Exactly right. They see how we love our strippers, porn stars, celebs & boob jobs and they think we show little regard for our women.

We know nothing about them. Nothing.
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
I've got it!

The US Armed forces should take something to the tune of 100,000 pigs and let them loose into the towns in Iraq. :evil:
 

rahvin

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,475
1
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Originally posted by: beyoku
Originally posted by: techs
Interesting that the US just released 5 women being held in Iraq in the unstated hope that the insurgents would release the woman they are holding.

As a strategy the US plan shows the complete stupidity of those prosecuting this war in Washington.
The insurgents will believe the US is raping their wives. The outrage will fuel the insurgency and directly contribute to American deaths. Without serving a single useful purpose.


Yep and i would doubt it for a minute that they are "Letting off some steam."

Iraqi tradition is that if your wife/sister/mother has even been threatened to having been raped (doesn't matter if she was or not) while in captivity then the wife/sister/mother has to be killed to save honor.