All Better.
I'm sorry. I've spent a lot of time over the last few days feeling terrible about the prisoner photos coming out of Iraq, but now I have something to help, a veritable balm to soothe my anguish. I apologize for assuming the worst.
As Pfc. Lynndie England, she of the cigarette, leashes, and goofy mugging for the camera, explains, she and her peers were just following orders. End of debate. As a soldier, she is not allowed to question what orders to follow, much less exercise discretion when those orders fall outside the bounds of decency, wartime or otherwise. Nope, no reason at all to go up the chain of command to verify orders. She those others like here are not to blame. They were just following orders. Did I mention she said she was under orders?
Good enough for the Nazis, good enough for her. I feel so much better now.
Idiot.
[wik] It makes me wonder exactly how those orders would be phrased. "PFC England, I order you to behave like a douchebag," something like that? Or was it something more? "PFC England, I order you to stand there by the naked guys... a little to the right... Ok... now smoke that cigarette... great. Now... point at their weiners like there's something funny to see.. perfect.... No no, look at the camera, that's an order... hold it... hold it.... OK, got it on film. Stand down."
Idiot.
on
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Well, that won't hold up for
Well, that won't hold up for her in a military court:
"The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) 809.ART.90 (20), makes it clear that military personnel need to obey the "lawful command of his superior officer," 891.ART.91 (2), the "lawful order of a warrant officer", 892.ART.92 (1) the "lawful general order", 892.ART.92 (2) "lawful order". In each case, military personnel have an obligation and a duty to only obey Lawful orders and indeed have an obligation to disobey Unlawful orders, including orders by the president that do not comply with the UCMJ. The moral and legal obligation is to the U.S. Constitution and not to those who would issue unlawful orders, especially if those orders are in direct violation of the Constitution and the UCMJ."
Brdgt is right. Even before
Brdgt is right. Even before we get to the UCMJ, consider the Oath of Service, part of which is obeying the lawful orders of the officers appointed over you. And she is also right in that a "I was only following orders" defense won't cut it.
But.
Lower enlisted personnel are not exactly experts at Constitutional Law, the Law of Land Warfare, or the UCMJ much beyond minor brushes with the law handled non-judicially.
Now, do you have to be Alan Dershowitz to see these orders as unlawful? No. But a superior telling you to "hold this leash while I take a snap" maybe wasn't enough to get this kid's questioning mind working. Especially when there was an apparent psyops component to it.
I think that the bigger problem is with the senior members of the chain of command who thought this was a good idea. THOSE people damn sure knew better than a PFC did.
Even the "only followink
Even the "only followink orderz" defense seems a little weak when we hear that some of the other pictures and tapes show her having sex with other guards -- ""She was having sex with numerous partners. It appeared to be consensual," said a lawmaker."
The UCMJ is dead clear on the
The UCMJ is dead clear on the issue of whether or not a soldier should follow illegal order. Little Miss PVT is courting the world of public opinion. No military court will entertain the farce.
So who brought the nifty black pointy hoods to the party? I find it amazing that the general and her colonel who are getting all the press have kept the attention so well focused on the subtleties of command structure and interagency bitching. And the general before the armed services committee kept the senators wowed by the rigid protocols that exist and thus must be followed. Somebody with a name needs to be mentioned. Or a whole bunch of somebodies.
I'm told (since I didn't
I'm told (since I didn't serve) that many things are drilled into new soldiers' heads. Among them, I'm sure, is the "This is your rifle, this is your gun..." thing, but more importantly, any order that is out of the ordinary should be, and can be requested as, a written order. Such written orders can be walked up the chain of command, without fear of insubordination.
GL (and anyone else who might know): is this the case? It only makes sense to this civvie.
Separately, one of my (many) sisters sent me a picture of England, juxtaposed with one of Alfred E. Newman, and they're almost indistinguishable, but for the fact that he's not demonstrably a douchebag.
Patton,
Patton,
I'm sorry but my Basic Training was in August of 1989, so I'm hazy on the the admin stuff we were taught. I don't remember distinctions between written and verbal commands, and I doubt that in the weird, BizarroWorld of Abu Ghraib that anyone would think to ask for any.
But look, however much we slice and dice who told what to whom, or who knew what about the UCMJ, it seems there is broad agreement that everyone involved was, yes, a douchebag.
Guitar Picker: The hoods are non TA-50 issue items:
Hood, Prisoner, M5A2/Pointy. Color:Black Quantity:Each Amount:1
I know there's a drinking
I know there's a drinking game out there where the rule is when you say the letters N-P-R, you have to take a drink.
I was listening to NPR this week on my daily commute and I distinctly heard that some of the other guards declined to participate in this fiasco. um, um, I want to say that someone was talking about Taguba's report on the broadcast.
On the other hand, I met someone last night who works as an assistant to some general or admiral at the Pentagon. She was required to screen the video in its entirety, and the screams on the audio were so loud that there was utter and complete silence in the whole office after she watched it.
These days, I have stopped listening to the radio. I drown it all out with my cd's.
Maps,
Maps,
Did you ever notice that you can take the theme music from NPR's evening program ("All Things Considered"?) and add in Cartman's slogan for Cheesy Poofs?
"I love Cheesy Poofs
You love Cheesy Poofs
If we didn't eat Cheesy Poofs
We'd be lame!"
The melody doesn't match, but the meter is close enough to be funny once.