# New Prisoner Abuse Photos: Now It's The Navy's Turn **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 4, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053 "2004-12-04T13:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/81 "2004-12-06T04:08:19Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > And regarding the Geneva convention, there’s also something called common sense and real life facts. If you’re my enemy, and I just wounded you in a battle, it might take awhile before you get attended to. You might even possibly die, if there’s other more important business to tend to first. War is a nasty business afterall, and the top priority for US troops should be to look out for themselves before anything else. Higher priority than that, apparently, is to taunt prisoners and take trophy photos. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Truth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/82 "2004-12-06T04:13:36Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > Higher priority than that, apparently, is to taunt prisoners and take trophy photos. Big deal. Did you know there’s more WWII samurai swords in the US than in Japan ? Our soldiers took tons of them back with them. What’s wrong with taking a few snapshots to have as a souviner ? I really don’t see the big fuss, but then again certain people will whine about anything apparently. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/83 "2004-12-06T04:18:05Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > the top priority for US troops should be to look out for themselves before anything else. Bullshit. We don’t hire fucking soldiers to look out for _themselves_, **we hire them to look out for the interests of our country**. These jokers failed in that duty ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/84 "2004-12-06T04:20:54Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > Al-Jazeera which is pro-terrorist will surely find something pleasant to broadcast with or without these pictures. You would agree that the pictures don’t help right? > [@](#): > > I found it extremely humorous when one of their stations got _accidentally_ bombed awhile back. Doesn’t make us look any better, something we should be concerned about _constantly_. WE’re totally losing the media/propaganda war > [@](#): > > Clean them up ? Nobody knows the circumstances behind the pictures. How about we don’t take any pictures in the first place? That way we don’t throw situations out where people can interpret the context in 50 million ways, because when that happens, the US always loses. > [@](#): > > And all this talk about them _hating_ us, and how we need to suck up to certain people is a load of crap. Sucking up? Just don’t take the fucking pictures, not too hard. Do I need to remind you these soldiers are not only going against common sense, but they’re breaking Navy regulations? > [@](#): > > War is hell, certain things and incidents are going to happen regardless. We _know_ incidents will happen, we just wish there weren’t a bunch of morons taking a photo diary of it. What other purpose does it serve then fueling the passion of our enemies? > [@](#): > > We shouldn’t apologize, we shouldn’t feel sorry, we should just move on, because we have a lot more work to do in defeating the islamic fundamentalists and the wacko terrorist organisations these people create. There’s plenty of those sickos around even with zero incitement from anybodys part. They’re on a mission from allah, they don’t need our incitement to help them along. They’ll have plenty of reasons and crappy justifications for the sick and perverted things they are fond of doing regardless. We still shouldn’t give them more ammo which is exactly what we’re doing. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/85 "2004-12-06T04:22:53Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > What’s wrong with taking a few snapshots to have as a souviner ? I really don’t see the big fuss, but then again certain people will whine about anything apparently. I assume you don’t have a problem with Zarqawi keeping a little momento video of Berg’s head getting sawed then? What’s the big fuss with that? ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/86 "2004-12-06T04:24:36Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > Big deal. Did you know there’s more WWII samurai swords in the US than in Japan ? Our soldiers took tons of them back with them. > > What’s wrong with taking a few snapshots to have as a souviner ? I really don’t see the big fuss, but then again certain people will whine about anything apparently. For one thing it’s against the Geneva convention. However, you’re moving the goalposts. You **just** finished saying that the top priority for soldiers ahead of treating prisoners was protecting their own asses. Fine. If that was the case though, they seem to have placed taking these pictures ahead of even that. The samurai sword thing is a non-sequiter. That’s a weapon, not a person. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Truth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/87 "2004-12-06T04:26:00Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Bullshit. We don’t hire fucking soldiers to look out for _themselves_, **we hire them to look out for the interests of our country**. These jokers failed in that duty Ah, so you are already placing blame on these soldiers before the matter has been 100% looked into ? I suppose you’re one of those people that claim to support the troops ? Bullshit, I say. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Truth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/88 "2004-12-06T04:27:59Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > I assume you don’t have a problem with Zarqawi keeping a little momento video of Berg’s head getting sawed then? What’s the big fuss with that? Sure, why not ? Most people already have it, or have already seen it. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Truth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/89 "2004-12-06T04:30:58Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > We still shouldn’t give them more ammo which is exactly what we’re doing. This is true, unless one wishes to see the conflict escalated. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/90 "2004-12-06T04:51:05Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > Ah, so you are already placing blame on these soldiers before the matter has been 100% looked into? Whether we know the truth or not, the damage has already been done. Do you think enraged muslims are going to go “what dudes, hold the jihad, that wasn’t blood, that was Hawaiian punch he spilled on himself. The Iraqi was thirsty and the nice troops gave him a drink, then stepped on his chest to assist in swallowing”? > [@](#): > > I suppose you’re one of those people that claim to support the troops? Bullshit, I say. Is it such an epoch shattering notion that stupid stunts like this will _endanger_ our soldiers more? It’s pretty clear. Things like this will put our troops in jeopardy in two ways. 1. More direct attacks on soldiers 2. Dragging out the conflict longer because of renewed hatred. The longer the conflict the higher the bodycount. In addition, the longer the conflict, the more chance of stupid people taking trophy photos, resulting in more hatred, resulting in longer conflict, resulting in more likelyhood of trophy photos, resulting in more hatred resulting in a longer conflict resulting… It’s a never ending shitstorm loop, wake the fuck up. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@The\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Truth)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/91 "2004-12-06T04:59:34Z")
> [@World Eater](#): > > Whether we know the truth or not, the damage has already been done. Do you think enraged muslims are going to go “what dudes, hold the jihad, that wasn’t blood, that was Hawaiian punch he spilled on himself. The Iraqi was thirsty and the nice troops gave him a drink, then stepped on his chest to assist in swallowing”? There we go again with the enraged muslims. Well, they can all join Al-Qaeda for all I care. I’m tired of hearing about “the arab street” or enraged muslims. They need to clean house, or else they will be dealing with enraged Americans. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/92 "2004-12-06T05:12:59Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > There we go again with the enraged muslims. Well, they can all join Al-Qaeda for all I care. I’m tired of hearing about “the arab street” or enraged muslims. The very point is _you should care_. Doesn’t the problem get bigger if they all join AQ? Part of winning this “war” is reducing outrage. If we don’t do that we’ll never have a hope of acheiving any type of peace. I’m not saying we should all go give them hugs, but if they had 5 reasons to hate us (rightly or wrongly) by introducing torture pictures to the mix, they now have 6 reasons to hate us. We can’t win that way, it’s simply impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/93 "2004-12-06T05:15:08Z")
We don’t want them to all join Al-qaeda. 'Cause there’s like _millions_ of them… ---
**Author:** ![Nietzsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8dc957/32.png) [@Nietzsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nietzsche)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/94 "2004-12-06T05:15:33Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > This is true, unless one wishes to see the conflict escalated. Which you apparently do. Earlier you were chanting the mantra of other noted pussy chickenhawks of “Bring it on.” So why are you sitting behind a computer and not over there helping? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/95 "2004-12-06T05:23:53Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > or else they will be dealing with enraged Americans. Oooh, that’s spooky-scarey! Whatcha going to do, glare at them real hard? There’s not a heck of a lot else we can do now that we’ve blundered into the Iraqi quagmire with most of our forces. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/96 "2004-12-06T06:56:44Z")
> [@The Truth](#): > > Look up who Zarqawi is, who has declared his allegiance to Al-Qaeda. So yes, some of them are in Iraq. > > [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/17/al.zarqawi.statement/](http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/10/17/al.zarqawi.statement/) Fair point. And your evidence that the guys in those photos are Zarqawi supporters is…? > [@The Truth](#): > > Al-Jazeera which is pro-terrorist … There aren’t enough rolleyes in the world for this one. [quote] Clean them up ? Nobody knows the circumstances behind the pictures. Troops are there to defeat the enemy, not to play nurse with a bunch of goons. [/quoite] Troops are _legally required_ to treat PoWs in a specific way. What part of that do you not understand? > [@](#): > > …we have a lot more work to do in defeating the islamic fundamentalists and the wacko terrorist organisations … Neither of which descriptions applied to Iraq until after the invasion. > [@The Truth](#): > > And regarding the Geneva convention, there’s also something called common sense and real life facts. If you’re my enemy, and I just wounded you in a battle, it might take awhile before you get attended to. You might even possibly die, if there’s other more important business to tend to first That’s why the convetion exists - to stop shit-for-brains logic like this being used to justify leaving the wounded to die. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/97 "2004-12-06T06:58:19Z")
And with the quotes corrected :smack: … > [@](#): > > Clean them up ? Nobody knows the circumstances behind the pictures. Troops are there to defeat the enemy, not to play nurse with a bunch of goons. Troops are legally required to treat PoWs in a specific way. What part of that do you not understand? > [@](#): > > …we have a lot more work to do in defeating the islamic fundamentalists and the wacko terrorist organisations … Neither of which descriptions applied to Iraq until after the invasion. > [@The Truth](#): > > And regarding the Geneva convention, there’s also something called common sense and real life facts. If you’re my enemy, and I just wounded you in a battle, it might take awhile before you get attended to. You might even possibly die, if there’s other more important business to tend to first That’s why the convetion exists - to stop shit-for-brains logic like this being used to justify leaving the captured & wounded to die. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/98 "2004-12-06T07:38:17Z")
Once more, I can only boggle at the realization that there are actual folks who are willing to say, “I am proud to live in a country where my government and its representatives willfully abuse, torture, and humiliate helpless prisoners in its custody.” :eek: Good gravy, man! By everything that’s good and decent about the United States of America – at least, the US of A that _I_ know – everyone responsible for this screwup should be tossed into the deepest pit in the foulest correctional facility we have on hand, _if only_ for the crime of dishonoring and ideals of our nation. People have committed _seppiku_ for lesser disgraces. To actually **condone** such behavior – no matter what excuses you want to use – is inexcusable. Easier by far to admit that you’re nothing more than a power-mad thug, no better than those you claim to be superior to. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/99 "2004-12-06T13:01:13Z")
**The Truth** > [@](#): > > This is true, unless one wishes to see the conflict escalated. Troll alert !!! Troll alert !!! People like this make me physically sick. You, sir, are dumber than a bag of broken hammers. I am really surprised you are able to use a keyboard, or do you have somebody to type in your mental diarrea? ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053/100 "2004-12-06T15:50:16Z")
> [@vinryk](#): > > **The Truth** > > Troll alert !!! Troll alert !!! > People like this make me physically sick. > You, sir, are dumber than a bag of broken hammers. > I am really surprised you are able to use a keyboard, or do you have somebody to type in your mental diarrea? I’m still waiting for The Truth to tell us why he hasn’t volunteered for Iraq or at least assure us he will do everything in his power to be there if he’s not yet of age. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-prisoner-abuse-photos-now-its-the-navys-turn/278053.md?page=6)