Canadian Cynic

Isolated cases of torture, my foot

After hearing that the atrocities committed at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison were just the result of a few bad apples, no big deal, just some isolated incidents, well, the truth will out, as they say.

From this AFP story,

The US military knew troops had abused Iraqi prisoners for months before graphic, humiliating photographs surfaced last week, a journalist who read a US army report says. (emphasis added)

Just in case there's any ambiguity:

"Specifically, Taguba found that between October and December of 2003 there were numerous instances of 'sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses' at Abu Ghraib," a US-run prison in Baghdad.

Hersh said the abuses went far beyond those portrayed in the widely broadcast photographs of sexual abuse, nudity and humiliation that have angered the Arab world. They were first shown on CBS television's "60 Minutes II."

One is reminded of the comical police chief from the film Casablanca: "Shocked, shocked I am that torture and mistreatment has been happening here. Ah, my cattle prod, thank you."