Who Cares If Iraqi Prisoners Die -
US Soldier's Diary
By Mark Sage
15 May 2004
The Scots ManAn American soldier's video diary shows her saying coldly about two Iraqi
prisoners who died in custody: "Who cares? That's two less for me to worry
about."The female soldier guarded detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad,
from where sickening photographs of soldiers abusing detainees have emerged.But as the abuse scandal threatened to destroy support for the war in Iraq, the
brutal beheading of an American captive has prompted new outrage in the United States.Television and radio talk shows were filled with angry calls for vengeance
against the killers, believed to be led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, an associate
of Osama bin Laden.It could create fresh support for the war, after backing for the US-led
occupation slipped to a new low in the latest opinion polls.American confidence in the war hit a low point after the picture of US troops
abusing inmates at Abu Ghraib were broadcast.Now, in the latest display of disregard for Iraqi detainees, a female soldier
shows her disdain for inmates in her care.In her video diary, obtained by the CBS 60 Minutes II programme, and being
broadcast tonight, the unidentified soldier says: "I hate it here."I want to come home. I want to be a civilian again."
She goes on: "We actually shot two prisoners today. One got shot in the chest for swinging a pole against our people on the feed team.
"One got shot in the arm. We don't know if the one we shot in the chest is dead yet."
Her video also documented the time she spent guarding prisoners at Camp Bucca, in southern Iraq.
Showing a snake, she says: "This is a sand viper. One bite will kill you in six
hours. We've already had two prisoners die of it, but who cares? That's two
less for me to worry about."She said about three prisoners managed to break out each week.
She said she was a fearsome guard: "They are scared of me. I actually got in
trouble the other day because I was throwing rocks at them."Another soldier at Camp Bucca said there were too many detainees for the guards
to cope with.Tim Canjar, who was discharged for allegedly beating prisoners, described a
riot."At one point, it was me and another soldier guarding. I was watching 535
prisoners on my side."The prisoners started hitting us. Our other chain of command was nowhere in
sight. We did not see them throughout the whole riot."Lisa Girman, who was also discharged for abusing prisoners, complained about
"the ignorance of the chain of command not to listen to the person who was
actually on the front line".Canjar and Girman both deny any wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, Senators were being able to view more of the pictures depicting the
graphic abuse of Iraqi detainees by US soldiers.They were viewing the pictures in a secure room on Capitol Hill.
The Bush Administration is still agonising over whether to release the pictures
to the public or risk them slowly being leaked to the media, prolonging the
scandal.But the storm over the Iraqi abuse scandal has been eclipsed by the gruesome killing of Pennsylvania man Nick Berg, 26.
His beheading was recorded and shown on an al Qaida-linked website.
In the footage, Berg is pushed screaming to the floor by masked men and his
head severed and held up to the camera.The video was entitled Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Shown Slaughtering an American. The CIA is probing whether al-Zarqawi was involved.
On the tape the killers said they were acting in revenge for the abuses carried
out at Abu Ghraib prison.US officials said Mr Berg had been warned to leave Iraq but refused.
His body was found near a road overpass in Baghdad on Saturday, the same day he was beheaded, a US official said.
According to his family, Mr Berg, a small telecommunications business owner, spoke to his parents on March 24 and told them he would return home on March 30.
But he was detained by Iraqi police at a checkpoint in Mosul on March 24.
Mr Berg was turned over to US officials and detained for 13 days. His father,
Michael, said his son was not allowed to make phone calls or contact a lawyer.On April 5, the Bergs filed suit in federal court in Philadelphia, contending
that their son was being held illegally by the US military. The next day Berg
was released.His family last heard from him on April 9 but it was unclear when and where he
was abducted.The White House said those who beheaded Mr Berg would be hunted down and brought to justice.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family," White House press secretary
Scott McClellan said."It shows the true nature of the enemies of freedom. They have no regard for
the lives of innocent men, women and children."The Foreign Office in London condemned the killing as "utterly repugnant and indefensible".