Army Questionnaire: Questions for the Soldiers of Orgun-E Forward Collection Point concerning their observations and experience in dealing with detainees, training before deployment and Rules of Engagement. The questionnaire appears to be in response to the accusations of detainee abuse and an effort to elicit information on the matter. The memo has the questions asked and a synopsis of the answers given. No individual soldier is identified as answering any of the questions.
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
COMBINED/JOINT TASK FORCE (CJTF)-180
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN
APO AE 09354
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF
CJTF-180-IG· 14 FEB 04
MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, CJTF-180, Bagram, Afghanistan, APO AE 09354
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Orgun-E Forward Collection Point 13
Feb 04
1.
The CJTF-180 IG conducted a sensing session of the 1-87 Infantry Battalion as part of an inspection on detainee operations on 13 February 2004. The sensing session consisted of 2 separate groups: NCOs, and Enlisted Soldiers. The following paragraphs contain comments from both sessions. These comments are perceptions of soldilors who participated and are not necessarily founded facts.
2.
Sensing Session Group 1 — JUnior Enlisted Soldiers. The first sensing session was for Junior Enlisted Soldiers-the questions and responses are as follows:
Question #1 How many people believe that you are required to report acts of poor treatment of prisoners or detainees/PUCs? 6 of 6 junior enlisted soldiers replied that they had to report violations.
Question #2 Do you know who you could report violations of prisoners' rights to? All Soldiers knew that they could report violations to their chain of. command. Several knew that they could report it to the Sergeant of the Guard, S2, and Civil Affairs.
Question #3 Has anyone ever witnessed anyone murder anyone? 6 of 6 junior enlisted soldiers replied No
Question #4 Have you ever seen anyone torture or beat anyone? 6 of 6 junior enlisted soldiers replied No
FOR OFFICIALYONLYY
"This document c ains information "Dissemination is r hibited except Y EXEMPT FROM MY
ATORY DISCLOSURE authorizedYR 20-1."Y
under the FOIA xemptions 5 & 6 apply."
p986
DA IG
AFZS-IG (20)
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Orgun-E Forward Collection Point 13
Feb 04
.
Question #5 Have you ever seen anyone deprive a PUC of their 5 senses? Everyone
has..
We put a sandbag over their head and cuff him when we are taking information. Sandbags are removed once they get back to the firebase and goggles are put on. However, if they have 30 PUCs they use sandbags or whatever else they have. Currently using cravats. If they are Al Qaeda positive, we don't let them look at you.
Question #6 Has anyone seen anyone cruelly treat or degrade a PUC? 6 of 6 replied
no. No insults used against the detainee. No profanity used against the detainee. The
approval authority for punishment is Civil Affairs or interrogators. Interrogators tell
Sergeant of the Guard who informs us. Punishments include no sleep and standing.
Question #7 How do you treat PUCs or detainees? Good/Fair/Poor? 5 of 6 junior
enlisted soldiers felt that we treated detainees Good. One soldier said that he felt good
would be if we let them have a bed and television.
Question #8 How many people know what the 5 S's stand for? Search, Silence,
Segregate, Safeguard, and Speed to the rear? Only 2 of 6 soldiers knew the 5 S's.
Question #9 How do you safeguard a PUC against public curiosity? Won't let anyone
into the detention facility who isn't authorized.
Question #10 Has anyone ever taken a picture of a PUC? S2 and SF take photos for
intelligence gathering. The combat cameraman at Shkin took photos. We have specific
instructions not to take photos. Most of the time PUCs are blindfolded.
Question #11 What would you do if you found a PUC with large sums of money? We carry trash bags with us. If we find money we report it to the chain of command.
Question #12 What is the rule for deadly force against a PUC in the event that they are esca • in ? 5 of 6 knew that in an attempted escape from a fenced enclosure, a prisoner
60)-3 One soldier who·
now the rule for • ea • y force thought that you only had toshould halt one time.
2
FOR OFFIC·SE ONLY "Disseminatio i prohibited except authoriz d y AR 20-1." "This document coi¦ . ins information EXEMPT FROM MA ATORY DISCLOSURE under the FOIA. /emotions 5 & 6 apply."
3 987
DA IG
AFZS-IG (20)
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Orgun-E Forward Collection Point 13
Feb 04
Closing Comments from the soldiers. One soldier stated that his unit needed a better tracking system for the villages that they conduct cordon and search in. His point was that it seemed like they kept going to the same villages. Need a larger PUC facility. Sometimes PUCs are outside the cage. Once they had 23 PUCs and the facility only holds 10, so 13 PUCs had to be tied to the Hesco barriers with 550 parachute cord through their flexicuffs. The cages should also be sturdier. They are made of Hesco chicken wire.
3. Sensing Session Group 2 — NCOs. The second sensing session was for NCOs, the questions and responses are as follows:
Question #1 How quickly do you hand PUCs to MPs? They stay awhile before they go
to BAF or KAF. The PUCs are inprocessed through S2 or OGA. 48 hours is a goal. It
is there belief that SF has different ROE for how long they can keep a PUC and that SF
can keep the PUC awhile.
Question #2 Is mistreatment of a PUC an SIR? 5 of 5 NCOs replied yes. Statement by platoon leader, which would go to the company commander and then through the chain of command. Soldier committing the offense would be retrained.
Question #3 Did your unit train on Law of War prior to deploying or during deployment? 3 of 5 NCOs replied yes that they had a briefing. 2 of 5 had hands on training. 1 of 5 not present for training during RIP and 1 of 5 not assigned until after RIP. 5 of 5 did receive ROE training. ROE keeps changing as the situation changes.
Question #4 What do you use to track and account for captured personnel? We assign a number to the PUC and the same number to his bag. 2 of 5 NCOs would prefer the EPW tag over the PUC tag
Question #5 How do you account for money taken from captured/detained personnel? Platoon Leader and Platoon Sergeant take a photo of the money.
Question #6 What do you allow a captured/detained person to keep on their person? In the village we don't allow them to keep anything. We give them a bottle of water, 2 meals, 3 blankets, and a Koran. 2 of 5 said they wouldn't let them keep anything. 3 of 5 said they might let them keep something.
3
FOR OFFICIAL E ONLY "This document ains information
"Dissemination is ohibited except EXEMPT FROM DATORY DISCLOSURE '
authorized y AR 20-1." under the FO xemptions 5 & 6 apply."
DA IG
3988
AFZS-IG (20) SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Orgun-E Forward Collection Point 13 Feb 04
Question #7 Does your SOP cover the 5s? 4 of 5 said it was in SOP. S2 decides who will be segregated, based on things like phone number, written logs, cell phones on their person, walkie-talkies in their possession.
Question #8 How do you prevent physical or mental torture or coercion of the detained person? At our level from point A to point B the detained •erson is safe. We spot-check the sergeant of the guard and guards. CSM·is checking and,we have interpreters present in the detention facility.
Question #9 If a detained person refuses to answer your questioning can threaten the Detainee? Can you insult the Detainee? 5 of 5 NCOs say No. You can't threaten them physically. We can threaten to take them with us If they don't cooperate.
Question #10 How do you take care of the prisoners basic needs for food, water, clothing, shelter, and medical treatment? Pre-arranged, S-2 handles it all. Medics give the PUCs medications.
Question #11 Do you believe that you are required to report acts of poor treatment of detainees or PUCs? Do you know who you could report violations of prisoners' rights to? 5 of 5 NCOs knew that they were required to report violations, that it was morally right to do so. They knew that they should report violations up their chain of command and to the S-2.
Question #12 Has anyone ever witnessed anyone murder anyone? 5 of 5 NCOs say No.
Question #13 Have you ever seen anyone torture or beat anyone? 5 of 5 NCOs say No.
Question #14 Have you ever seen anyone deprive a PUC of their 5 senses? If so, why and for how long? 5 of 5 NCOs replied Yes. They don't have earmuffs, but they do use blindfolds during movement from place to place. PUCs are also blindfolded while they are conducting a mission, blindfolds are removed after mission complete.
Question #15 Has anyone seen anyone cruelly treat or degrade a PUC? 5 of 5 NCOs replied No.
4
FOR OFFICI·SE ONLY "This documen ontaine information "Disseminations rohibited except EXEMPT FROM NDATORY DISCLOSURE authorize·AR 20-1." under the F A. Exemptions 5 & 6 apply."
3989
DA IG
AFZS-IG (20) SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Orgun-E Forward Collection Point 13 Feb 04
Question #16 How do you treat PUCs or detainees? Good/Fair/Poor? 5 of 5 NCOs say they felt that they treated detainees Good. One NCO stated that he felt great about it.
Question #17 How many people know what the 5 S's stand for? Search, Silence, Segregate, Safeguard, and Speed to the rear? 5 of 5 NCOs knew the 5 S'S.
Question #18 How do you safeguard a PUC against public curiosity? Good/Fair/or Poor. 5 of 5 NCOs stated that they safeguarded PUCs good. Keep the PUC out of sight. No recordings, no photos. An example of safeguarding Afghanis is that they used radios for a criminal line-up. They let the village elder identify an ACM via radio so that no one would know that the village elder was the one who identified the ACM.
Question #19 Has anyone ever taken a picture of a PUC? 5 of 5 NCOs said for intelligence and that photos are given to the S-2. Pictures leftover from intelligence collection are ordered destroyed by the 1-87 Battalion Commander.
Question #20 What is the rule for deadly force against a PUC in the event that they are escaping? All NCOs knew the ROE, but they did not know the rule for dead) force for an escaping prisoner. They stated that it was impossible to escape. Tha
One more said that you had to fire a warning s o an• en ye halt
·
4. Point of contact is the undersigned at DSN r
MAJ, IG CJTF-180 Inspector General
5
FOR OFFICIA U E ONLY "This doctrine tains information
"Dissemination.ohibited except EXEMPT FROM DATORY DISCLOSURE
authorize b AR 20-1." under the F Exemptions 5 & 6 apply."
99 ¦CI
IM IG