CIA Copy of London Sky News Article: UK's Blair 'Appalled' by Pictures of Iraqi Prisoners Abused by US Troops

C 0 5950721 Y Pictures of Iraqi Prisoners Abused by US Troops
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Unclassified
Document ID: EUP20040430000137
Content Type: Translation/Transcription
Version Number: 01
Region: Near East/South Asia, West Europe, The Americas
Sub-Region: Near East, West Europe, North America
Country: Iraq, United Kingdom, United States
Topic: HUMAN RIGHTS, INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL, LEADER, MILITARY,
URGENT
Source-Date: 04/30/2004
UK's Blair 'Appalled' by Pictures of Iraqi Prisoners Abused by US Troops
EUP20040430000137 London Sky News WWW-Text in English 1036 GMT 30 Apr 04
Reference:
1. UK Iraq Envoy: Pictures of Prisoners Abused by US Troops 'Absolutely Terrible'
EUP20040430000091 London BBC News WWW-Text English 0844 GMT 30 Apr 04
["US Army's Torture Shame" -- Sky News headline]
[FBIS Transcribed Text]
Tony Blair is "appalled" at photographs apparently showing US soldiers abusing Iraqi
prisoners in a Baghdad jail.
No 10 said the actions shown were in "direct contravention of all policy under which the
coalition operates."
Mr Blair's official spokesman said: "The US army spokesman has said this morning that he is
appalled, that those responsible have let their fellow soldiers down, and those are views that we
would associate the UK Government with."
Meanwhile, America's senior general in Baghdad has denounced US troops accused of
torturing Iraqi prisoners.
Seventeen soldiers have been suspended, including one senior officer, with six facing Courts
Martial.
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The soldiers at a prison outside Baghdad were accused of forcing Iraqi prisoners into acts of
sexual humiliation and other abuses.
The charges, first announced by the military in March, were documented by photographs
taken by guards in the prison.
, Brigadier General Mark Kimmet is appealing to the American people to keep faith with their
troops in Iraq.
Some of the photographs, and descriptions of others, were broadcast in the US on
Wednesday [28 April] by a CBS television news program and were verified by military officials.
One shows a hooded prisoner standing on a box. Wires were attached to him and he was
told that if he fell off the box he would be electrocuted,
"The pictures show Americans, men and women, in military uniforms, posing with naked Iraqi
prisoners," the program said.
"And in most of the pictures, the Americans are laughing, posing, pointing or giving the
camera a thumbs-up."
But one of the soldiers accused of the abuse, insisted it was the Army's fault for not training
its troops properly in how to treat prisoners.
In his diary, Staff Sergeant Ivan "Chip" Frederick said he told senior officers about conditions,
but one replied: "I don't care if he has to sleep standing up."
The program's producers said the Army also had photographs showing a detainee with wires
attached to his genitals and another that showed a dog attacking a prisoner.
The photographs were taken inside Abu Ghraib prison, where US forces have been holding
hundreds of Iraqis.
Brig Gen Kimmet told CBS's Dan Rather: "This is wrong and reprehensible. But it is not
representative of (US) soldiers over here."
[Description of Source: London Sky News WWW-Text in English -- website of Sky News, the
24-hour commercial satellite news channel of BSkyB, part of News International; root URL as of
filing date:http://www.sky.com]
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