This is a sworn Statement by an Army Sergeant assigned to the the Internal Reaction Force at Camp Ganci, Camp Vigilance, and Abu Ghraib Prison Detention Facility. This sworn statement concerns an incident on August 23, 2003, when, after a mortar attack this Sergeant took two (2) Iraqis in to custody and shortly afterwards Military Intelligence (MI) personnel arrived and began to beat and abuse one of the detainees suspected in the mortar attack. The soldier states that the MI personnel "hit a male in the back of the head, causing him to fall forwards. Another MI personnel put an arm lock round the suspect's neck and pulled him up from the ground while the first MI soldier struck the suspect in the stomach". Also states that during a search he witnessed a Captain "dragging an inmate by a choking hold...throwing him against a wall...and kicking the inmate". He was also told to "let a dog scare the inmate for information".
mission is to quell inmate disturbances and to stand guard ~ethe compOund MP's search ~inmates. In September Camp Vigilance was attacked by enemy mortar fire. Some soldiers were ~9~injured..At approximately 21 OObrs, 1R.F was called out to assist the QRF (Q}Iick Reaction Force). U~n~valat the south. wall where the base exit is located. the team was staged approximately three h~~east ofthe exit where there were two GP medium tents set 'up. The QRF tQnied over two Iraqi ci~c;me male and female. I was told that the two suspects may know something abOut the mortar attack. Major .. and G.lz....... ptC· Sergeant Major was also present I was assigned to look over the male suspect to await the ~taJ:1 Intelligence personnel (MI). Before MI arrived I took my flashlight and shined' it in the male'suspects fBcc. I wanted to see who I was guarding. The suspect appeared to be scared. At approximately 211Sbr's. MilitaIy Intelligence arrived to take over the suspects. An unknown person from MI went strai~19 .,male suspect and started to yell profanity at the' male. The Ml person hit the male in the back ofthe ~witba'closed fist causing the suspect to faU forward. The suspect was handcuffed. on his knees and a towel wrapped around his bead. The M1 soldier kept yelling eyes down, get up while knocking the suspect back down and repeated . verbal abuse towards the suspect. Another MI soldier came to assist the first MI soldier .. The second MI soldier put an ann lock around the suspects neck pulling the suspect from the ground. While pulling the .. suspect from the ground by the neck, the MI soldier was twisting left and ~ingat the suspect while the first MI soldier struck the suspect in the mid section of the stomach. 1st L!_(1RF Commander)h' -i(l approached the soldiers an-d asked ifthis treatment was necessary. The 1vfi soldIer told tbeLT that he is a
trained professional and to let him handle the situation. The LT reminded the soldiers that these suspects maybe innocent. The MI soldiers continued their verbal abuse and excessive force. Lt_stated to the Ml soldiers that this behavior is not necessary. The MI soldiers ignored the LT and contin~erballyabuse the suspect and drag the suspect off by the neck. The L T approached Major_andasked the Major if he was going to let this continue. The Major said nothing. The L T stated that he was not going to allow this abuse to continue. The L T went to the MI vehicle and wanted to know who was the NCOIC. I was then ordered back to the vehicle that I arrived in. There was a lot ofloud talking between the LT, SFC_(IR.F NCOIC) and the M1 personnel. MI drove off with the suspects. This same night I wrote a statement on the events and turned them into L ~and SF~In November at an unknown time and date, the IRF 1:' responded to the prison site bec~a shootin~were infonned'tbat an inmate shot a soldier. Our miss!on was to assist the ~searching the prison for more weapons and the possibility ofhand grenades. I asSIsted the dog handle~During the searching I saw a soldier dragging an inmate by a chocking h" hold. The soldier was a Captain. I then went to the top tear to assist searching rooms. On the top tear, I had a view of the Captain throwing the inmate against the wall. The inmate fell to the ground. The Captain began kicking the inm~te in the mid sectiO? yeUing at the ~nmate. At this time I assisted _ because_ was asked to asSlSt M1 personnel to mterrogate a pnso~asinstructed by M1 to let the ~
th.. in...... "tp fl'\r .,.......... '" inf....,....".,.t;"n ".... 111fT n"",,"nn fnl,t~riif'f......nt ti"".." t" l..t th.. 1'1,,";., "" th.. .
DOD JUNE 734 with the searches.
Q. Regarding the incident at the ECP, do you know ifthe situation was ever haildled by unit personnel? . . . •
A. I was never present when the MI chain ofcommand discussed th~ issue.with MAl _and lLT_I was aware it happen~'butnot the outco.. I '"-t b-rc~'"
was told that I may be talked to about it, but to this date no onew approacb~ me.
Q. Do you know who the MI personnel were? , . .
A. No not at all. We tried to get a name, but were unsuccessful. EveryoJJe one that was at the incident provided sworn statements, and are maintained with lLt .
_ bh-'h~1'--tf '
Q. Do you recall the date of the second incident? .
A. It was the day all the riots occurred. There was a lot ofrock throwing at the towers...
Q. Why were you called to the hard site? . .
A. BecaUse ofa shooting. We were briefed an inmate had shot a guard with a pistoL We were called to assist in the searching ofthe rooms for suspected grenadeS.. We were working both sides ofthe wings upper and lower tiers.
Q. Where were you when you observed the Cprstriking the detainee?
A. As I proceeded to the top tier, I observed this CPT with a chock hold on a detainee, He was dragging the detainee to the shower room on the lower level. I proceed ro the upper tier, and observed the detainee come out from under the tier and the CPT approached him and kicked several times in the mid section. The detainee was screaming while this was going on. The CPT stated "you like hurting my soldiers". The kicks were full force into the detainee.
Q. Were their any other soldiers assisting with this assault?
A. No, not that I saw.
Q. Describe the detainee?
A. Approx 5'7, small frame, short dark hair, and a jump suit The detainee being drug had a sandbag covering his head and I can not be for sure he is the same detainee being assaulted by the CPT. When he was in the shower room he was naked.
Q. What is the time frame between being drug to being kicked?
A. Approximately 10 minutes.
Q. Did you see anyone else assaulting this detainee?
A. No. I heard people but did not see anything.
Q. Approxlmately how many people (soldiers) were in this area at the time ofthe incident?
A. I would say about 10.
Q. Describe the CPT? _
A. About 5'8-5'9, white, thin but fit, athletic type, mid 30's, dirty blonde flat top style haircut, clean cut. I was later told he was a CPT.
Q. Have you this CPT since the incident?
A. Yes, at the chow hall.
Q. Do you know his name?
lnitiaI__..M-ttl L:rtc-cf Paged-of S-Pages
000UU9
DOD JUNE 735
IA1cA
..~~~ . Statefficnt Of~on 20 Jan 04, at the Abu Gbraib~n,Abu Ghraib, Iraq
A. No.
Q. Did you r~oanyone? L
A. Yes, lLT_and SFC_ We always have an AAR to discuss the h'-ifl "iC-of mission.
Q. Do you know what actions he took after being notified?
A. No.
Q. Describe the incident with the K-9? .
A. The MI person (tall, dark hair, possible Asian appearance) kept calling the K-9 handler and the K-9 into the cell. The MI stated to the K~9 handler to allow the dog into the cell as a method ofobtainiDg information. The dog would go into the ceO for about a minute, and then MI would call them out I saw the dog during this strike the detainee. The detainee was bound and could not move, and the K-9 handler would allow the K-9 to approach within inches his face, and one time the dog bit the detainee's arm. When I saw the detainee later it appeared the detainee was bitten multiple times. The K-9 handler stated he did not think the dog could be used in this fashion and we departed the area. During the time I was in the cell the detainee never resisted. The MI was calling the dog into the cell as a scare
~ticrogruberinfonnatio~
Q. Do you know ifthis was report to anyone?
A. Other than the AAR, I do not know.
Q. Has anyone ap.achedyou regarding this incident?
A. No,otherthan b£-'ft J,1C-{
I.
Q. Where did the og bite the detainee?
A. Upper right ann.
Q. Do you know who the detainee was?
A. No.
Q. Do you remember the cell this occurred in?
A. Wing lA and it was either the second or third cell on the upper tier.
Q. Was there anyone else there that witnessed this incident?
A. A male interrogator, female interpreter and_(K-9 Handler). i?b -4, ~7c-cf
Q. Describe the female interpreter?
A. Dark hair, shoulder length, and she was approximately 5'4,.thin and possibly Iraqi.
Q. Ho~handlers were present on the Wing?
A. Just__There were two others on the other Wing. lo6-cf b1c.-4
Q. At any time did you observe the detainee resist the OPT? I
A. I did not see any resistance, but I did not see the entire altercation.
Q. At any time did you see the detainee in the cell resist or provoke the K-9?
A. No, I did see the entire incident.
Q. What was the MI interrogators reaction to the K-9 biting the detainee?
A. He did not seem concerned for the detainee, he entered the cell and continued his interrogation and again he would call the K-9 in. This went on approximately three times.
Q. Was medical aid rendered to the detainee?
A. At the time there was no medical attention. I know when the interpreter was bitten they a~empted to get medical aid for her on the spot. .
lf
.4 h1c-
Db l. Page ~ of.s. Pages'
nnnfl10
DOD JUNE 736
, " , b'.A b1C,"~ " ..
Statement o~enon 20 Jail 04, at 1be Abu GluaibL AbU ohraI&,l'niq
Q. Did you witness any further assaults this evening?
A. No. ..
Q. Do you wish to add anything else to your statement?
A. NoJl1END OF STATEMENTIII
bb-t.f"hie-I{
Initials.
Page tf of S-Pages
nooni1
DOD JUNE 737
I AFADAVIT
I -Lf ~1c-'-/ HAVEREADORKAVEHADREADTOm:nns STATEMIThTWHlCH BWINSON PAGE 1 AND ENDS ONPAG • I FULLVUNDERSTAND1lIECONTENTSOFTilEENTlRE STATEMENT MADE BY ME. THE STATEMENT IS TRUE. I HA INITIALED ALL CORREcnONS AND~vt~1'HEBOTTOM
( Autbority to Admiailtu Oatb)
INITIALS OF PERSON MAKING STA DA Fonn 2823 (AUTOMATED)
DOD JUNE 738
000055988