This sworn Statement by an Army Specialist assigned to the Abu Ghraib Detention Facility concerns the November 3, 2003 shooting by a detainee who gained access to a handgun smuggled in to him. The soldier giving the statement was a member of the Internal Reaction Force. Following a mortar attack on the prison a detainee shot a Military Policeman from his cell. This soldier’s statement concerns his responding to that shooting and what he witnessed. The soldier states that after he arrived he saw a Captain strike a detainee in a manner that appeared to be unnecessary and abusive. The captain punched and kicked the detainee who was flexicuffed and laying supine on the floor.
SWORN STATEMENT
For use of this form, Ilee AR '190.45; the proponent agency is ODCSOPS
PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT Titla 10 USC Section 301; Title 5 USC Section 2951; E.O. 9397 dated November 22. 1943 (SSN).
AUTHORITY: PRINCIPAL PURPOSE:
To provide commanders and Jaw enforcement officials with means by which infonnatlon mey be oICCUTIIUIfy
Your social security number is used as /Ill additionsUaltemate mean, of identification to fdtaCa filing and retrieval.
WANT TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT UNDER OATH:
~the day in whiCh the Abu Ghraib Prison saw the prisoners riot for the first tim~, I, as a member of the Intema1 Reaction Force
for the prison, was on stand--by for any future incidents. On that night we were caned and instructed to ao ro the hard site and,
assist the unit rurining it. No other information was known until we anived and were briefed by a mar ~soldier,. We
were told that a prisoner bad gained access to a handgun and bad fired at an American guard. We were instnx:f.cd tm.t, the unir
responsible for the hard site wanted our unit to conduct a search of evCJY ceD. We entered throup the nordl ~of the hard
site and went to the first bay on the left. We went ;m!"ediately upstairs and began to, search the,cc:na,' I was on the top deck with
other members of my team when I heard a man scrcammg from the first deck. I was on the south side oftbc bayand flocked
to the n0rtl?west comer of the l?ay. lhro~gh ~e o~center, and obsC!"ed!-W0 soldi~rs and a prisoner. ".Jbe prisoner ~lying
prone on his stomach, dressed m an orange JUlDpswt, f1ex~ed behiDd his back WIth a sandbag OYCr his hc;ad. 'Ik ppsoner was
not resisting in any way. One soldier was standing next to the left side of the ~soner's bead with. the barrell ofhis rifle pressed
against the prisoner's head. I observed the other soldier kneeling next to the nght side of the prisOller at approximately waist level.
I observed this soldier begin to strike the prisoner in the small of the back with a closed fist. The soldier struck the pqsoncr
approximately [CD times. The soldier then stood up and kicked the prisoner in the right hip and right side appro~1ythtee
times. I observed that this soldi~r was a white male with blond hair, cut very close on the sides with aflat-rop style on top. This
soldier was wearing a solid, olive-green vest with two pouches on the left and right sides at the rear. at the bottom of the vest. I
was not able to identify this soldier until I observed him several days later in the dicing facility and saw that he was il Captain. I
was not able to this eaetain's ~~'TThe oth~d~~~rs of my ~that were P::;~ci~g thisl::~:C~~~~othe
others are still assigned to the Internal Reaction Force, 229th Rompany. & '
Q. Do you know the date of the incident?
A. No, sir I do DOt. I believe it was in Nov 03.
Q. When were you assigned to the lRF?
A. Aug 03.
Q. Did you observe the detainee resisting at any time before, during or after the incident in question?
A. No, sir.
Q. Do you know who the soldier was with the weapon?
A. No, sir. He never looked up. I could not see his face.
Q. Can you describe the soldier with the weapon?
A. Other than white male, no sir.
Q. Was there any other soldiers obseviJlg this incident? ' ",\I "'\\.lBlE
A. From my location I could not tell if anyone was observing what I saw. BESl COPl t\Vt\
Q. Did anyone fun your team observe the incident?
A. I am DOt sure, sir.
Q. How long did the incident last?
A. No more than fve minutes.
Q. What were you doing when this was going on?
A. Searching the south side of the second deck. 1 heard the screaming while conducting the searches, I looked down at the ~cident. I con~ued with the searches glancing down at the inci~nt and at some poitn they had snipped the prisoner and moved him from my VlCW.
Q. Did anyone say anything to this CPT?
A. Not that I saw.
Q. Did you report this to anyone other than this office'?
10. EXHIBIT 11. ~PAGES
ADDITIONAL PAGES MUST CONTAIN THE HEADING "STATEMENT __ TAKEN AT __ DATED __
THE BOTTOM OF EACH ADDITIONAL PAGE MUST BEAR THE INITIALS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE STATEMEffl. AND PAGE NUMBER MUST BE BE INDICA TED.
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Statement Of~on 20 Jan 04, at the Abu Gbraib(.l..Abu GIualb, fnq
A. Not officially. I discussed it with certain members ofthe IRF as a whole.
Q. Was the CPT striking the detainee with an open or closed fist?
A. Closed fist
Q. Did you see what Jed up to this incident?
A No, sir.
Q. Could you hear what was being said to the detainee?
A. No,si!'. . •
Q. Could you describe the detainee?
A. Male, daIk hair and an orange jumpsuit
Q. Where exactly was the detainee struck? .
A. The detainee was struck in the small ofthe back by the CPT. He was Using his
right hand.
Q. After you finished your search did you see the detainee again?
A. No, sir. .
Q. Did you see the CPT in the isolation area again?
A. No, sir.
Q. Have you witnessed any other incidents ofconcern?
A. In September of2003, when we first arrived at the prison complex, Iob$CfVed that the prisoners at the compounds were receiving punishment in the way of . being forced to kneel on gravel until their knees were bleeding. I stopped this punishment whenever I observed it and brought it to the attentioll: ofLieutenant . '-. ..In.the JRF commander. This type of punishment stopped. Also in h€... +, t:J tc -~ September of2003, I observed an M1 soldier choke and strike a prisoner in the . presence ofMajor This incident was reported to my chain ofcOmmand. bb-f\ b1:-I Swo:n statements we:-e ~.tten and presented to Lieutenant_ I heard bb -tf I ~-rc4
nothing more from this mCldent. . . .--. .... . .
Q. Do you know what action was taken on the second incident? . 0.-...
A. I was not present when it was discussed. I heaId that MI personnel came over and
apologized for their actions.
Q. Have you heard ofany other incidents of maltreatment towards the detainees?
A. The same night the CPT struck the detainee, I heard one of the navy dogs had
bitten a prisoner that was flex-i-cuffed and was not resisting.
Q. Do you know who witnessed this incident?
A. SGT_ PO1-.twasthe dog handler whose dogs bit the detainee. b' -tfI b'1c. -.f
Q. Do you know the de~sincident?
A. No, sir.
Q. Do you have anything else to add to your statement?
A. No, sirJ/IEND OF STATEMENT//I
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AFFIDAVIT
• HAVE READ OR HAVE HAD READ TO ME THIS STATEMENT , I FUllY UNDERSTAND THE CONTENTS OF THE ENTIRE STATEMENT MADE
THREAT OF PUNISHMENT, AND WlTHOUT :OEP.C!Of •• UNl..A\'JFU!.
INITIALED ALL CORRECTIONS AND HAVE INITIAteD THE BOnOM OF EACH PAGE
I HAVE MADE THIS STATEMENT FREELY WITHOUT HOPE'O'F. SEr:EAT _,L
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