Graner Blames Superiors in Abuse Case

[cato2]

As this case starts to unfold, will it stop with just these people? Just how far up the ladder will they pursue this? I am of the opinion that these guards may be the ones the interrogators chose because they knew they would obey these orders. And the use of the woman in this was also a condition of the punishment.

Graner Blames Superiors in Abuse Case

By T.A. BADGER, Associated Press Writer

FORT HOOD, Texas - Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr., convicted of mistreating Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, took the stand for the first time Saturday and said he had been ordered to abuse detainees. He called the pictures of him flashing a thumbs-up next to naked detainees an expression of dark humor. That is what he calls that?

Speaking a day after his conviction in the case that sparked international outrage, Graner conceded that much of what took place at the prison was "criminal," but said he did not enjoy it.

"There was a lot of things that we did that were so screwed up, if you didn't look at them as funny, there was no way to deal with it," Graner said.

Graner, the suspected ringleader of the abuse, described himself as a by-the-book prison guard corrupted by superiors who ordered him to physically mistreat and sexually humiliate detainees.

He said he initially resisted pressure to mistreat prisoners, but his Army superiors made it clear to him that he was expected to obey the commands of the military and civilian intelligence agents who ran his part of Abu Ghraib.

Graner said a lieutenant in his unit told him: "If (military intelligence) asks you to do this, it needs to be done. They're in charge, follow their orders."

He said he now knows that those orders were unlawful, but "at the time my understanding is that they were (lawful), or I wouldn't have done them," he said.

Graner spoke for nearly three hours as an "unsworn statement," meaning he was not subject to cross-examination by prosecutors. He did not testify during the 4 1/2-day trial.

He concluded by saying: "I didn't enjoy what I did there. ... A lot of it was wrong, a lot of it was criminal."

Given the choice between prison time or a dishonorable discharge, he said he'd rather serve a term behind bars.

"I still want to be a part of the Army," he said. Forget that buddy!

The first soldier to be court-martialed in the scandal, Graner was convicted of all five charges and faces up to 15 years behind bars. Four other soldiers have pleaded guilty. Two other guards from the 372nd Military Police Company, a reserve unit from Cresaptown, Md., are awaiting trial, along with Pfc. Lynndie England, a clerk at Abu Ghraib who last fall gave birth to a baby believed to be fathered by Graner.

The verdict came after less than five hours of deliberations and a 4 1/2-day trial in which prosecutors depicted Graner as a sadist who took great pleasure in seeing detainees suffer.

"It was for sport, for laughs," prosecutor Capt. Chris Graveline told jurors in his closing argument Friday. "What we have here is plain abuse. There is no justification."

Iraqi detainee Hussein Mutar, in videotaped testimony shown as the sentencing phase began Friday evening, said he had supported the U.S.-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein until he was abused. Just how much good will was lost because of these actions?

"The Americans came to free the Iraqi people from Saddam," Mutar said. "I didn't expect this to happen. This instance changed the entire picture of the American people (for me)."

Graner was accused of stacking naked prisoners in a human pyramid and later ordering them to masturbate while other soldiers took photographs. He also allegedly punched one man in the head hard enough to knock him out, and struck an injured prisoner with a collapsible metal stick.

"A lot of the off-the-wall stuff was from civilian interrogators, but also some of the craziness came from a lot of the soldiers who were the military handlers," he said.

His attorney, Guy Womack, asked him why he was smiling in those photos, some of which were shown while Graner spoke.

"I'm smiling now, and that's a nervous smile," Graner said.

His mother, Irma Graner, testifying in the sentencing phase, described him as a kind and gentle man who faithfully served his country.

"He is not the monster he's made out to be," she said quietly. "In my eyes he'll always be a hero."

Graner, a 36-year-old reservist from Uniontown, Pa., faced 10 counts under five separate charges: Assault, conspiracy, maltreatment of detainees, committing indecent acts and dereliction of duty. He was found guilty on all counts, except that one assault count was downgraded to battery.

The shocking photos of reservists abusing and sexually humiliating prisoners were first broadcast on CBS's "60 Minutes II" in April.

A month later, President Bush urged Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to make sure that any guilty U.S. soldiers be punished for "shameful and appalling acts."

[Betty Boop]

Graner, the suspected ringleader of the abuse, described himself as a by-the-book prison guard corrupted by superiors who ordered him to physically mistreat and sexually humiliate detainees.


He said he initially resisted pressure to mistreat prisoners, but his Army superiors made it clear to him that he was expected to obey the commands of the military and civilian intelligence agents who ran his part of Abu Ghraib.

Graner said a lieutenant in his unit told him: "If (military intelligence) asks you to do this, it needs to be done. They're in charge, follow their orders."

He said he now knows that those orders were unlawful, but "at the time my understanding is that they were (lawful), or I wouldn't have done them," he said.

Graner spoke for nearly three hours as an "unsworn statement," meaning he was not subject to cross-examination by prosecutors. He did not testify during the 4 1/2-day trial.

He concluded by saying: "I didn't enjoy what I did there. ... A lot of it was wrong, a lot of it was criminal."

Given the choice between prison time or a dishonorable discharge, he said he'd rather serve a term behind bars.

"I still want to be a part of the Army," he said.

In my mind, as a civillian, I feel better about him as a human being that he acknowledges what he did and that it was wrong - unlawful - "criminal." Even so, when the Commander In Chief says, we will take the high moral road in the treatment of the Iraqi people, anything that falls short of that standard of basic morality has to be questioned as "unlawful." I think he should get the full prison time and a dishonorable discharge. It shouldn't be an "either/or" situation. And, I think that Lyndie England and the others involved should so, too.

[Betty Boop]

Some will argue that it's not enough - that he should have gotten the full 15 years. Now, let's hope that the others are in kind held as accountable and responsible and likewise sentenced - and that Graner now "sings like a canary" so those who were higher ups can be called into accountability as well.

Jury sentences Graner to 10 years in military prison



T.A. BADGER, Associated Press Writer

Saturday, January 15, 2005

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(01-15) 15:42 PST FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) --

Army Spc. Charles Graner Jr. was sentenced to 10 years behind bars Saturday for physically and sexually mistreating Iraqis in the first court-martial stemming from at Abu Ghraib prison scandal, an embarrassment to the U.S. military fueled by the release of graphic photographs.

Asked if he felt remorse after the sentence was handed down, Graner said, "There's a war on. Bad things happen."

Graner, labeled the leader of a band of rogue guards at the Baghdad prison in late 2003, will be dishonorably discharged when his sentence is completed. He also was demoted to private and ordered to forfeit all pay and benefits.

A day after convicting him, the jury of four Army officers and six senior enlisted men deliberated about two hours to determine Graner's sentence. He could have received 15 years.

Graner, who had been free prior to trial, was taken into custody after the sentence was read. He gave his mother, Irma, a big hug and his father, Charles Sr., a firm handshake before the jury foreman read the sentence.

"He's scared to death," Irma Graner said later.

Graner was accused of stacking naked prisoners in a human pyramid and later ordering them to masturbate while other soldiers took photographs. He also allegedly punched one man in the head hard enough to knock him out, and struck an injured prisoner with a collapsible metal stick.

Defense lawyer Guy Womack said his client and the six other Abu Ghraib guards charged with abuses were being scapegoated, but added that he thought the jury did its job well.

"I firmly believe there should have been reasonable doubt, but we respect their decision," he said outside the courthouse. He added that he had feared Graner could have received a harsher sentence than the 10-year term.

Under military court rules, Graner's case will be automatically appealed to the Army Court of Criminal Appeals. He also could request clemency from his commanding general.

Graner did not testify during his trial, but during the sentencing phase Saturday he took the witness stand to repeat the defense claim that the jury clearly rejected: that he had been ordered by intelligence agents at Abu Ghraib to abuse the prisoners to make them easier to interrogate.

His attorney, Guy Womack, asked him why he was smiling in the infamous photos, some of which were shown while Graner spoke.

"I'm smiling now, and that's a nervous smile," Graner said.

Graner described himself as a by-the-book prison guard corrupted by superiors who ordered him to physically mistreat and sexually humiliate detainees.

He said he initially resisted pressure to mistreat prisoners, but his Army superiors made it clear to him that he was expected to obey the commands of the military and civilian intelligence agents who ran his part of Abu Ghraib.

Graner said a lieutenant in his unit told him: "If (military intelligence) asks you to do this, it needs to be done. They're in charge, follow their orders."

He said he now knows that those orders were unlawful, but "at the time my understanding is that they were (lawful), or I wouldn't have done them," he said.

Graner, a 36-year-old reservist from Uniontown, Pa., spoke for nearly three hours as an "unsworn statement," meaning he was not subject to cross-examination by prosecutors. He did not testify during his trial.

He concluded by saying: "I didn't enjoy what I did there. ... A lot of it was wrong, a lot of it was criminal."

Maj. Michael Holley, one of the prosecutors, said in his final statement that Graner was a disgrace to the military and urged the 10 jurors to send him to prison for the maximum sentence.

"The time for Specialist Graner to be responsible for his actions is finally here," Holley said.

Graner faced 10 counts under five separate charges: Assault, conspiracy, maltreatment of detainees, committing indecent acts and dereliction of duty. He was found guilty on all counts, except that one assault count was downgraded to battery.

Four soldiers have pleaded guilty in the case. Two other guards from the 372nd Military Police Company, a reserve unit from Cresaptown, Md., are awaiting trial, along with Pfc. Lynndie England, a clerk at Abu Ghraib who last fall gave birth to a baby believed to be fathered by Graner.

Throughout Graner's 41/2-day trial, prosecutors depicted him as a sadist who took great pleasure in seeing detainees suffer.

"It was for sport, for laughs," prosecutor Capt. Chris Graveline told jurors in his closing argument Friday. "What we have here is plain abuse. There is no justification."

Iraqi detainee Hussein Mutar, in videotaped testimony shown as the sentencing phase began Friday evening, said he had supported the U.S.-led invasion to oust Saddam Hussein until he was abused.

"The Americans came to free the Iraqi people from Saddam," Mutar said. "I didn't expect this to happen. This instance changed the entire picture of the American people (for me)."

Graner's mother, Irma Graner, testifying in the sentencing phase, described him as a kind and gentle man who faithfully served his country.

"He is not the monster he's made out to be," she said quietly. "In my eyes he'll always be a hero."

The shocking photos of reservists abusing and sexually humiliating prisoners were first broadcast on CBS's "60 Minutes II" in April.

A month later, President Bush urged Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to make sure that any guilty U.S. soldiers be punished for "shameful and appalling acts."

[USMC5831]

I think that in a way yes he was ordered, but he should have known that teh orders were unlawful. Hell I am 22 and in the military as well and if someone told me to do something like that I would have been punished myself for not doing it and then I would have took it up with my command. I hope they get his command as well and anyone that was involved. Ratehr they just knew it was going on or they told it to be done they should also take a fall as well.

[Bluehawk]

I don't know about any other military folks here, but I myself have an extremely difficult time imagining any commissioned officer in any branch giving any subordinate a direct order to pile naked prisoners on a floor with leashes on their necks and take pictures of them with a thumbs up... or any of the other sadistic acts that were photographed.

It could happen, and if it did, then that officer needs to be located and brought to justice right along with everyone else. A "get tough" order or general directive is not the same as what we saw in those pictures. He either received an unlawful command, or he chose to interpret a lawful command in an unlawful manner which dishonored his uniform and his country.

Graner's sentence is fair. His life is already, or will eventually later become, miserable.

The damage he and his cohorts did to America is practically treasonous.

[Snowden]

I agree, Bluehawk. If he has any future with the Army, which seems extremely dubious, I think they should re-create for him that rank from the comic strip during WWII - "Yardbird." Remember Willie and Joe?

Come to think of it, they did not lack common decency. We would need a lower rank to be created for this one.