All those who questioned whether Abu Ghraib and its ilk were aberrations or really manifestations of new American policies and values under the influence of neoconservatism – it’s time to eat your words. The system works:
"An Army interrogator convicted of killing an Iraqi general by stuffing him face-first into a sleeping bag can remain in the military and does not have to go to jail, a court-martial jury ruled Monday night. . . .
After emotional pleas from Welshofer and his wife for leniency, the jury ruled Monday night that the interrogator must forfeit $6,000 of his salary over the next four months, receive a formal reprimand and spend 60 days restricted to his home, office and church. . . .
The jury apparently agreed with defense arguments that Welshofer had believed he was following orders to use creative interrogation techniques when he put Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abed Hamed Mowhoush face-first in a sleeping bag, wrapped him in electrical wire and sat on his chest in November 2003. The 57-year-old general died after 20 minutes in the bag. . . . "
The best part is apparently the former general had been lured to the prison to secure the release of his four sons after they had been “arrested as bait,” a practice known in polite circles as “kidnapping for ransom.”
