abuse caught on tape

[Axtech]

The video found in the following link is of British soldiers abusing people in Iraq.


I ... I can't even fathom the mindset. As if the video isn't bad enough, you can also hear the commentary of the soldier filming this abuse, and his bloodthirsty, heartless, inhuman lust for the harm of another human being.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/02/12.html#a7125

[Hope]

... do i want to click on that?

and what kind of site is "crooks and liars"?

[Axtech]

Crooks and liars is basically a political blog. It just has a direct link to the video.

The video itself shows a violent beating from a distance (no blood visible).

[quietorloud]

I didn't click on the link, but I think I just saw some clips of that on the news. It disgusts me.

[nikki4982]

I'll pass on watching that one.

[Kathy]

I've heard about it, but I don't think I will watch it.

There are just no words to describe how awful this is....

[nikki4982]

Sadly, it doesn't shock me in the least bit. Not saying it's not absolutely terrible, but it's not surprising. Which might be the saddest part.

[Joe Cooler]

I completely disagree with it and think its horrible but I certainly can fathom it. Imagine invading a country, (justified or not) being shot at, and watching your friends die after being hit by road side bombs. Regardless of whether the prisoners are responsible, its easy to see how a solider would take their anger out on them.

[Axtech]

These aren't prisoners. These are people from a crowd that were running away from the British soldiers, who were pulled aside into an alley and beaten. If you listen to the commentary, you'll understand what I mean.

[Axtech]

And the commentator isn't just angry. He's fucking sadistic.

His laughter is probably one of the most disturbing sounds I've heard.

[Joe Cooler]

Prisoners or otherwise, I still can still fathom it because of the situations these soldiers are in. Of course, the Iraqi people are in a horrible situation as well , so I can somewhat understand the mindset behind a suicide bomber.

Of course this does not mean I agree with it at all, or think they are at all justified in what they are doing. it just means I can understand to some degree how they arrived at the mindset they are in.

I hope that makes sense.

[Dr. Hobo]

the commentator is one of the soldiers (he taped it for fun)

[VazValium]

That was disgusting. However, as wrong as it may be, there are always incidents like this in every war, and it shouldn't really be a surprise that this happens sometimes.

[Kathy]

And the commentator isn't just angry. He's fucking sadistic.

His laughter is probably one of the most disturbing sounds I've heard.

I agree with many people that the abuse is not all that surprising... but now I've heard (not watched) the tape. The soldier who is taping and commenting is... yes Robbo, I think sadistic is right. This guy's commentary and laughs are far beyond a soldier's anger from being shot at and watching soldiers die, etc. He sounds like he's mentally disturbed.

[closeyoureyes]

This guy's commentary and laughs are far beyond a soldier's anger from being shot at and watching soldiers die, etc.

How can you presume what kind of a mental state someone like that would be in? I could see mental disturbedness of that extremity. They are going through hell, there is no textbook definition for "a soldiers anger". I don't condone what they did and i'm not trying to justify it, at all, but you can't just say "far beyond a soldiers anger" when neither of us can even begin to comprehend the horror they have to live with day in and day out.

[Axtech]

Did you listen to him? He's not angry at people shooting at him. He's sadistically cheering on and mocking the beating of two unarmed individuals by a gang of soldiers.

[Axtech]

Also, I'm not saying that this is a fundamentally disturbed person. Here's what I said about it on the blog where I first found it:

"I can’t even imagine feeling that way and thinking those things about another human being. The commentary is absolutely disgusting. It’s bloodthirsty, heartless, inhuman lust for violence.

It makes me wonder about a number of things. What were these people like in their pre-Iraq lives? Were they quick to anger? To violence? Were they bullies?

Fact is, most of them were probably just like you and me. War changes you. Killing people changes you. But what will they be like when they return home? Will they still have a thirst for violence? Will the voice on that video still get a rush out of seeing someone in a position of weakness being brutally beaten?

I’ve been thinking about this in so many ways, and I absolutely can’t understand it. What the fuck is going on with the world?"





In any case, like I said, I think it's an undersight to pass it off as simple anger. This is above and beyond what's even remotely acceptable, and goes WAY beyond the frustration of being in a warzone.

[closeyoureyes]

I'm not justifying his actions. Or that he might not have a possible mental illness somewhere(although toget into the British Army, you're checked very thoroughly. What I am saying, is war changes people. In ways we don't understand, and to very extreme degrees.

[Axtech]

Yes, I agree.

But did you watch the video?

Because I don't really understand how you can claim that this is a "normal" (see: average, common) effect that war has on people. (which is what I took your comments to mean)

[closeyoureyes]

I watched it.

I'm not saying that it is a common reaction, perhaps he has seen worse, or had an underdeveloped pysche, or perhaps he does have a mental illness. But it could be because of the horrors he has seen, and also toying in his head with the idea that it was a country that supposedly loves him that sent him to that place.