Rumsfeld Bans Camera Phones, Truth

[JMHX]

MOBILE phones fitted with digital cameras have been banned in US army installations in Iraq on orders from Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, The Business newspaper reported today.

Quoting a Pentagon source, the paper said the US Defence Department believes that some of the damning photos of US soldiers abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad were taken with camera phones.

"Digital cameras, camcorders and cellphones with cameras have been prohibited in military compounds in Iraq," it said, adding that a "total ban throughout the US military" is in the works.

Disturbing new photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse, which the US government had reportedly tried to keep hidden, were published on Friday in the Washington Post newspaper.

The photos emerged along with details of testimony from inmates at Abu Ghraib who said they were sexually molested by female soldiers, beaten, sodomised and forced to eat food from toilets.

Story Here

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Now it seems to me that Mr. Rumsfeld, instead of actually working to solve the problem of our barbaric acts, is simply trying to cover up any future or remaining acts. Thoughts?

[awkward-silence]

So the problem is not that U.S. fuckheads are acting like a fat elemntary school bullies and treating the iraqis as animals.
The problem is that pictures are being taken. Simple. How could I have missed it?

[TheWakingDeath]

it't so nice to hear Rummsfeld is still doing a fabulous job of being an asshole.

[Markus]

i agree! He knew about the abuses allalong.
always protecting theyr soldiers, even if they fuck up. nope american soldiers don't make mistakes so it's good they also can't be judged by the international war crimes court.
they should get some independent UN inspection to check on the captivs situation.

[TheWakingDeath]

it's obvious what should happen the question is why is it being allowed to happen?

[JMHX]

Does it help now that Iraqis can no longer bring suit against soldiers for war crimes?

[TheWakingDeath]

Man, we can't really have a discussion about this until either lyddiechu or BeFell shows up to argue in favor of the prsion abuse. unless someone else wants to take up the conservative end of the arguement.

me, i'm not going to bother. i'm not in the DAG, and it's not my responsibility. there's plenty of you around here, bring in the counter arguement!

[awkward-silence]

Fine, I'll play Devil's Advocate for the sake of the thread.

The outlawing of digital cameras is more of a security issue. The more that the American operation is exposed from the inside, the more open it is for attack. It could be dangerous to have the inside layout of a base sent via camera phone.
Also the abuse isn't so much an issue. Afterall if the iraqis were cooperating with us then they wouldn't have been beaten so bad. The government is doing this to protect us.

[bumcheekcity]

At 5/23/04 04:38 PM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: Does it help now that Iraqis can no longer bring suit against soldiers for war crimes?

I missed this. Why can't they?

[Nylo]

How do you solve a problem with U.S soldiers torturing P.O.W.s? Take away the survalance that proves it ever happened! Thanks Mister Rumsfeld, your ethics concerning the situation continue to astound me.

[JMHX]

At 5/23/04 04:55 PM, darkmage8 wrote: How do you solve a problem with U.S soldiers torturing P.O.W.s? Take away the survalance that proves it ever happened! Thanks Mister Rumsfeld, your ethics concerning the situation continue to astound me.

He's a true American hero.

[NoHitHair]

Now it seems to me that Mr. Rumsfeld, instead of actually working to solve the problem of our barbaric acts, is simply trying to cover up any future or remaining acts. Thoughts?

Couldn't agree more.

[stafffighter]

I can buy cameras and such being a security consern but the timing is just too convienent for me to beleive that's what it's about

[JoS]

They also try and cover up their other mistakes. Like this wedding that got bombed, they said there was no evidence of decorations or any other things, but a bunch of weapons, passports and syringes, which somehow survived the bombing. Although there is video tape evidence of a wedding being there. Also apperntly the children who died their didnt actually die according to the military, there were no kids around they say.Full story here.

[FatherVenom]

They're just acting in the best way to protect the American lifestyle as it currently exists and protecting the security of the prison. What's wrong with not wanting people getting mad at you? You don't go around showing pictures to the wife of the guy you sodomized right? Same thing here.

[JMHX]

The best way to stop criticism is to just ban any method of proving those criticisms. Too little too late, Mr. Rumsfeld.

[TheWakingDeath]

At 5/23/04 09:47 PM, FatherVenom wrote: They're just acting in the best way to protect the American lifestyle as it currently exists and protecting the security of the prison. What's wrong with not wanting people getting mad at you? You don't go around showing pictures to the wife of the guy you sodomized right? Same thing here.

it's kind of stupid to ban them from taking pictures once they know what's going on. now it just looks like you intend to continue the abuse. it makes him look like the monster he is.

[Empanado]

At 5/23/04 04:12 PM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: Now it seems to me that Mr. Rumsfeld, instead of actually working to solve the problem of our barbaric acts, is simply trying to cover up any future or remaining acts. Thoughts?

If i'd have one nickel for every time that quote above is true, i'd have one nickel!

[Malachy]

i can understand the idea that cameras are a security issue, as stated by other users already.

possibly this could also be in favor of the prisoners, the photos were taken, as i think i understand it, to humiliate them. so by taking away the camera, the prisoners wont have to worry about being dishonored internationally. because their culture does have a soft spot for honor.

then again, one could also take it that rumsfeld is trying to keep incidents like the recent photos on TV and keep them from being seen by the international public through news sources.

i think the ban is justified, but because of the timing, the motives may not have been....i think thats a contradiction..oh well

[Reform]

Oh that sneaky Rumsfeld and his attempts to cover up evidence of Iraqi prisoner abuse.

[GooieGreen]

At 5/23/04 04:26 PM, Izuamoto wrote: it't so nice to hear Rummsfeld is still doing a fabulous job of being an asshole.

Republicans are good at that

[FatherVenom]

Well we don't have to look at it as him trying to cover up evidence as long as we institute better checking measures on the officers watching the prisons and interview that Iraqis to make sure they are not being mistreated at least once a week.

[JMHX]

At 5/23/04 10:37 PM, FatherVenom wrote: Well we don't have to look at it as him trying to cover up evidence as long as we institute better checking measures

Yeah. That's going to happen.

[GooieGreen]

At 5/23/04 10:46 PM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote:

At 5/23/04 10:37 PM, FatherVenom wrote: Well we don't have to look at it as him trying to cover up evidence as long as we institute better checking measures

Yeah. That's going to happen.

watch, it will... nah, they'll think about it, but that's it... nah, they won't do crap, okay, you win

[A-Carrot-By-Dr-Riot]

That article is extremely misleading as it implies that cameras were allowed before this incident. Every base I've been to has signs indicating that cameras, video cameras... etc. are not permitted. It looks to me that Rumsfeld was just clarifying that cellphone cameras are also cameras, and therefore, not allowed.

[Reform]

At 5/23/04 10:48 PM, Dr_Arbitrary wrote: That article is extremely misleading as it implies that cameras were allowed before this incident. Every base I've been to has signs indicating that cameras, video cameras... etc. are not permitted. It looks to me that Rumsfeld was just clarifying that cellphone cameras are also cameras, and therefore, not allowed.

Looks like I hopped onto the wagon to quickly. At first it appeared as if Rumsfeld was attempting to hide evidence. My mistake.

[TheWakingDeath]

i still think he's trying to hide evidence, and, lucky him, he has the legal means to do it.
isn't it also against the rulesto torture people.
no cameras allowed AND no torturing people. seems to me Rummy should make an effort to encourage the troops to uphold all laws, not pick and choose which ones serve them.
Rumsfeld must be a terrible burden on the Bush PR advisors. how do they get the american public to vote for someone with such a genocidal maniac on his cabinet?

[ffeineandsugar]

Remind me to pay for a bunch of cellphone camera one-shots, and send them to our brave soldiers fighting the....Amnesty International brigades?

Just remember what Daddy used to do for a living (cia). A good company family is more than willing to protect the family bidness.

By the way, have any of the right-wing radio goom-bahs commented on this mess intelligently?

[FatherVenom]

At 5/23/04 10:46 PM, JudgeMeHarshX wrote: Yeah. That's going to happen.

With public outcry as high as it is, I wouldn't be surprised. I have faith that our government will do the right thing.

(If that isn't a DAGism coming from me, I don't know what is.)

[bumcheekcity]

At 5/23/04 11:18 PM, FatherVenom wrote: With public outcry as high as it is, I wouldn't be surprised. I have faith that our government will do the right thing.

(If that isn't a DAGism coming from me, I don't know what is.)

I think "I LOVE RUMMY" would be DAGism...