Small Wars Journal

Torture at The Library of Congress

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 3:00pm
Torture at The Library of Congress

By Morris Davis

Lynndie England will discuss her biography Tortured: Lynndie England, Abu Ghraib and the Photographs That Shocked the World at the Library of Congress Veterans Forum on Friday August 14 at noon in room 139 on the first floor of the James Madison building.

She is a convicted criminal who was dishonorably discharged, but she's out of prison and on stage at the Library of Congress. You may recall many of the memorable pictures of the glowing Private England during her tour in Iraq, including the one of her standing next to an Iraqi prisoner, a cigarette dangling from her lip, as she points at the Iraqi prisoner's genitals as he stands there naked with a sack over his head as he's forced to masturbate in the presence of GI England and several other nude men. It sure looked like she was enjoying some good times in the picture, so maybe she'll give more behind the scenes details during her lecture on Friday as she expounds on how she's a victim who is deprived of veteran's benefits because of her dishonorable discharge. As she said in an interview published in the West Virginia Metro News on Monday: "Yeah, I was in some pictures, but that's all it was ... I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." That has to be comforting to those who died because of the wave of anger her snapshots ignited in the Middle East, like the family of Nick Berg who was slaughtered in front of a video camera in retaliation for Abu Ghraib, according to his murderers. America as a whole still pays the price for Private England's "wrong place -- wrong time" misadventure, but that won't stop the Library of Congress from opening its doors and handing her the mike.

The event is sponsored by the Library of Congress Professional Association's Veterans Forum and its leader LOC employee and Vietnam Veteran Bob Moore. Veteran Moore has weathered a wave of criticism in recent days, but he remains steadfast in his hatred for Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney and his admiration for Lynndie England's "guts."

I am a Library of Congress employee and a veteran.* I retired with an honorable discharge after serving for 25 years in the Air Force. I was the chief prosecutor for the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay for more than two years and I resigned in 2007 in large part because I believe waterboarding is torture and my superiors, Tom Hartmann and Jim Haynes, did not. I believe my views on torture have been clearly expressed, so it should come as no surprised that I am more than a little disappointed that the library that belongs to the United States Congress is hosting one of the most infamous torturers in modern time so she can promote her book. I'm even more disappointed that the event is sponsored by a veterans group. Perhaps I should start a rival group within the LOC called Veterans with Values and our motto will be "we don't honor the dishonorable." It doesn't appear that we'd overlap in any way with Mr. Moore's group.

Thousands and thousands of honorable men and women have and are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places. They don't get book deals and invited to lecture at the Library of Congress. Most of them would be happy with a thank you and a chance at an education or a decent job when the mission is over. It's a disgrace that the dishonorable profit and that we use government property and resources to glorify the gutless. If you attend the lecture on Friday, don't save me a seat.

-- Moe Davis

*The views expressed herein are my personal views published in my personal capacity.

Comments

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 9:51pm

Sorry - I thought I put my name with the posting about the strength of the book. I am Katrina Landon, promotions, Bad Apple Books, LLC.

Anonymous (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 9:48pm

Please remember that Ms. England did not write the book. The author, Mr. Gary Winkler, was threatned with an injunction by Ms. England's representative prior to the release of the book. We consider it to be a balanced opportunity for Ms. England to tell her story. The book also relies upon her trial transcripts, testimony of others involved, as well as her own personal artifacts. We have received a lot of positive mail regarding the strength of Mr. Winkler's research and writing. Unfortunately, Ms. England does not feel comfortable appearing with Mr. Winkler. We regret this decision,but it is her right to do so.

Greyhawk (not verified)

Fri, 08/14/2009 - 7:58pm

LS
Double check that reference above. Are you saying a story related by Lynndie England has no place in a discussion about Lynndie England telling her story? I'd say it's more applicable to this discussion than whatever fate befell her commanders.

Follow the link - that's just one excerpt from a long article based on interviews with England and her family and friends and full of quotes from all. I'd warn first that it's one of the tamest excerpts you'll find. If you want to argue that's all typical behavior of junior enlisted military folks be my guest.

I'd like to believe Darby - the guy in the second link I provided - is a more typical Joe.

Schmedlap

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 9:04pm

Is there a good summation out there that gives an evenhanded account of what happened at Abu Ghraib? I'm very leery of trusting what I read about this issue online because it is so polarized and politicized. The only book that I've seen on the topic was about 400 pages or so and I'm not even sure whether that was an evenhanded account or just propaganda from one side. I'm curious what the facts are, but I'd rather not dole out $30 and spend two weeks plowing skeptically through 400 pages of small print that may or may not be objective, just to get what I suspect could be summarized in 10 pages.

Vito (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 8:03pm

Lynndie only stood in pictures, wow. How do you live with yourself?

C J (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 6:07pm

Lynndie was never convicted of torture. That is for the MI, CIA, and OGA. Lynndie was convicted of standing in pictures. Maybe you should read her conviction sheet.

olevet69 (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 4:06pm

What is distressing is that there is no senior NCO, no company grade, field grade, or flag officer who shares her unfortunate distinction as torturer.

I still await the arrest, prosecution of those in that supervisory chain to suffer much greater punishment than SPC England. I want them paraded, stripped, and pilloried for the wanton disregard of the Code of Conduct and the hallowed Army Core Values...

C J (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:34pm

Daniel you and the Wikipedia website are WRONG!!!!! Lynndie England is still in the U. S. Army on active duty with leave. Get your facts RIGHT!!!!!!!!

Vito (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 3:28pm

<i>First, the Library of Congress is not sponsoring the event. An employee organization is...</i>

Of course, all the wiggle room fit for the politically correct. And if that employee's organization happened to be the KKK or Skin Heads the Library of Congress would not hesitate to ban the event as offensive. Well, giving the dishonorable England a forum to claim her victim status is very, very offensive to many of us veterans. But that does not matter, does it?

Daniel (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 2:31pm

First, the Library of Congress is not sponsoring the event. An employee organization is and no matter how disagreeable it may be the Library of Congress is not getting itself in the business of censoring its employee organizations - probably a good idea.

Second - From Wikipedia - She has been dishonorably discharged.

"At her retrial, England was convicted on September 26, 2005 of one count of conspiracy, four counts of maltreating detainees and one count of committing an indecent act.Along with a dishonorable discharge, England received a three-year prison sentence on September 27.

England worked in the kitchen of a prison (Naval Consolidated Brig, Miramar) from which she was paroled on March 1, 2007, after having served 521 days. She remained on parole through September 2008, when her three-year sentence was complete and she received a dishonorable discharge.

England and her fellow felons did tremendous harm to the effort of their fellows soldiers and caused untold death and destruction in Iraq. While no one in attendance should throw one at her, hopefully at least someone there will hold up a shoe while she speaks. It is far from the disdain she deserves yet she ought to be shown at least that much.

C J (not verified)

Thu, 08/13/2009 - 10:15am

First of all Moe Davis, his name is David Moore. Why do you not at least get that fact right. Mr. Moore is a combat Veteran from the Vietnam War. Where he actually was an enlisted man, who unlike yourself was in a kill or be killed situation. Second,That Ms. England has not been dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Army she is still on active duty with leave. You on the other hand were always an officer who could not be bothered with getting his hands dirty. Real easy for you to feel superior to the actual soldiers who served. Bravo! Does it make you feel like more of an man to pick on a woman, the enlisted who actually fought and served, or just anyone who disagrees with you.
Maybe you should read her book or actually her trial of transcript before you open your mouth and prove how misinformed you are. I am being polite. I should just let the world know that you are lying. That you are defaming the Library of Congress. Where you should no longer be employed.

No Fan of the Femme (not verified)

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 8:00pm

I read the book and certainly it is obvious that it was not written by Lynndie England. The author, Gary S. Winkler, tells it like it is and exposes Ms. England as a person who was not fit for military service.

Maybe she'll share <a href="http://www.marieclaire.com/world-reports/news/latest/lynndie-england-1"… story</a>, from early in her unit's deployment, before their arrival at Abu Ghraib:

<blockquote>The American forces took up residence in an abandoned date-processing factory...

Not long into their stay, two of the soldiers appeared at the base one day with animal carcasses. They'd found a dead goat and a dead cat somewhere and started slicing them up. Someone took a photo of a soldier pretending to have sex with the goat's head. "Then they cut off the cat's head and shoved it on the top of a soda bottle," England says.

For several weeks, the decaying animal heads provided entertainment for the soldiers. "Someone put sunglasses on them, and put the rifle next to the heads and took a picture. Some soldiers put a cigarette in the cat's mouth," she says. The soldiers stashed the severed heads in their rooms.

"It was funny," England says. "So funny."</blockquote>Corroborated by <a href="http://men.style.com/gq/features/landing?id=content_4785">a separate account from Joe Darby</a>, the Abu Ghraib troop who turned the photo evidence in to Army authorities that led to charges against the group. (The uncle of one would - months later - turn the same pictures over to CBS TV when it became clear the Army wasn't going to back off prosecuting his nephew and his pals.)

Anyhow, if anyone attends the Library of Congress event, do ask her to share the funny cat story.

Anonymous (not verified)

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 4:17pm

England's latest saga sounds like an Onion story. But, distressingly, it is true. There is no shame on her part and it is shameful that there are those who should know better using her dishonorable actions for political points. She has no place in the Library of Congress, or any other honorable institution.

davidbfpo

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 4:02pm

Amazing decision and has anyone thought of the negative publicity that will accrue to our enemies? Symbolism is important. If Ms England was speaking at a church hall, wherever few would notice.

Mickey (not verified)

Wed, 08/12/2009 - 3:56pm

I agree completely. Miss England is not a victim of anything but her own poor judgement and flawed moral character. The LOC should not be giving this woman a venue to wallow in self-righteous false victimhood.