Inmates only respond to force says officer

SAN FRANCISCO - A former United States officer in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib Prison yesterday described an atmosphere of disdain for Iraqi prisoners in which guards killed at least four during riots.

Army National Guard Lieutenant Michael Drayton commanded the 124-person 870th Military Police Company from November to March at the prison, which is the subject of intense focus after pictures of Iraqi prisoners being abused appeared last week.

"You got to understand, although it seems harsh - the Iraqis, they only understand force," he said.

"If you try to talk to them one on one as a normal person, they won't respect you, they won't do what you want, prisoner or just normal person on the street. So you've got to be forceful with them in some ways.

"There is a frustration factor dealing with the Iraqis. Everybody wants to choke them ... But you knew what the lines were. You knew you couldn't do it."

Lt Drayton, a veteran of the first Gulf War as a Marine, described a constant stream of troubling reports such as of prisoners raping boys at the facility. He also told of two riots that resulted in members of his company killing Iraqi prisoners.

"These prisoners were throwing bricks and hitting soldiers and causing bodily harm, so the guys did have the right to take them down and they did take prisoners down," he said.

"In one riot I think it was two or three [killed]." Two instigators of a second riot were also killed.

Military police worked 12- to 18-hour shifts guarding the prison.

"At any time we may have had 250 - the most - MPs, and you had over 7000 security detainees and 400 to 500 actual prisoners.

"You had to make up things as you go. You get the feeling of being overwhelmed, because you were overworked and it was pretty frustrating."

Drayton, an insurance adjuster in civilian life, condemned the men and women, from a different unit, who photographed Iraqi inmates in humiliating positions.

"They put these pictures on [a] disk and they were pretty proud of it, although it was very sick what they did."

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq