{War Wounds of the Mind, 6.2.09}A veteran of Iraq combat who served with the Second Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division (2/2) wrote a letter to higher authority in the chain of command notifying them of what he believed to be "war crimes and violations of the laws of armed conflict". PFC John Needham was stationed at Camp Falcon in Iraq during 2007. He witnessed an Iraqi male being stopped, questioned and detained. At the time of the detention the soldiers had no information the man was a terrorist, and he did not posed a threat to the Americans. Needham says he did not personally witness the man's death, but he did witness the dismembering of his body. The mutilated body was tied to a Humvee and paraded around the Muhalla neighborhood while an Arabic interpreter shouted warnings over the loud speaker. In his letter Needham tells Army brass he has a photo that shows the victim's brains being removed. Needham goes on in detail about two other homicides and unjustified shootings he witnessed. In one instance a wounded Iraqi was cold-bloodedly shot in the back of the head because he was still moving. Needham told authorities that "my experiences have taken a terrible toll on me." He stated he is under treatment at Balboa Naval Hospital, and requested protection from retaliation by his fellow soldiers stationed at Fort Carson, CO. Read the letter in full, and remember: be all you can be in the Army.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Taking the Gloves Off
{War Wounds of the Mind, 6.2.09}A veteran of Iraq combat who served with the Second Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division (2/2) wrote a letter to higher authority in the chain of command notifying them of what he believed to be "war crimes and violations of the laws of armed conflict". PFC John Needham was stationed at Camp Falcon in Iraq during 2007. He witnessed an Iraqi male being stopped, questioned and detained. At the time of the detention the soldiers had no information the man was a terrorist, and he did not posed a threat to the Americans. Needham says he did not personally witness the man's death, but he did witness the dismembering of his body. The mutilated body was tied to a Humvee and paraded around the Muhalla neighborhood while an Arabic interpreter shouted warnings over the loud speaker. In his letter Needham tells Army brass he has a photo that shows the victim's brains being removed. Needham goes on in detail about two other homicides and unjustified shootings he witnessed. In one instance a wounded Iraqi was cold-bloodedly shot in the back of the head because he was still moving. Needham told authorities that "my experiences have taken a terrible toll on me." He stated he is under treatment at Balboa Naval Hospital, and requested protection from retaliation by his fellow soldiers stationed at Fort Carson, CO. Read the letter in full, and remember: be all you can be in the Army.