Baghdad
Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne in Iraq routinely beat up Iraqi prisoners for fun, three members of the unit told Human Rights Watch. In a report released this week, the international watchdog group quoted a captain and two sergeants who said commanders ignored abuse of prisoners, some of whom had their bones intentionally broken and their eyes doused with burning chemicals. “Everyone in camp knew if you wanted to work out your frustration, you show up at the PUC tent,” said one of the sergeants, using the lingo that stands for “persons under control.” Prisoner beatings, the report said, became known as “F--- a PUC.” The captain said his superiors refused to investigate his complaints over 17 months, until he contacted members of Congress. The Army said it has launched a criminal investigation.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - October 14, 2024Cartoons Monday's cartoons - Columbus Day, the death of satire, and more
-
Lonely Planet and the surge of age-gap romancesIn The Spotlight Laura Dern is the latest Hollywood actor to star opposite a much younger love interest
-
Is the UK worth investing in?Today's big question Labour looks to woo business and reverse years of underinvestment in search for holy grail of growth
