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SADISM VS TORTURE. STUPIDITY, UTTER STUPIDITY! Much of what I have read and seen in pictures has nothing to do with torture. It can be classed as sadism in some cases, and pure stupidity in others. I do not condone in any way the actions of a few stupid individuals who have blackened the names and reputations of some very fine military outfits and the men and women who belong to them.

Many of these prisoners, from their pleadings, sound more like illiterates, men at the bottom of the economic ladder, who are opportunists, thieves if the opportunity presents itself to steal, loot, or pilfer. They'll work if they find work, steal if they see something left unattended, loot if there is war and confusion, but essentially just trying to stay alive. I've seen them throughout the mid-East, and simply cannot understand what pleasure anyone gets out of beating them up or treating them badly.

On the other hand, there are still large numbers of gangs, tribal in nature, in Iraq, and they kidnap, torture, and do many things are worse than these American service-men have done. The Arab press, those media militants, ignore it when other Arabs kidnaps Iraqi doctors or professional people and torture them, or urinate in their mouths (read www.healingiraq.com ), cut off limbs, sever heads, and so on. We do need some Israeli-type justice for the Nicholas Berg killing, that I believe.

I too would apologize for that which our men have done that is wrong, but as I've said, we're not perfect and some of our men will screw up. Don't expect perfection, just that they do the best they can. Overall, we've got the best men and women in the world over there, and they've done a great job for Iraq and the U.S. Give them credit for that. No one could have done better.