Dog handler jailed for Iraq abuse

**Ansar Al-'Adl** · 03-26-2006

Dog handler jailed for Iraq abuse
Wednesday, 22 March 2006

41447204 dog203 afp 1 - Dog handler jailed for Iraq abuse

Images of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison shocked the world

US army dog handler Sgt Michael Smith has been jailed for six months for abusing detainees in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison from 2003 to 2004.
Smith, 24, was convicted of using his black Belgian shepherd to menace prisoners for his own amusement.

He expressed no remorse for his actions at the court martial, saying soldiers were not meant to be "soft and cuddly".

Prosecutors said he had competed with another handler to see who could make a detainee soil himself out of fear.

One of the photographs to emerge from Abu Ghraib prison depicts Smith holding his dog inches from the face of a detainee who appears to be cowering in terror.

Unrepentant

Sentencing Smith, the military court in Maryland said he would be reduced in rank to a private and must forfeit $750 (£429) a month of his pay for three months.

He will also receive a bad conduct discharge from the military after his release from jail.

41469008 smith ap203bo 1 - Dog handler jailed for Iraq abuse

41469008 smith ap203bo 1 - Dog handler jailed for Iraq abuse

Smith is the 10th soldier to be convicted over Abu Ghraib

Smith was convicted of five of the 13 charges he faced on Tuesday, after the jury deliberated for about 18 hours over three days.

He was found guilty of maltreatment of prisoners, conspiring with another dog handler to try to frighten detainees into soiling themselves, dereliction of duty, assault and indecent acts.

The court could have jailed him for up to eight-and-a-half years for the offences.

The prosecution said he had violated rules on treating prisoners humanely and using the minimum amount of force.

He is the 10th US soldier to be convicted over the abuse scandal.

Smith was unrepentant about his actions, telling the court he wished he had learned in basic training how to avoid getting into trouble with his superiors.

Master Sgt Shannon Wilson, Smith's base supervisor at kennels in Fort Riley, Kansas, testified that Smith was an exceptional soldier whose actions did not constitute abuse.

"Anything short of being bit is a psychological deterrent," Sgt Wilson said.

Another dog handler, Sgt Santos Cardona, is to stand trial on 22 May.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4833236.stm

**Darktide** · 03-26-2006

Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl

Dog handler jailed for Iraq abuse
Wednesday, 22 March 2006

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...dog203_afp.jpg
Images of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison shocked the world

US army dog handler Sgt Michael Smith has been jailed for six months for abusing detainees in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison from 2003 to 2004.
Smith, 24, was convicted of using his black Belgian shepherd to menace prisoners for his own amusement.

He expressed no remorse for his actions at the court martial, saying soldiers were not meant to be "soft and cuddly".

Prosecutors said he had competed with another handler to see who could make a detainee soil himself out of fear.

One of the photographs to emerge from Abu Ghraib prison depicts Smith holding his dog inches from the face of a detainee who appears to be cowering in terror.

Unrepentant

Sentencing Smith, the military court in Maryland said he would be reduced in rank to a private and must forfeit $750 (£429) a month of his pay for three months.

He will also receive a bad conduct discharge from the military after his release from jail.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...th_ap203bo.jpg
Smith is the 10th soldier to be convicted over Abu Ghraib

Smith was convicted of five of the 13 charges he faced on Tuesday, after the jury deliberated for about 18 hours over three days.

He was found guilty of maltreatment of prisoners, conspiring with another dog handler to try to frighten detainees into soiling themselves, dereliction of duty, assault and indecent acts.

The court could have jailed him for up to eight-and-a-half years for the offences.

The prosecution said he had violated rules on treating prisoners humanely and using the minimum amount of force.

He is the 10th US soldier to be convicted over the abuse scandal.

Smith was unrepentant about his actions, telling the court he wished he had learned in basic training how to avoid getting into trouble with his superiors.

Master Sgt Shannon Wilson, Smith's base supervisor at kennels in Fort Riley, Kansas, testified that Smith was an exceptional soldier whose actions did not constitute abuse.

"Anything short of being bit is a psychological deterrent," Sgt Wilson said.

Another dog handler, Sgt Santos Cardona, is to stand trial on 22 May.

6 Months!?
so!? So you make so many peoples lives hell and you get 6 months!??
This is all we are to expect from them! the suffering of so many will be repaid in six months.

**Pk_#2** · 03-26-2006

AsalamuAlaykum

I cant believe that

6 months is nothing

To think that he doesnt think what he done was wrong...astaghfirullah

**Rou** · 03-26-2006

What a damn joke!

he played with humans as toys used his dog to torture innocents and made bets to see which handler would make his prisoner excreet first!

and he gets 6 months!?????

my brothers in guntanmo have had 3 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

of humiliation and torture FOR WHAT!!!!!!!!!!

To those who ask pathetic questons like why muslims turn to violence!!!!!!

here is your damn answer!!!!

beacuse justice is NOT being served when it comes to muslims!!!

to those muslim who wander why there brothers turn to such violence this is your answer its called fustration!!!!!!

i dont agree with killing innocents as it is not part of our deen! but how can you blame a people who are oppressed in this way!!!!

**Pk_#2** · 03-26-2006

Awww bro

It's sad whats happening

Pray for all the believing muslim men and women out their suffering torture for no valid reason

I pray Allah helps them... Ameen

Don't worry bro Allah is with them, Allah only tests those that he loves the most, to bring them closer to Him.

WalaykumSalaam

**blunderbus** · 03-26-2006

Do Muslims have feelings about dogs in general? It seems they don't like them in any context. Is it religious or cultural? I've read essays where Muslims critcise westerners for their affection toward their pet dogs, but cats are ok somehow.

I know the thread is about attack dogs, not pet dogs. I hope I'm not too far off subject.

**Muezzin** · 03-26-2006

Originally Posted by Ansar Al-'Adl

Master Sgt Shannon Wilson, Smith's base supervisor at kennels in Fort Riley, Kansas, testified that Smith was an exceptional soldier whose actions did not constitute abuse.

"Anything short of being bit is a psychological deterrent," Sgt Wilson said.

A psychological deterrent? What is it deterring exactly?

**Rou** · 03-26-2006

Originally Posted by tasmiyah_B

Awww bro

It's sad whats happening

Pray for all the believing muslim men and women out their suffering torture for no valid reason

I pray Allah helps them... Ameen

Don't worry bro Allah is with them, Allah only tests those that he loves the most, to bring them closer to Him.

WalaykumSalaam

Well said the greatest tests will befall those who allah keeps closest...

we but can aim to please him...

**Rou** · 03-26-2006

Originally Posted by blunderbus

Do Muslims have feelings about dogs in general? It seems they don't like them in any context. Is it religious or cultural? I've read essays where Muslims critcise westerners for their affection toward their pet dogs, but cats are ok somehow.

I know the thread is about attack dogs, not pet dogs. I hope I'm not too far off subject.

Some muslims take this more to the heart than others.. the dog itself is mentioned in the quran many times...

not as a hated animal at all...

it is there spit that is unholy unlike the pig that is forbidden as an unclean animal.. there is a diffrence in this view.

but i think any man or woman would fear a dog barking in there face not knowing how far it is from you... or wether it will be set loose upon you..

this was not about being muslim this was about a fellow human being degraded and humiliated and filled with fear..

i would be just as angry no matter what religon the person was who suffered this...

and i would be just as disgusted by the punishment the soilder has received...

pathetic...

Where one man gets 3 YEARS for denying the holcaust this man gets 6 months for degrading and torturing fellow humans!?

I call upon muslims,christians,hindus,jews anyone...

is this justice within our world?

is this what we as humans want to be known as!?

what has the world come to where one man gets 3 years for his words and another gets 6 months for torture....

Allah help us all..

**Knut Hamsun** · 03-27-2006

what has the world come to where one man gets 3 years for his words and another gets 6 months for torture....

Who got 3 years ? (for something about the Holocaust?)
While I agree this dog guy is a dirtbag and was mean to people, I am not sure it was "torture". That is a pretty hefty word, no?
But a "bully", yes.

**Rou** · 03-27-2006

Originally Posted by Knut Hamsun

Who got 3 years ? (for something about the Holocaust?)
While I agree this dog guy is a dirtbag and was mean to people, I am not sure it was "torture". That is a pretty hefty word, no?
But a "bully", yes.

A bully....

so torture is a heafty word... and bully is not?

does it make you feel better to call him a bully? does it make you feel that he didnt harm the people there that much then...

yeah your PROBABLY right.....

6 months is enough in a miltray pison...

whatever man come to the conclosioun you and people like you will never change....

you soften the blow for this sicko as you think he aint torturing people by putting a bag over there head tying there hands behind there backs and putting a dog in there face....to make them soil themselves...

he put bets on who could make there prisoner soil themselves first!

answer me this ya think a man will soil himsel just cos a dog is barking at him..

i think not im sure other things were done...

bully defines all this so well dont you think?

**HeiGou** · 03-27-2006

Originally Posted by Rou

What a damn joke!

he played with humans as toys used his dog to torture innocents and made bets to see which handler would make his prisoner excreet first!

and he gets 6 months!?????

I am sorry but perhaps you could tell me the name of any Muslim who was ever convicted of abusing a non-Muslim and what his sentence was? Usually I do not much care for stupid comparisons, but have you thought about the whole glass houses thing?

To those who ask pathetic questons like why muslims turn to violence!!!!!!

here is your damn answer!!!!

beacuse justice is NOT being served when it comes to muslims!!!

to those muslim who wander why there brothers turn to such violence this is your answer its called fustration!!!!!!

i dont agree with killing innocents as it is not part of our deen! but how can you blame a people who are oppressed in this way!!!!

Actually I think you have that backwards. After all September 11 occurred before the invasion of Iraq. Therefore the abuse in Guantanamo cannot be the cause of your Brothers flying a plane into the World Trade Center. I would suggest that you consider you have the right argument but have it backwards - those of you who ask how Americans can do this have your answer. Those of you who wonder why Americans have turned to invasion now know - it is frustration at terrorist attacks. Why do you think that spurious justification does not work?

**Muezzin** · 03-27-2006

Rou, if it's really eating you up, just tell yourself that he's just a typical redneck genetic leftover grunt with the IQ of an ant, who'll never amount to anything more than 'the guy who scared people with dogs'.

**blunderbus** · 03-27-2006

"white-trash "
uh, excuse me!

**Muezzin** · 03-27-2006

Originally Posted by blunderbus

"white-trash "
uh, excuse me!

Freedom of expression.

I kid. Sorry for any offence. I'll change it to 'redneck'.

**Ghazi** · 03-27-2006

Salaam

I know a sutable punishment let him live with the mujahideen for six months.

**Rou** · 03-27-2006

Originally Posted by HeiGou

I am sorry but perhaps you could tell me the name of any Muslim who was ever convicted of abusing a non-Muslim and what his sentence was? Usually I do not much care for stupid comparisons, but have you thought about the whole glass houses thing?

Actually I think you have that backwards. After all September 11 occurred before the invasion of Iraq. Therefore the abuse in Guantanamo cannot be the cause of your Brothers flying a plane into the World Trade Center. I would suggest that you consider you have the right argument but have it backwards - those of you who ask how Americans can do this have your answer. Those of you who wonder why Americans have turned to invasion now know - it is frustration at terrorist attacks. Why do you think that spurious justification does not work?

oh i have had enough o your crap! will you please shut your mouth!

what the hell do you want!? a man who is a soilder is torturing people in the name of your country and your as usual spewing rubbish instead of sorting the jerks that are hurting ellow humans in the name of the USA!

if you dont have anything worth while to say dont say it!

6 months! and your moaning your own little rubbish oh muslims this or muslims that as usual!!

stuff you all man! this is rubbish im sorry brothers and sisters how long will we sit here while these punks treat us like dog food and then jerks like this one make excuses for them!!!

we might aswell turn over and die!!

what a waste o time trying to explain to such cold hearted fools!!

**HeiGou** · 03-28-2006

Originally Posted by Muezzin

Freedom of expression.

I kid. Sorry for any offence. I'll change it to 'redneck'.

I believe they prefer to be called Sophistication-Challenged.

**Muezzin** · 03-28-2006

Originally Posted by HeiGou

I believe they prefer to be called Sophistication-Challenged.

Would they even know what the words either side of the heiphen actually mean?

**HeiGou** · 03-28-2006

Originally Posted by Muezzin

Would they even know what the words either side of the heiphen actually mean?

I don't know but wouldn't asking be racial profiling?

(I am still trying to work out of a heiphen is where I go to play or just a shorter version of me)