FYI: “Contracts Meals Disaster” for Iraqi Prisoners
For Immediate Release: December 9th, 2004
Contact: Pratap Chatterjee | CorpWatch | pratap@corpwatch.org | 510 759 8970
“Contracts Meals Disaster” for Iraqi Prisoners
New evidence suggests that prisoners at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq were subjected not only to torture and psychological abuse, they were underfed, malnourished and made to eat food so bad it inspired riots. A little-known private contractor, run by an American civilian, is said to be to blame.
An exclusive new story by CorpWatch military correspondent David Phinney, describes the food and the reaction of military officials who were running the prison.
“Contract meals Disaster,” one army official said in an e-mail. “That is the best way to describe this issue. As each day goes by, the tension within the prisoner populations increases,” he continued. “For the past two days prisoners have been vomiting after they eat.”
One interrogator said that the conditions were so bad that it was hard for them to extract information from detainees. “Anything that affects the morale of the locals affect our mission.”
The food was largely to blame for two prison riots in which Army guards shot four detainees after the prisoners failed to comply with commands to stop and disburse. A subsequent Pentagon investigation found that prisoners were not attempting a “mass” escape as first thought.
The story can be viewed at http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11744
David Phinney, Military Correspondent, is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster whose work has appeared on PBS and ABC and in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, San Francisco Examiner, Wired, Salon.com and many other news organizations. He was a co-founder, along with Steve Hills, president of The Washington Post, of Bay City Publications in the San Francisco Bay Area. Together, they launched the Bay City Business Journal and the Emeryville Guardian, two publications recognized for investigative work that exposed political corruption and real estate scandals in California.
About CorpWatch:
CorpWatch counters corporate-led globalization through education, network-building and activism. We work to foster democratic control over corporations by building grassroots globalization a diverse movement for human rights and dignity, labor rights and environmental justice.
Our new book “Iraq, Inc.: A Profitable Occupation” is the first on-the-ground account of Year One of the occupation of Iraq and is also most complete-to-date chronicle of the exploits of private contractors hired to reconstruct and manage Iraq. http://www.sevenstories.com/Book/index.cfm?GCOI=58322100484530
“Iraq Inc. will introduce to you the entrepreneurs who really understand war profiteering and the price the rest of us will have to pay.”- Matt Swibel, senior reporter Forbes Magazine
“A powerful combination of investigative research and on-the-ground reporting.”-Naomi Klein, author No Logo, columnist The Guardian, UK
–
Pratap Chatterjee
Managing Editor/Project Director
CorpWatch
1611 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 702
Oakland, CA 94612
USA
Phone: +1 510-271-8080
Fax. +1 510-271-8083
Mobile: +1 510-759-8970
Email: pratap@corpwatch.org
Website: http://www.corpwatch.org
Also check out our new book: “Iraq Inc.: A Profitable Occupation” http://www.sevenstories.com/Book/index.cfm?GCOI=58322100484530