Former soldiers, commander didn't see abuses in Afghanistan

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8HVIOPO0.html



Despite allegations that Pfc. Damien M. Corsetti undressed and tried to kiss a female detainee at Abu Ghraib in Iraq, former Army co-workers testified Thursday that the beefy soldier is a peaceful man who they never saw abuse detainees in Afghanistan.

Corsetti, a counterintelligence soldier with the 519th Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., is accused of mistreating three detainees, including the brother-in-law of a Sept. 11 hijacker, and a former top al-Qaida operative in Southeast Asia, at an American jail at Bagram Air Field in 2002 and 2003. Army prosecutors said he hit, kicked, sat on and threatened to sexually assault the men.

Charges include assault, maltreatment, dereliction of duty and using hashish and drinking alcohol at Bagram.

Marshal Scaggs, a former military intelligence soldier who now lives in Palm Springs, Calif., said he also was accused of trying to kiss the female detainee in Iraq, but that he and Corsetti were cleared of any wrongdoing in that incident. They were, however, reprimanded for interrogating a prisoner without permission, Scaggs told an Army jury.

[cassiepriam]

1. So, the troops are on booze and hashish? Explains a lot....

Just like Viet Nam....??

[cassiepriam]

2. Facts about Hashish

Produces a feeling of relaxation and wellbeing.

Loss of inhibition
Increased talkativeness
A confused perception of space and time
Reduced ability to concentrate and remember
Reduced coordination - this makes it dangerous to drive or operate machinery while under the influence of the drug.

Heavy use may cause hallucinations
Other possible effects, which are more common with heavy cannabis use, include:
Paranoia
Confusion
Anxiety.
Drug-induced psychosis

Can can cause a condition known as drug-induced psychosis. Symptoms usually appear quickly and last a relatively short time (a few days) until the effects of the cannabis wear off. Disorientation, memory problems and visual hallucinations are the most common symptoms.

Cannabis can precipitate the first episode of psychosis
If someone has a predisposition to a psychotic illness, such as schizophrenia, use of drugs such as cannabis may trigger the first episode in what can be a lifelong, disabling condition. There is increasing evidence that regular cannabis use precedes and causes higher rates of psychotic illness. Psychotic illnesses are characterized by:
Delusions - for example the person believes they have special powers.
Hallucinations - for example the person hears voices or sees things that aren't really there.
Thought disorder - for example the person has difficulty organizing their thoughts.
When people experience psychotic symptoms, they are unable to distinguish what is real. They lose contact with reality.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Cannabis_and_psychosis?OpenDocument