Col. C. Tsai, a military doctor who examined Ford in Germany and found nothing wrong with him, told a film crew for Spiegel Television that he was 'not surprised' at Ford's diagnosis. Tsai told Spiegel that he had treated 'three or four' other U.S. soldiers from Iraq that were also sent to Landstuhl for psychological evaluations or 'combat stress counseling' after they reported incidents of detainee abuse or other wrongdoing by American soldiers.
Artiga and other higher-ups in the 223rd M.I. Battalion deny Ford's charges. But in the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib scandal, federal agencies including the Department of Defense, the Army's Criminal Investigation Command (CID), and the FBI are finally looking into them. The Department of the Army's Office of the Inspector General has launched an investigation, according to Ford and his attorney, Kevin Healy, who have been contacted by investigators. If Ford's allegations are proven, the Army would be faced with evidence that its prisoner abuse problem is even more widespread than previously acknowledged -- and that some of its own officers not only turned a blind eye to abuses but actively participated in covering them up...
...The propellers of the huge turboprop engines on the C-130 sent scorching blasts of superheated air back toward the group, almost hot enough to singe the skin on a face. (When I left Iraq from the same tarmac a few months later, I did get burned from the blasts.) As Ford's gurney sank into the steaming tarmac, Madera and the other medical officer wheeled him up the long ramp and into the aircraft's cavernous interior. Once they were airborne, Madera unstrapped Ford and motioned for him to sit next to her on one of the hard benches that run along the sides of the plane. "She told me that she was forced to get me out of Iraq ASAP by Ryan and Artiga, who she claimed were scared to death by what I might say. She also told me that she wanted me to get out of Iraq as soon as possible because she feared for my safety." Ford said Madera also told him, "These people are serious and very scary." She apologized for having orchestrated such an exit, but said there was no other way. "I told her that I understood, but felt as though I had just been kidnapped." According to Ford, Madera replied, "You were."
Madera did not respond to several requests to be interviewed for this story.
Four years ago I'd not have given this much credence. Now I'd give it a 50% chance of being at least partially true. Indeed, one wonders if straightforward murder isn't more often used to silence critics. It would be much tougher to track down.
I wonder if any mainstream media will pick this up. There are enough names provided in this article that if there's any truth to the allegations we should learn more fairly easily.
Fake psychiatric "diagnoses" and psychiatric "sentencing" were mainstays of the Soviet union. Some days I think GWB is a deep soviet plant.
Bush/Rumsfeld is making us all crazy.
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