How America Helped ISIS (Prisons created radicalization) - NYT

[flamingdem]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/10/02/opinion/how-america-helped-isis.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1&referrer=

The Islamic State terrorists who have emerged in Iraq and Syria are neither new nor unfamiliar. Many of them spent years in detention centers run by the United States and its coalition partners in Iraq after 2003. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State, spent nearly five years imprisoned at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq. A majority of the other top Islamic State leaders were also former prisoners, including: Abu Muslim al-Turkmani, Abu Louay, Abu Kassem, Abu Jurnas, Abu Shema and Abu Suja.

Before their detention, Mr. al-Baghdadi and others were violent radicals, intent on attacking America. Their time in prison deepened their extremism and gave them opportunities to broaden their following. At Camp Bucca, for example, the most radical figures were held alongside less threatening individuals, some of whom were not guilty of any violent crime. Coalition prisons became recruitment centers and training grounds for the terrorists the United States is now fighting.

This process began when coalition forces arrived in Iraq in 2003 and detained alleged terrorists with little preparation or oversight. Although soldiers tried to document the circumstances behind the detentions of Iraqis and foreign fighters, the process broke down under the pressure of fighting, the shortage of trained Arabic speakers, and the fog of war.

Simply being a “suspicious looking” military-aged male in the vicinity of an attack was enough to land one behind bars. There were 26,000 detainees at the height of the war, and over 100,000 individuals passed through the gates of Camps Bucca, Cropper and Taji. Quite a few were dangerous insurgents; many others were innocent.

[Uncle Joe]

1. The seeds of chaos were sowed on multiple rows.

Thanks for the thread, flamingdem.

[flamingdem]

2. Pretty chilling

I'd say some of those released prisoners are pretty motivated.

Nice quote you chose, well written opinion piece.

[Purveyor]

3. Not to mention the 10 year olds that lived the barbarity of our illegal

invasion/massacre of Iraq that are now of fighting age and more than willing to avenge the war crimes they witnessed.

[flamingdem]

4. That's right, they don't mention that

or the relatives of those who were in prison.

All radicalized by war more than religion.

[Purveyor]

5. Indeed and we are creating a fresh batch with our current bombing of Iraq/Syria

civilians.

Gotta keep the MIC beast fed, I suppose.

[flamingdem]

6. Yep, though Bernie does support

I see Bernie there, he's usually a bit more rebellious.

[Purveyor]

7. Yeah, I know but I'm going with anybody but Hillary at this time.

Keep hope alive...

[flamingdem]

8. Seriously

She really let her hawk show when she said she would have armed the FSA to one up Obama

[Cha]

9. Bernie realizes what a complicated issue it is, flamingdem.. not just black and white like

some on the internetz.

Bernie stands with the President on this "Enormously complicated issue".. as he calls it. He disagrees with staying out of ISIS like some around are clamoring on about.

As he stated it's an "International effort" and guess what.. "they have to put money in it too."

Senator Sanders also said Assad Gassed his own people.. whether the conspiracy theorists around here believe it or not..

Hartman and he talked about one republiCon saying.. they'll "blast him if it doesn't work and ask why he didn't do it sooner if it does." Sounds like a familiar whine.

Warning: Bernie has some nice things to say about the President!!

[flamingdem]

12. Thanks for the vid Cha!

Love Bernie, he has a heart and gets it.

[The Wizard]

10. Bush cartel policies

have made us a rogue nation. The beheadings are a response to the cartel's overthrow of a sovereign government so as to steal their resources. The cartel killed an untold number of innocent Iraqis and displaced millions. We are reaping the whirlwind and the military industrial media complex is hauling in huge ill gotten profits from our taxes. Governance by fear always fails in the end. The road to empire is littered with failed republics.

[Scuba]

11. K&R