Former Soldier Tells How US Tortures--Asks Forgiveness

The following link accesses a transcript that details Tony Lagouranis' experiences as an interrogator for the military. He describes abuses and his frustration with his superiors who refused to listen to his misgivings about the interrogation methods.

Mr. Lagouranis asks the Iraqis to forgive him for what he and his fellow soldiers and the US has done to them and their country. This is an act of courage from a man who has done and seen things that will haunt him for the rest of his life. BY asking forgiveness he has gone some way in being healed, I believe. Would only those leaders who turn blind eyes to torture find their souls this way before it's too late.
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Former U.S. Army Interrogator Describes the Harsh Techniques He Used in Iraq, Detainee Abuse by Marines and Navy Seals and Why “Torture is the Worst Possible Thing We Could Do”

With deep remorse, former U.S. Army interrogator Specialist Tony Lagouranis talks about his own involvement with abusing detainees in Iraq and torture carried out by the Navy Seals. He apologizes to the Iraqi people and urges U.S. soldiers to follow their conscience. Lagouranis returned from Iraq in January and until now had given no live interviews. But Lagouranis says he now feels it his duty to speak out about what he witnessed in Iraq:

* His use of harsh interrogation techniques on prisoners in Iraq including dogs, sleep deprivation, prolonged isolation and dietary manipulation.
* How Navy SEALS induced hypothermia by using ice water to lower the body temperature of prisoners.
* Serving in Fallujah and going through the clothes and pockets of some 500 dead bodies to try and identify them.
* The corpses on men, women and children in Fallujah, which had been lying in the streets for days and had been "eaten by dogs and birds and maggots," were then stacked up in a warehouse where U.S. soldiers ate and slept. ...

AMY GOODMAN: And to someone who is in Iraq right now, what would you say to them, and what would you say to Iraqis?

TONY LAGOURANIS: Well, I'd like to apologize to Iraq honestly, because I think we have done so many things wrong over there. I think the military guys wanted to go over there and really liberate Iraq, and we have just really screwed it up. So, that's terrible, but to the military guys in Iraq, I would say, follow your conscience, and don't do what everybody else is doing just because it seems like that's the right thing to do. It's not. ... Read more