Cover up of soldier who committed suicide rather than torture detainees [AUDIO]

Posted by Lindsay Beyerstein at 9:37 AM on November 2, 2006.

Official report on death of Army Spc. Alyssa Peterson

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An Army investigation has determined that Army Spc. Alyssa Peterson committed suicide after refusing to participate in torture (click the "download" button to the right to hear the report):

10/31/06 (2006-10-31) Army specialist Alyssa Peterson was an Arabic speaking interrogator assigned to the prison at the Tal-afar airbase in far northwestern Iraq near the Syrian border. According to the Army's investigation into her death, obtained by a KNAU reporter through the Freedom of Information Act, Peterson objected to the interrogation techniques used on prisoners. She refused to participate after only two nights working in the unit known as the cage. Army spokespersons for her unit have refused to describe the interrogation techniques Alyssa objected to. They say all records of those techniques have now been destroyed.
Instead she was assigned to the base gate, where she monitored Iraqi guards. She was sent to suicide prevention training. But on the night of September 15th, 2003, Army investigators concluded she shot and killed herself with her service rifle. [KNAU]

Listen to the KNAU report using the buttons on the upper right...

[Erin in Flagstaff, Rox Populi]

Tagged as: iraq, torture, suicide, detainees

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sick [Report this comment] Posted by: JoshuaLudd on Nov 2, 2006 11:01 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] sick. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Suicide or "Suicided" [Report this comment] Posted by: GeorgiaLiberal on Nov 2, 2006 12:19 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] Sounds suspicious-go against the grain, and she winds up dead. Very sad either way-but considering the cover-ups we've seen out of the military so far..... [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » Good question Posted by: lessbread » RE: Suicide or "Suicided" Posted by: symcokid KNAU retracted the story [Report this comment] Posted by: mackenjim on Nov 2, 2006 2:16 PM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] All the blogs and sites linking to it come up with nothing. "Correction to Alyssa Peterson story - Daniel Kraker FLAGSTAFF, AZ (2006-11-02) KNAU reported in a broadcast Tuesday and Wednesday that Army specialist Alyssa Peterson of Flagstaff may have committed suicide in Iraq three years ago rather than follow what she believed to be illegal orders. In fact, while the army investigation does state she objected to interrogation techniques used on detainees, it does not conclude that those objections were related to her suicide. KNAU apologizes for this error." KNAU Retraction Because they say a link can't be inferred between her objections to the orders and her suicide, they have decided to expunge the story from their web page, even though there is obviously much more to this than meets the eye. The Army covered up a suicide by calling it a “non-hostile weapons discharge" and she killed herself after working for 2 nights in a place called "the cage". I would say that KNAU is being extremely timid here, but I guess this is normal for most media these days. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] AND IF YOU BELIEVE THAT, CONSIDERING THE RECORD [Report this comment] Posted by: mdruss42 on Nov 3, 2006 7:43 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] THEN YOU BELIEVE THE TOOTH FAIRY IS GOING TO LEAVE A WINNING LOTTERY TICKET UNDER YOUR PILLOW. [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] Sounds fishy to me.... [Report this comment] Posted by: WitchyNy on Nov 3, 2006 11:47 AM Current rating: Not yet rated [1 = poor; 5 = excellent] An article about this woman stated she was a "devout Mormon". Devout Mormons do not kill themselves. Also, my understanding is the 'suicide note' was not given to her parents. Perhaps because they would know her handwriting??? [« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5] » RE: Sounds fishy to me.... Posted by: mkwagner

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» Good question Posted by: lessbread

» RE: Suicide or "Suicided" Posted by: symcokid

» RE: Sounds fishy to me.... Posted by: mkwagner

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» Good question Posted by: lessbread

» RE: Suicide or "Suicided" Posted by: symcokid

» RE: Sounds fishy to me.... Posted by: mkwagner