Army reservist should have paid attention in History class.
In 1945, in Nuremberg the trials began.
- Hans Frank
- Alfred Jodl
- Wilhelm Keitel
- Arthur Seyss-Inquart
- Constantin von Neurath
- Joachim von Ribbentrop
All these men were found guilty of Count Three: War Crimes.
These were the more traditional violations of the law of war including treatment of prisoners of war.
“I was just following orders”
was not a defense allowed then and it is not a defense allowed now.
US Army reservist Charles Graner Jr., convicted of mistreating Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, said he had been ordered to abuse detainees as he took the stand for the first time today. He described himself as a by-the-book prison guard corrupted by superiors who ordered him to physically mistreat and sexually humiliate detainees.
He said he initially resisted pressure to mistreat prisoners, but his Army superiors made it clear to him that he was expected to obey the commands of the military and civilian intelligence agents who ran his part of Abu Ghraib.
Graner said a lieutenant in his unit told him:
“If (military intelligence) asks you to do this, it needs to be done. They’re in charge, follow their orders.”
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