Consequence by Eric Fair

Author:Eric Fair
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781627795142
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

6.2

In Fallujah, living quarters are cramped. We are housed in an Iraqi military compound that was used by Saddam’s most trusted military officers for retreats and conventions. There are pools, fountains, and auditoriums. There is an empty zoo. Soldiers exchange rumors about a striped tiger seen wandering around the compound.

Ferdinand, Jim, and I are shoehorned into a single room. Ferdinand and I do not like Jim. We don’t trust him. So we isolate him in the corner. We place our two cots side by side and sleep head to toe. Ferdinand snores. It is a terrible snore. Ferdinand apologizes and explains he has sleep apnea. By the end of the first week, I am seriously sleep deprived.

I conduct at least two interrogations each day. I read through poorly written capture reports that offer little information beyond the detainee’s suspected involvement in “anti Coalition activity.” Most of the detainees have been turned in by their neighbors, or swept up during search-and-seizure operations. Some simply had too many weapons in their house. But others were caught with mortar tubes in their fields or explosives in their garage.

I search the capture reports for groups of relatives. I learn to use leverage here. I gather the group and interview them all at once. I tell the translators to hold conversations with the detainees. I tell the translators to say something that is funny. Then I laugh. When they realize I speak Arabic, one of the family members will ignore the translator and speak directly to me. He’ll say something like “Why have we been arrested?” Or “We support the U.S. troops; we can help you.” Or “What right do you have to do this?”

The detainee who speaks up first is the strongest link in the family. I won’t waste any time on him. Eventually, others in the group will take their turn to say similar things. Occasionally, one member of the group will be told to keep quiet. They’ll interrupt him, or hush him, or put their hands up when he speaks.

I separate the detainees again. I isolate the individual the group tried to keep quiet. I send the rest back to the holding cell. I do paperwork. I play Minesweeper. I return to the isolated detainee. I bring in stacks of paper and manila folders. I tell him the rest of the group has told me about how they fight the Shia. I talk about how they occasionally attack U.S. forces by mistake. I tell him we are not worried about this. We simply want to identify groups that we can work with against the Shia. We just need to know they won’t attack U.S. troops anymore.

I want the isolated detainee to admit his family has attacked U.S. forces in the past. I want him to agree to say this with a blindfold on. I want him blindfolded and sitting in front of his other family members when he says this. When it works, there is anger and crying. I pretend not to be bothered by this.

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