No. 343: American's ordeal at Camp Cropper

The Times just published a story on Donald Vance, ex-Navyman working for security contractor in Iraq, who eventually came to denounce the firm's suspect activity to the FBI. He was imprisoned in April 15, 2006, only to be released on July 20. More Kafkaesque than actual Kafka.

He kept notes in his military-issue Bible, at the suggestion of the Camp Cropper psychologist who encouraged him to treat the imprisonment as a "mission" or a "game".



His story is chilling and provokes the question, "if this is how they can treat an American citizen, what about everybody else?"

Mr. Vance and Mr. Ertel were permitted at their hearings only because they were Americans, Lieutenant Fracasso said. The cases of all other detainees are reviewed without the detainees present, she said. In both types of cases, defense lawyers are not allowed to attend because the hearings are not criminal proceedings, she said.

Lieutenant Fracasso said that currently there were three Americans in military custody in Iraq. The military does not identify detainees.