By Joshua Daniel Hershfield, 11/2/06
27 year old Army Specialist Alyssa Peterson reportedly shot and killed herself after objecting to the interrogation techniques used by the US military on prisoners in Iraq. She was an Arabic speaking interrogator assigned to the US military prison in Tal-afar, northwestern Iraq. She died on September 15, 2003. Her death was officially declared to be caused by a “non-hostile weapons discharge” possibly from her own weapon, another soldier, or an Iraqi civilian.
A Radio station from her home town of Flagstaff, AZ reported, “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””
Why were these facts of her death held from the public? Why are we not allowed to know when US soldiers are objecting to the torture methods they are being ordered to use? Why are we not allowed to know what interrogation techniques are being used on people in our names?
This story brings to light not only the severity of cruelty being inflicted on people by the US military, but also the mental and emotional strain that it puts on the soldiers who are carrying out those orders. Alyssa Peterson may have pulled her own trigger, but it is the United States military system that is responsible for her death.