Camp Bucca
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Camp Bucca is the name of a holding facility for prisoners of war maintained by the United States military in the vicinity of Umm Qasr. It is named after Ronald Bucca, a soldier with the 800th MP Brigade and NYC Fire Marshal who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
According to the Taguba report, the Camp Bucca facility is "significantly over [its] intended maximum capacity while the guard force is undermanned and under resourced". The report describes the following "incident of detainee abuse" at Camp Bucca, on May 12, 2003.
- Soldiers from the 223rd MP Company reported to the 800th MP Brigade Command at Camp Bucca, that four Military Police Soldiers from the 320th MP Battalion had abused a number of detainees during inprocessing at Camp Bucca. An extensive CID investigation determined that four soldiers from the 320th MP Battalion had kicked and beaten these detainees following a transport mission from Talil Air Base.
After the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, many detainees from Abu Ghraib were transferred to Camp Bucca. After a substantial turn-over in the chain of command at Camp Bucca and substantial amendments to camp policy, the US military held up Camp Bucca as an example of how a model detention facility should be run [1] (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bucca19jan19,1,4521154.story?coll=la-headlines-world). Detainees are now reportedly housed in huts rather than tents, organize and adminster their own classes in subjects like literacy and religion, and compete in soccer matches. Cigarettes, alcohol, and the opportunity to listen to radio programs are used as incentives for good behavior.
On January 31, 2005, a riot broke out in which detainees reportedly threw rocks and may have fashioned weapons out of tent poles. The riot was dispelled by the use of lethal force. Four detainees were killed and six were injured. As is standard procedure in all cases of prison riots and the use of lethal force, the matter is under investigation by the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division.
On February 5, 2005, the New York Daily News reported that NCOs of the 160th MP Battalion organized and held a mud wrestling party on October 30, 2004 [2] (http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/278199p-238353c.html). The party was also attending by members of the incoming 105th MP Battalion, who were arriving to relieve the members of the 160th. At least three female GIs stripped to their undergarments and wrestled in a kiddie-pool full of mud in front of a crowd of male GIs, and another GI flashed her breasts. About 30 photos of the party, including one of the flasher have been leaked to the press. The flasher was demoted for indecent exposure, but it is unknown what other disciplinary measures have been taken against participants in the party. Although press interviews with soldiers indicate there was alcohol at the party, the Army has denied the involvement of alcohol.