Ariz. specialist killed herself in Iraq weeks after objection

[one...two...tree 2,762]

FLAGSTAFF - A Flagstaff soldier who in 2003 became the third woman to die in Iraq killed herself two weeks after objecting to the interrogation techniques being used on Iraqi prisoners, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Spc. Alyssa Peterson, 27, an Arabic-speaking interrogator who trained at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona, was assigned to a unit at Tal Afar Air Base in northwestern Iraq. According to a criminal investigation report recently released by the military under the Freedom of Information Act, Peterson had been in Iraq for two weeks and participated in two interrogations in late August 2003.

She objected to interrogation techniques after the first session, the documents show, and after the second session she told her supervisor that she "could not carry out" the interrogation methods that were being used and asked to be reassigned.

Her objections came seven months before the prisoner abuse allegations at Abu Ghraib prison in central Iraq became public.

The investigative report states that a sergeant and team leader both "detailed the aversion she had towards applying the interrogation methods to detainees."

Peterson's first sergeant, identified as James D. Hamilton, told investigators, "It was hard for her to be aggressive to prisoners/detainees, as she felt that we were cruel to them," the report states.

Army representatives declined to comment on Peterson's death or describe the interrogation techniques she objected to. Valerie Florez, Freedom of Information and Privacy Act officer at Fort Campbell, Ky., said all records of those techniques have been destroyed.

She attended a routine suicide-prevention training Aug. 29 and shortly afterward was reassigned to a base gate where she was directed to monitor Iraqi guards for duplicitous behavior. She also used her language skills to interpret for Iraqi civilians in liaison work.

However, her fellow soldiers reported that she kept to herself and did not make attempts to integrate herself into her team environment.

She avoided eating with her interrogation team and spent time reading at her desk when she did not have other assignments. No one in the unit reported signs of impending suicide.

On the evening of Sept. 15, 2003, she got off work at about 9 p.m. and was not seen again that night.

According to the documents, the company executive officer heard two gunshots at about 9:30 p.m. but did not investigate.

At 9 the next morning, an aircraft passing over the nearby landing zone reported seeing Peterson's body in a grassy field next to her service rifle.

Documents disclosed that she had two gunshot wounds - her weapon apparently had been set on burst - beneath her chin.

Although the criminal investigations report concluded Peterson killed herself with her M-4 service rifle, the autopsy report has not been released. The military investigation offers no explanation of why Peterson would commit suicide.

Family members did not want to comment. A family spokesman, who asked not to be named, said family members did not want to know the details of her death.

In an interview a year after her death, Peterson's family told The Arizona Republic how their daughter was born in a leap year, on Feb. 29, 1976, in Greeley, Colo.

Because her "real" birthday came only every four years, her father would threaten to wake her up at midnight between Feb. 28 and March 1 to celebrate. But he never did.

In elementary school, she played the clarinet, was a standout soccer player and excelled in academics.

Her family moved to Flagstaff when Peterson was in fifth grade. She quickly joined soccer and ran cross country in junior high. In high school, she was a peer counselor.

She worked at McDonald's, saved her money and went to Northern Arizona University on a full academic scholarship, eventually graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology.

At 21, she served a mission in the Netherlands for the Mormon Church.

When she was told where she would be going, she bought books and tapes to learn Dutch and showed a remarkable aptitude for foreign languages that would serve her later in the military.

While in school, Peterson also attended classes at the Flagstaff Institute of Religion for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

David C. Jay, director of the institute, remembered her as very unassuming.

"She was reserved to the point of being what some people would perceive as shy," Jay said in 2004. "But she was such a wonderfully gifted young lady.

"Initially you would never have suspected that here this little girl would go off and learn to speak these difficult languages in parts of the world we know so little about," Jay said.

Peterson enlisted in the Army in July 2001, telling her parents afterward, "It's already done."

"We were resigned to it," her mother said in the 2004 interview. "We feel strongly that evil exists. That you cannot escape from it, but have to stand up to it."

Peterson got the best score on a language skills test that the local recruiter had ever seen, and she was chosen for military intelligence training at Fort Huachuca after basic training in Fort Sill, Okla.

After Fort Huachuca, she was sent to the Presidio of Monterey in California for a 15-month course in Arabic so she could help with interrogations and translation.

In August 2003, she shipped out to Iraq with the 311th Military Intelligence Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division.

Her parents did not know she was in Iraq at the time of her death, thinking she was still stationed at Fort Campbell, Ky.

After she died, her company commander called her family and said she had been a great asset to the unit. He said she was well-liked and had never been happier than when she was talking with the local residents, helping to make their lives happier.

He said she exemplified compassionate service.

Her death has been difficult for the Petersons, who went to Phoenix to meet their daughter's coffin.

"When the door of the cargo hangar opened, and that casket was there with a flag on it ... that was hard," her mother said.

Alyssa Peterson was buried with full military honors in Citizens Cemetery in Flagstaff.

Kevin Elston is a reporter for National Public Radio station KNAU in Flagstaff, which originally aired this report.

[kaydee457 13]

So what? Do you have any idea how many suicides the services experience in a single year?

The U.S. Navy has at least one to two per deployment of each aircraft carrier, for various reasons and sometimes no reason is given.

Oh well. There's no "cure" for life, is there? Not even suicide.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Very tenuous to connect her "objections to interrogation" with subsequent suicide. Hard to see what one has to do with the other.

There is certainly above average suicide rate in the armed forces of most countries - in some instances its the result of institutionalised bullying. Russia for instance, is notorious for that sort of thing. Even in Britain, there has never been a satisfactory explanation to the rash of "suicides" at the Deepcut army barracks - something that always seemed very sinister to me.

[bucknekkid 0]

So what? Do you have any idea how many suicides the services experience in a single year?

The U.S. Navy has at least one to two per deployment of each aircraft carrier, for various reasons and sometimes no reason is given.

Oh well. There's no "cure" for life, is there? Not even suicide.

What an a$$....

[kaydee457 13]

So what? Do you have any idea how many suicides the services experience in a single year?

The U.S. Navy has at least one to two per deployment of each aircraft carrier, for various reasons and sometimes no reason is given.

Oh well. There's no "cure" for life, is there? Not even suicide.

What an a$$....

Just stating the facts, mam....Take a midol and come back later

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Very tenuous to connect her "objections to interrogation" with subsequent suicide. Hard to see what one has to do with the other.

There is certainly above average suicide rate in the armed forces of most countries - in some instances its the result of institutionalised bullying. Russia for instance, is notorious for that sort of thing. Even in Britain, there has never been a satisfactory explanation to the rash of "suicides" at the Deepcut army barracks - something that always seemed very sinister to me.

What I found important to the story was that here was a highly trained interrogation officer objecting to the methods being used months before the photos were released from Abu Graihb. That confirms that what happened was not just some rogue guards getting their kicks with the detainees. The abuse was instituted within command.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Steven_and_Jinky

[Marc and Olga 0]

Army representatives declined to comment on Peterson's death or describe the interrogation techniques she objected to. Valerie Florez, Freedom of Information and Privacy Act officer at Fort Campbell, Ky., said all records of those techniques have been destroyed.

Hmm wonder why?

Anyway, having read that she was a Mormon, she must have been very bad off, IF it was indeed a suicide! Mormons, like many Christian faiths believe suicide is not going to get you good graces in heaven (Celestial Kingdom).

Well at least as I remember...it has been MANY years since I was last at a Mormon Church.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

So what? Do you have any idea how many suicides the services experience in a single year?

The U.S. Navy has at least one to two per deployment of each aircraft carrier, for various reasons and sometimes no reason is given.

Oh well. There's no "cure" for life, is there? Not even suicide.

What an a$$....

Just stating the facts, mam....Take a midol and come back later

Some people don't want honest answers.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Very tenuous to connect her "objections to interrogation" with subsequent suicide. Hard to see what one has to do with the other.

There is certainly above average suicide rate in the armed forces of most countries - in some instances its the result of institutionalised bullying. Russia for instance, is notorious for that sort of thing. Even in Britain, there has never been a satisfactory explanation to the rash of "suicides" at the Deepcut army barracks - something that always seemed very sinister to me.

What I found important to the story was that here was a highly trained interrogation officer objecting to the methods being used months before the photos were released from Abu Graihb. That confirms that what happened was not just some rogue guards getting their kicks with the detainees. The abuse was instituted within command.

I was never really in doubt that the prisoner abuses had high-level approval.

[Ban Hammer 14,396]

Very tenuous to connect her "objections to interrogation" with subsequent suicide. Hard to see what one has to do with the other.

There is certainly above average suicide rate in the armed forces of most countries - in some instances its the result of institutionalised bullying. Russia for instance, is notorious for that sort of thing. Even in Britain, there has never been a satisfactory explanation to the rash of "suicides" at the Deepcut army barracks - something that always seemed very sinister to me.

What I found important to the story was that here was a highly trained interrogation officer objecting to the methods being used months before the photos were released from Abu Graihb. That confirms that what happened was not just some rogue guards getting their kicks with the detainees. The abuse was instituted within command.

steven, don't fool yourself with the statement of "highly trained interrogation officer". she was still fresh outta ait. your next statement after that is really reaching, btw.

what i also find interesting is she ""eventually graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in psychology." yet she killed herself. she don't sound like she was too tightly wrapped.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Psychology is not Psychiatry

[Ban Hammer 14,396]

I was never really in doubt that the prisoner abuses had high-level approval.

not surprising.

Psychology is not Psychiatry

what a news flash

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I was never really in doubt that the prisoner abuses had high-level approval.

not surprising.

Just one of the things the Bush administration has shown itself to have been dishonest about. And they wonder why no ####### trusts them.

what a news flash

You didn't seem to know.

[I'm Gone 60]

One more reason why there shouldn't be women in the military

[GaryC 7]

What you call "prisoner abuse" I call interrogation. It's funny how a lib with a ax to grind can always find a "victim" to further his cause. You capitalize on some woman that can't take it and at the same time make victims out of our enemies. Really nice.

Edited November 6, 2006 by Iniibig ko si Luz forever