In each of the companies, an internal culture developed that was largely shaped by junior commanders and charismatic soldiers. Initially, the norms instigated atrocities.

"A new commander came to us. We went out with him on the first patrol at six in the morning. He stops. There’s not a soul in the streets, just a little 4-year-old boy playing in the sand in his yard.

The commander suddenly starts running, grabs the boy, and breaks his arm at the elbow and his leg here. Stepped on his stomach three times and left.

We all stood there with our mouths open. Looking at him in shock … I asked the commander: “What’s your story?” He told me: These kids need to be killed from the day they are born. When a commander does that, it becomes legit."

“I have no problem with women. One threw a slipper at me, so I gave her a kick here (pointing to the groin), broke all this here. She can’t have children today.”

“X shot an Arab four times in the back and got away with a self-defense claim. Four bullets in the back from a distance of ten meters … cold-blooded murder. We did things like that every day.”