In other words: A discussion of The Bush Administration
Sad Reading
Abu Ghraib and Beyond
The Bush administration says the U.S. atrocities at Saddam's old jail were the work of a few. But prisoner abuse is more widespread, and lots of people are passing the buck. A NEWSWEEK investigation
"This is not a few bad apples. This is a system failure, a massive failure," said Senate Armed Services Committee member Lindsay Graham, a conservative Republican who once helped to prosecute the impeached Bill Clinton. Graham told NEWSWEEK he believes that more allegations of murder and rape of detainees are likely to surface. Sen. John McCain, whose arms were broken by North Vietnamese torturers, could barely suppress his rage during last week's hearings. Questioning Rumsfeld, the Arizona Republican reduced the normally self-assured Pentagon chief to a helpless sputter when McCain repeatedly demanded, "Who was in charge of the interrogations?" Rumsfeld did not give him a straight answer.
The Pentagon's effort at containment was undermined not just by the accounts of Karpinski and some of her soldiers, but by the conclusions of Rumsfeld's own lead investigator, General Taguba. Last week Army Chief of Staff Peter Schoomaker acknowledged that Army regulations forbid military police from participating in "military-intelligence-supervised interrogation sessions." Deputy CENTCOM commander Lt. Gen. Lance Smith insisted that Miller's changes at Abu Ghraib in 2003 "didn't have anything to do with the methods of interrogating." But Taguba's report clearly outlines Miller's attempt to turn Abu Ghraib guards into "enablers" for interrogation. Taguba cites as evidence the testimony of Sgt. Javal Davis of the 372d and others, who related that military intel was telling them to "loosen this guy up for us," to "make sure this guy has a bad night" and to "give him the treatment." Taguba describes how military-intel officials even complimented one of the charged MPs, Spc. Charles Graner Jr., on his handling of prisoners with statements like, "Good job, they're breaking down real fast."
Just what was "the treatment" given to Iraqis? The answer to that question could ultimately decide Rumsfeld's fate. According to the Red Cross, interrogation methods at the U.S. military's "high-value detention" facility in Iraq, Camp Cropper, located near Baghdad International Airport, include "hooding a detainee in a bag, sometimes in conjunction with beatings, thus increasing anxiety as to when blows would come"; handcuffs so tight they broke the skin; beatings with rifles and pistols; threats against family members; and stripping detainees naked for several days in solitary confinement in a completely dark cell.
General Miller, in a press briefing, tried to show how he was now cleaning up interrogation procedures at Abu Ghraib. "We have approximately 50 approved interrogation techniques. They come from Army Field Manual 34-52," Miller said. Asked to explain what Miller meant, U.S. Army Intelligence Center spokesperson Tanja Linton said she would go away and inquire. She came back to report: "They have no idea what he is talking about." But a senior Defense Department official, speaking on background, confirms that there is a secret list of what he called "categories" of interrogation techniques—which, he says, can be used only with the case-by-case approval of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld.
But Bush won't fire Rummy, "Rummy's doing a superb job," says Bush. And Cave boy Cheney agrees, "The best Secretary of Defense evvvverrrr!" Bush then gave Cheney a high five and Cheney looked at some more photos of prisoners and yelled out "America Rulez! These are wicked!"
- rob 12:03 PM - [PermaLink] -
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