All opinions posted. None too pathetic or contrived. Everyone gets their say.

"...even the wicked get worse than they deserve." - Willa Cather, One of Ours

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Former Abu Ghraib Intel Staffer Says Army Involved in Scandal

ABC
'Definitely a Cover-Up'
Dozens of soldiers -- other than the seven military police reservists who have been charged -- were involved in the abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, and there is an effort under way in the Army to hide it...

"There's definitely a cover-up," the witness, Sgt. Samuel Provance, said. "People are either telling themselves or being told to be quiet."

[...]

Provance, now stationed in Germany, ran the top secret computer network used by military intelligence at the prison.

He said that while he did not see the actual abuse take place, the interrogators with whom he worked freely admitted they directed the MPs' rough treatment of prisoners.

"Anything [the MPs] were to do legally or otherwise, they were to take those commands from the interrogators," he said.

[...]

Maj. Gen. George Fay, the Army's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, was assigned by the Pentagon to investigate the role of military intelligence in the abuse at the Iraq prison.

Fay started his probe on April 23, but Provance said when Fay interviewed him, the general seemed interested only in the military police, not the interrogators, and seemed to discourage him from testifying.

Provance said Fay threatened to take action against him for failing to report what he saw sooner, and the sergeant fears he will be ostracized for speaking out...
That's about what I figured.

Based on what we know now, my supposition is that Lt. Col. Papas was out of control and exceeded both the letter and the intent of his orders. Papas and all the MP and intelligence officers under him ought to be courtmartialed. Also, whichever general officer failed to properly command and control Papas' operation at Abu Ghraib needs to have his career ended for incompetence and dereliction of duty. My understanding is that this person is Gen. Sanchez's G-2 (i.e. the senior intelligence staff officer at CJTF-7).

It just doesn't sit right with me that only the enlisted men were charged. The idea that this was some sort of spontaneous behavior is just absurd. They believed they were following orders. It is the men who gave those orders who should be on trial.
Posted by: Zayphar / 5/19/2004 01:39:00 AM
Comments:
The detainee, whose badly bruised corpse was in a body bag packed with ice, died in the prison’s showers while being interrogated by the CIA or other civilian agents, ABC reported Wednesday. At least three such CIA cases have been referred by the agency to the Justice Department for prosecution, the official said.

In an account published Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the victim had been brought to the prison with his head covered by an empty sandbag. It said he died in the midst of intensive questioning in the shower by military intelligence officials. After he collapsed, the interrogators removed the bag and then saw severe head wounds that had not
# posted by Anonymous Anonymous : 2:00 PM
 
Post a Comment

<< Home