Reuters: Pentagon Leaders Faulted in Prisoner Abuse-Officials

[UpInArms]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6055433

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A high-level panel investigating U.S. military detention operations has concluded that top Pentagon officials and the military command in Iraq contributed to an environment in which detainees were abused at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, a defense official said on Tuesday.

The independent Pentagon panel headed by former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger found that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the Joint Chiefs of Staff failed to exercise proper oversight over confusing detention policies at U.S. prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba, the official said.

But the official, who asked not to be identified, stressed that the four-member group, scheduled to release its report on Tuesday, did not conclude that Rumsfeld or military leaders directly ordered abuse such as stripping prisoners naked and sexually humiliating them in a scandal that has drawn international condemnation.

<snip>

The Schlesinger panel, named by Rumsfeld to look into the abuse and how effectively the Pentagon is addressing the problem with a number of investigations, also includes former Defense Secretary Harold Brown, former Florida Republican Rep. Tillie Fowler and retired Air Force Gen. Charles Horner, who led the allied air campaign in the 1991 Gulf War.

...more...

look for more whitewashing...

[napi21]

1. Something on Cnn this AM didn't mention Rummy & JC's, but

appeared to blame this problem on the leaders locally in Iraq prison. The names I heard were B Gen. Karpinski and Gen Sanchez.

I'm waiting to hear the release of this info today. We'll see who has to take the fall.

[Eloriel]

2. Yep. this is the first I've heard of ANY blame of any kind higher up

Glad to see it, but such a shame it's so far limited to this one article.

Edited to add: Ack! Just read a little of the article. It amounts to "They were just too busy to properly supervise." Lets Rumsfeld completely off the hook. Bah!

[napi21]

3. REport is to be issued today. Let's wait and see.

Even the hint that Rummy and the JC's "had responsibility" means a lot. The excuse that they were too busy won't matter that much.

[Moderator]

4. Duplicate

Add this article if it offers more information.

Here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=772471