Pentagon to brief Congress on Red Cross reports on prisons in Iraq

[allemand]

By Associated Press, 7/8/2004 16:36

WASHINGTON (AP) The Pentagon will brief members of Congress on Friday on confidential reports by the International Committee of the Red Cross regarding conditions at U.S. prisons in Iraq.
Larry Di Rita, chief spokesman for Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, told reporters the material will be shared with lawmakers in closed meetings. The information will not be released publicly.

<...>

The Red Cross began visiting detainees of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq immediately after the March 2003 invasion, and it has complained privately to U.S. authorities about mistreatment of prisoners. But the complaints were made public only when a written Red Cross report was leaked following publication of photographs showing U.S. guards mistreating and humiliating detainees.

http://www.boston.com/dailynews/190/wash/Pentagon_to_brief_Congress_on_:.shtml

[thecrow]

1. Ummmmmmmm...

Why is the PENTAGON briefing members of Congress?
Why not the Red Cross itself?
Why, mommy, why?

[Rose Siding]

2. The IRC can't

They have a deal (charter, protocol, whatever) with the int'l community- They don't rat on anyone publicly. The agreement allows them into prisons without the nation in question worrying about being slaughtered in the press. Internal channels- a series of reports- are supposed to be used in correcting the violations.

It's obviously flawed and less efficient but they'd be completely shut out otherwise.