U.S. Command Faulted in Abu Ghraib Probe -Paper

[DaveSZ]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6025505

Fri Aug 20, 2004 01:13 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Army investigation into abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq finds they resulted from failures of leadership at the highest levels of command, the Washington Post reported on Friday.

The Post quoted unnamed senior defense officials as saying the investigation led by Maj. Gen. George Fay found that a combination of leadership failures, confusing policies, lack of discipline and "absolute confusion" at the prison led to the abuse.

Seven military police personnel have been charged with the abuses which included sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners and caused outrage across the world.

"There was total confusion about the military intelligence tactics, techniques and procedures," the Post quoted one official as saying.

-more

[DaveSZ]

1. Abu Ghraib Probe Points to Top Brass

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17092-2004Aug19.html

Abu Ghraib Probe Points to Top Brass

By Josh White and Thomas E. Ricks
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, August 20, 2004; Page A01

An Army investigation into the role of military intelligence personnel in the abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison reports that the scandal was not just caused by a small circle of rogue military police soldiers but resulted from failures of leadership rising to the highest levels of the U.S. command in Iraq, senior defense officials said.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the report has not yet been completed, said the 9,000-page document says that a combination of leadership failings, confounding policies, lack of discipline and absolute confusion at the prison led to the abuse. It widens the scope of culpability from seven MPs who have been charged with abuse to include nearly 20 low-ranking soldiers who could face criminal prosecution in military courts. No Army officers, however, are expected to face criminal charges.


Officials also said that the report implicates five civilian contractors in the abuse, and that Army officials plan to recommend that their cases be sent to the Justice Department for possible prosecution in civilian courts.

The investigation, shepherded by Maj. Gen. George R. Fay, is one of several into the abuse, which became widely known after hundreds of photographs surfaced depicting detainees in mock sexual positions, in a naked human pyramid and being intimidated by unmuzzled dogs. While the Pentagon and the White House have consistently blamed the abuse on what they have called a rogue band of MPs acting on their own, officials said this new report spreads the blame and points to widespread problems at the prison.

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[librechik]

2. page one above the fold!

Thank you, Washington Post! You are finally doing your job this week!

And what a job! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

[thebigidea]

3. before we get carried away: the WP is still sitting on 100s of pics

[Mari333]

4. Start by prosecuting Rumsfeld, and work their way down

Instead of blaming just the grunts on the ground...as per usual, the lowest people on the rung of the ladder take the flak...
Rummy needs to go to prison FIRST.

[LeftHander]

5. Was this report not spun yesterday to say the opposite?

good grief!

Yesterday this same report was said to of limited blame to low level military....

Which is it?!?