Abuse traced to MILLER prison visit in August-MILLER now made prison head!

[Dems Will Win]

This government can't shoot itself in the ass without missing and shooting itself in the chest!

http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/4762992.html

-snip-

What is coming to light now about abuse of Iraqi prisoners derived directly from a series of decisions taken by President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and others following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. When they decided on the necessary and justifiable invasion of Afghanistan, they also decided to go it alone, and to go it on their terms. Normal rules for conducting warfare would not apply to them. Limited forces would be deployed in line with the new Rumsfeld doctrine; advice that larger post-conflict forces were required was rejected. There would be minimal involvement of international agencies and organizations. The Pentagon would maintain strict control of all information coming from the battlefield.


-snip-

In August 2003, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who was in charge of the prison at Guantanamo, was sent to Iraq to assess "counter-terrorism interrogation and detention operations" there. Miller's team recommended that the military police guarding the Abu Ghraib prisoners be "actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees." As Taguba explains in his report, "setting the conditions" meant brutalizing the detainees so they were cooperative with their interrogators.

According to Taguba, it worked. Following Miller's visit, the prison guards got very tough with detainees, and were told by military intelligence officers that they were doing a good job. The worst abuses occurred in November and December 2003.

Then in January, someone blew the whistle. Several investigations, including Taguba's, were launched. Taguba's report was completed in early March, yet as late as last weekend, neither Rumsfeld nor Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Richard Myers had read it. Congress wasn't briefed on it, and no public announcements were made. That didn't change even a month ago, when Rumsfeld and Myers knew that CBS and the New Yorker's Sy Hersh were doing stories on the abuse that would surface shortly. Indeed, Myers asked CBS to hold off for a while, but apparently said nothing about the coming storm to anyone outside the Pentagon.

-snip-

Miller has just been appointed by Bush to be the new head of the prison to fix it. THis is totally insane, as he was the one that fucked it all up!?!?!?!?

[LittleApple81]

1. You just realized that? I noticed as soon as they announced it.

They want to make sure that NOTHING ELSE COMES OUT, NOT THAT THE TORTURE WILL STOP.
Once they get rid of the old building and all evidence, build a new prison, it will be like that secret room where they look at secret documents in the senate: no tapes, no cameras, no notes....

[revcarol]

2. Rummy put the fox in charge of the henhouse.

Miller advocated interrogation that would be humiliation in their culture. That's what we got.Now with Negroponte the-crimes against-humanity ambassador, their venality can be hidden.

:cry: for the world. And for those poor prisoners who don't stand a chance.

[opihimoimoi]

3. A chance for ShawShank Redemption: By sheer stroke of luck, the Resistence

will capture Miller/and staff and hold them prisoner.....

What Now Guy?

[Dems Will Win]

4. kick

[leftchick]

5. From Taguba's report....

I have been screaming here about this all week. This is beyond fucked up to put one of the people who is reponsible for the problem back there in Iraq in charge of all of the prisons! Unfuckingbelievable!

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4894001

IO COMMENTS ON MG MILLER’S ASSESSMENT

1. (S/NF) MG Miller’s team recognized that they were using JTF-GTMO operational procedures and interrogation authorities as baselines for its observations and recommendations. There is a strong argument that the intelligence value of detainees held at JTF-Guantanamo (GTMO) is different than that of the detainees/internees held at Abu Ghraib (BCCF) and other detention facilities in Iraq. Currently, there are a large number of Iraqi criminals held at Abu Ghraib (BCCF). These are not believed to be international terrorists or members of Al Qaida, Anser Al Islam, Taliban, and other international terrorist organizations. (ANNEX 20)

2. (S/NF) The recommendations of MG Miller’s team that the “guard force” be actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees would appear to be in conflict with the recommendations of MG Ryder’s Team and AR 190-8 that military police “do not participate in military intelligence supervised interrogation sessions.” The Ryder Report concluded that the OEF template whereby military police actively set the favorable conditions for subsequent interviews runs counter to the smooth operation of a detention facility. (ANNEX 20)

I can only Pray the Senator Levin picks up and runs with this today!