Torture scandal fingetprints

Washington Times ^ | 5/12/04 | Donald Devine

[kattracks]

Thanks to Rep. Heather Wilson, New Mexico Republican and a former military officer, we now know the sequence of events that led to the American military police abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison. A military investigation in late summer 2003 of the 800th Military Police Brigade under Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski by Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller found a breakdown in discipline at the prison. When told that her troops were not even saluting, the general refused to order them to begin doing so.

[Anti-Bubba182]

"..A military investigation in late summer 2003 of the 800th Military Police Brigade under Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski by Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller found a breakdown in discipline at the prison. When told that her troops were not even saluting, the general refused to order them to begin doing so. Central Command, concerned about the breakdown but apparently worried about disciplining one of the highest ranking female Army officers in Iraq, devised a compromise bureaucratic solution to hand control of the critical central interrogation prison at Abu Ghraib to the military intelligence unit questioning the prisoners..."

In other words, to protect essential operations from an incompetent and lazy officer, pass the buck to another department.

Karpinski should have been relieved in the first place.

[CyberAnt]

"The resulting pictures will fill al Qaeda's ranks with terrorists for generations to come"

I'm sorry .. I just don't believe this. And .. I don't believe this will bring the whole thing down.

[thegreatbeast]

If the MPs were an all male service it is highly unlikely that a sexual character would have been present in the abusive practices. It would have been too homoerotic. Having the female soldiers escalated the idiocy to an "aren't we naughty" level.

P.S. I don't give a fudge about the sensitivities of the Arab world. Fudge 'em if they can't take a joke.

[stylin19a]

The only mistake was using using dogs instead of attack pigs.

[McGavin999]

I think this is still supposition. The investigation into the MI/MP thing is not yet complete. It won't be ready to be released for another 3 weeks.

The damage was done by releasing the photos illegally. They would have come out at the trials but by that time the Arab world would have known that the people who did this were being punished. Due to the length of time court cases take this will fester for quite a while before justice is finally done.

The Iraqis have already moved on, the American people have moved on, and deep in their hearts the Arab world knows that this is a farce compared to what is done in their countries every day. The only ones stirring this pot is the media and the democrats and now, they don't dare continue doing that in the face of a true ATROCITY.

[ntnychik]

apparently worried about disciplining one of the highest ranking female Army officers in Iraq

And there you have it.

[norton]

Lots to comment on:

JIDC would normally be under MI control - AFTER it was under joint control.
MP's are responsible for order but they are responsible for order within the existing system.
[I was one]
Iraqi prisons are not the same as liberal western prisons.
[Sad/true]

PC has a lot to do with the results of the inquiry as well as on the source of the current media frenzy.
it is absolutely insane to try to apply America's comfy interpretation of women's rights to any situationin the muslim world... one female American POW or one pile of perverse female dominated photographs has WAY too much influence on an islamic [pre-civilized] community.

Remember that a single photogaph can be reproduced until hell freezes over and retain its impact on the largely ignorant audience it is intended to influence; the accuracy, reality, or the circumstances of that photograph are immaterial to its influence on one single a** ***e willing to go forth and die for Allah.

[Flyer]

Placing a woman in charge of Iraq prisons when the U.S. was trying to win the hearts and minds of the population was an affront to this culture

Yet I can't send pork rinds to my friend in Iraq because it is offensive.

[PhilDragoo]

I saw Heather Wilson; she knows her stuff and is tough.

Karpinski was a POS and should have been given a blindfold and a cigarette.

That said, the hyping of the pictures and the screaming-fairy routine of Ted Kennedy, Dan Rather et al was designed to embarrass our President and foment violence against our people.

And voila the decapitation of Berg--

Hey, Mrs. Hackworth, are you happy now you bitter spinster hag.

[devolve]

Don't ask

Don't tell

Don't yell


In my days that camera hog and the camera user would have been digging 10' deep holes and covering them up and redigging them for a week until they learned to jump and salute and never make a stupid move.

Another cure for the General and other officers; their careers and sanity would depart.

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks for the ping/bump !!

[MeekOneGOP]

I hope something was learned from this. Hard to believe they could look the other way.

[MamaLucci]

Political correctness in the military, just more of that Clinton legacy coming home to roost.

[Truth29]

Most key points have already been made by previous posters, but one additional point needs to be said: We are not trying to create an American empire. That assumption undermines the conclusion of the article.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

pinging for your perusal

[Jimmy Valentine]

You know I just KNEW that Karpinski was going to be the root of this nonsense.

Said it before, will say it again; jack that Brigadier's star off of her and cashier her right out of the army.

[leadpenny]

Three or four of her grade promotions had to be because of PC. I understand she is a reservist. Whoever saw to it that she was promoted to BG should also be disciplined. She is disgusting and should face a court martial. There are a number of articles in the UCMJ they could get her on. More than the Pvts. and Sgts. better face charges.

[potlatch]

Thanks for the ping nc, another example of Political Correctness?

[potlatch]

I can't believe they were so feeble that Karpinski was allowed to get away with that in the first place!