Rumsfeld Accepts Responsibility for Abu Ghraib

DoD-AFPS ^ | May 7, 2004 | Jim Garamone

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Rumsfeld Accepts Responsibility for Abu Ghraib

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2004 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld accepted full responsibility for "the terrible activities that occurred at Abu Ghraib."

The secretary said the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the prison in Iraq "occurred on my watch, and as secretary of defense I am accountable for them, and I take full responsibility."

Rumsfeld was joined by Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee; Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker; and U.S. Central Command deputy commander Air Force Lt. Gen. Lance Smith.

Protestors interrupted the secretary, calling for his resignation, as Rumsfeld read his opening statement.

The secretary said he also accepts the further responsibility to evaluate what happened at the prison, to bring those who broke laws to justice and to make changes to make sure such horrific actions do not happen again.

Rumsfeld apologized to Iraqi detainees who were abused by military police. "To those Iraqis that were mistreated by members of our armed forces, I offer my deepest apology," the secretary said. "It was inconsistent with the values of our nation, inconsistent with the teachings of the military, and it was fundamentally un-American."

Rumsfeld said he deeply regrets the damage done to the reputation of the American military and the country as a whole. He also said he regrets not adequately conveying the gravity of the situation to the president and members of Congress before they saw the pictures in the media. Rumsfeld told the senators that there "are many more photographs and indeed, some videos."

The secretary pointed out that honorable soldiers did stand up and move forward with suspicions. Rumsfeld praised Army Spc. Joseph Darby for stepping forward with his concerns. He also praised the military chain of command for its quick and effective actions once the allegations were known.

Rumsfeld also announced a new commission to examine "the pace, the breadth, the thoroughness of the existing investigations and to determine whether additional investigations or studies need to be investigated." Rumsfeld did not reveal the names of those on the commission, but said the panel will have 45 days to report once it takes up its duties.

Myers said the incidences of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib are "absolutely appalling," and that the actions of those involved are unconscionable and absolutely unacceptable. But he praised the chain of command's response to the allegations.

"Since (Army) Brig. Gen. (Mark) Kimmitt's public announcement of the allegations back in January, the commanders' response to the problems highlighted in these investigations has been timely and thorough," Myers said. Kimmitt, deputy operations director for Combined Joint Task Force 7 in Iraq, has served as the coalition's chief military spokesman at Baghdad news conferences.

The chairman reminded the senators that the commanders did well with the situation even though they were handling other challenges in Iraq, especially in Fallujah and Najaf.

Myers said he called CBS news anchor Dan Rather, asking that the network hold the story that was due to run on its program "60 Minutes." Myers said he did so after talking with Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command. "I did so out of concern for the lives of our troops," the chairman said. "The story about the abuse was already public, but we were concerned that broadcasting the actual pictures would further inflame the tense situation that existed then in Iraq and further endanger the lives of coalition soldiers and hostages." CBS did hold off, but then aired the pictures on the "60 Minutes II" program April 29.

Myers said he was "terribly saddened" for the hundreds of thousands of service men and women who are serving or have served honorably in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. He said those service members are having their reputations tarnished by a few who don't uphold the U.S. military's values. "I know our service men and women are all suffering unfairly with a collective sense of shame over what has happened," he said.

In his questioning of the panel, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman contrasted the U.S. response to the abuse scandal and terrorist responses to acts perpetrated against Americans. He noted that American leaders apologized to the Iraqi people for the outrages in Abu Ghraib, but he hasn't heard anyone apologize for the 3,000 Americans killed in the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, or an apology for the hundreds of Americans killed in liberating Iraq or an apology for the killing and desecration of four security persons in Fallujah.

Rumsfeld said the world will see how the United States corrects mistakes. "Part of what we believe in is making sure that when wrongdoing or scandal do occur, that they are not covered up, but they are exposed, they are investigated and the guilty are brought to justice," he said.

Biographies:
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld
Gen. Richard B. Myers
Acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee
Gen. Peter Schoomaker
Gen. John Abizaid

Related Sites:
U.S. Central Command
Combined Joint Task Force 7
U.S. Central Command News Release, Jan. 16, 2004
Transcript of Coalition News Conference, March 20, 2004

Related Articles:
Military Accuses Six of Abusing Detainees in Iraq
Sanchez Urges Saddam Loyalists to Lay Down Arms

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Myers said he was "terribly saddened" for the hundreds of thousands of service men and women who are serving or have served honorably in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. He said those service members are having their reputations tarnished by a few who don't uphold the U.S. military's values. "I know our service men and women are all suffering unfairly with a collective sense of shame over what has happened," he said.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Other news overlooked during the free press Rummy feeding frenzy (Fallujah's calm, Sadr's losing more pals by the day.)

Soldier Killed, Two Others Wounded in Baghdad Attack (5/6 attack)

By Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2004 -- Terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi may be responsible for the latest death of a U.S. soldier, Coalition Provisional Authority officials said at a Baghdad news conference today.

Military spokesman Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said one soldier was killed and two others were wounded May 6 by a suicide car bomber at a military checkpoint in Baghdad.

A group claiming responsibility for the bombing through the Iraqi press has been linked to Zarqawi, according to Kimmitt, who added that he was "not surprised" at the connection.

"The tactics, the techniques, the signatures that we saw at the site," he said, "were characteristic of the terrorist groups: a symbolic attack on a coalition checkpoint, attempting to achieve spectacular results through the killing of a number of civilians, and a suicide car-bomber used in the process. So we were not surprised when we saw Zarqawi's name mentioned as the group taking responsibility for that."

Kimmitt said the attack also killed seven Iraqis and wounded at least 23 others, some of whom were Iraqi Civil Defense Corps and police personnel.

Despite the deaths, Kimmitt said the coalition will "continue to work with the Iraqi police, continue to field equipment, continue to train, continue to work side by side with them to ensure we can maintain public security inside of Baghdad, inside the entire country."

Meanwhile, Kimmitt said, the coalition continues operations to stabilize Iraq's economy and repair infrastructure and to transfer the country to Iraqi sovereignty.

In the northern zone of operations, Kimmitt said, coalition and Iraqi security forces conducted 76 patrols and detained 77 anti-coalition suspects. In the north-central zone, 308 patrols led to the capture of 10 anti-coalition suspects.

The Kirkut minister of agriculture, Hayad Majeed, was assassinated in a drive- by shooting. Kimmitt said the Majeed's wife was wounded in the attack and was taken to Kirkut General Hospital.

A mortar attack near the Baghdad Hotel caused no significant damage, the general said.

In Fallujah, once the site of a terse standoff between Marines and militants holed up there, the security situation has remained quiet for the sixth straight day. Kimmitt said there have been no violations of the cease-fire reported.

He said efforts to reposition Marine forces there continue in an effort to transition security responsibilities. Marines have moved to the northern part of the city, he added, where they cordon off and man joint traffic-control points.

The numbers of Iraqi forces in the city continue to rise, Kimmitt said. Kimmitt said some 1,750 soldiers from the 1st Fallujah Brigade reported for duty. The new soldiers will join 11,000 Iraqi Civil Defense Corps soldiers and 750 Iraqi police now patrolling parts of the city.

Kimmitt said that in Karbala, the military continues to run patrols and have met some resistance by anti-Iraqi forces. He said U.S. forces were fired upon with rocket-propelled grenades, but no coalition soldiers were injured. Five enemy personnel were killed, and about seven others were wounded, he said.

"There are about 19 other wounded that we picked up in some of the local hospitals that we suspect of being involved in those engagements," he added.

Kimmitt said in Najaf, 13 mortar rounds landed near the governor's building, which recently returned to coalition control, in two separate attacks.

He said at midday, coalition patrols were attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire during two engagements there. Coalition forces returned fire, killing 12 members of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia.

CPA senior spokesman Dan Senor said the coalition is interested in reaching a peaceful solution in Najaf and to avoid violence with Sadr. However, he added, any peaceful resolution must involve two conditions: Sadr must face Iraqi justice for the crimes of which he is accused, and the militant cleric must disband his illegal militia.

"Under our policy, under Iraqi law, no independent militias can operate outside the central government," Senor said, "and so his militia must be shut down immediately, and he must remove himself and his forces from government buildings, and he must return government assets."

Senor also confirmed that a Defense Department civilian contractor, Aban Elias, is being held hostage by insurgents. He said Elias is from the Denver area. Senor said the coalition is seeking Elias's safe release and putting all the "necessary resources" behind the pursuit. "This is a serious priority," he said.

"We will not negotiate with hostage takers. We will not negotiate with terrorists. That's a non-starter," Senor continued. "But we believe we can seek the safe release of hostages by putting the necessary resources behind that effort, and that's what we're doing."

On the issue of abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison, Senor said coalition administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III was made aware of the charges relating to the humiliation in January, "which is right when it was made public."

Senor said a press statement was issued in January, and that Bremer on "multiple occasions" in meetings with Iraqi people, including public events, "expressed his outrage about this particular issue."

Kimmitt said he is certain that the damage the allegations have caused to the relationship between Americans and Iraqi can be repaired, but that it's going to take some effort on the part of the Americans and the coalition.

"The first effort is that we will have to demonstrate that justice will be served," he said. "That will have to not only be done, but it will also have to be apparent; it will have to be visible," he explained.

He said the coalition is committed to ensuring that those proceedings, when they move to a court-martial, will be public and will be publicized. He said there will be access to the media so "that the media can show the people of Iraq exactly the type of justice system that America demonstrates for these types of activities."

He added that U.S. service members have a responsibility and duty to demonstrate to the people of Iraq "why they're here, what they're here for."

He said the pictures are not representative of the thousands of American soldiers in uniform, and that abuse was the "act of a few."

"They were wrong," he said. "They will be brought to justice."

Biography:
Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III

Related Sites:
Coalition Provisional Authority
Combined Joint Task Force 7
Text of Intercepted Letter Written by Fugitive Terrorist Abu Musab al- Zarqawi

http://www.dod.mil/news/May2004/n05072004_200405071.html

[VOA]

Well, we found out today which of these two is actually a man: SecDef Rummy v. Senator Dayton.

[WOSG]

I am proud of our most excellent Secretary of Defense.

[A. Pole]

Well, we found out today which of these two is actually a man: SecDef Rummy v. Senator Dayton.

What does the full responsibility mean?

[joesnuffy]

I thought so to till he went after General Tommy Franks wife when he felt his 'popularity' threatend...
If General Franks ever gets his book published ..hopefully a little more light will be shed on Sec Def Rumsfeld..
imo

[VOA]

What does the full responsibility mean?

I suspect that Rummy is taking this way:
"It happened on my watch, maybe I could have been more adept at communicating the
problem to Congress, and I might have been able to give directions that would
have lessened the likelihood of the problem."

Those are my words based on the limited amount of actual testimony I've heard.

Of course, Tom Daschle (and all the other "D" folks) are deeply saddened at what
Rummy didn't say: "I resign".

[SpottedBeaver]

Myers said he was "terribly saddened" for the hundreds of thousands of service men and women who are serving or have served honorably in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Uh Oh. Don't steal an thunder from the Democrats; they get really upset when you do that. In fact, Tommy Boy might even fall off his stool he'll be so upset.

On a serious not; good for Rumsfeld. The calls for his resignation are just petty.

[Siegfried]

The story about the abuse was already public, but we were concerned that broadcasting the actual pictures would further inflame the tense situation that existed then in Iraq and further endanger the lives of coalition soldiers and hostages." CBS did hold off, but then aired the pictures on the "60 Minutes II" program April 29.

So, in other words, CBS DIDN'T hold off!

[Dr. Frank fan]

What does the full responsibility mean?

Probably the same thing Janet Reno meant when she "took full responsbility for" Waco.

And I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

[windchime]

Bump!

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[DentsRun]

What does it mean to take "full responsiblity" for the death, torture, rape and degredation of Iraqi prisoners if you don't thereafter punish yourself in any way? It's a meaningless phrase. Executive public relations.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

My short response on the live hearing thread here.

There's a multitude of factual reasons why our Secretary of Defense needs to be cautious in this post-911 world. He's defending the nation against a twisted enemy who plots and works to carry out the mass-murder of civilians, a civilization - genocide, with our unfriendly free press - reporters from the same anti-American, pro-UN (fantasy) school - misrepresenting the war and our honorable military from the beginning (readily verifiable - daily, and scroll down to see the earlier, mostly unreported CENTCOM security and humanitarian success reports at the bottom of the page).

Then you might want to read about the Hussein regime, what Saddam and his thugs did to the Iraqi people for over 30 years, Iraqis who are still being oppressed and murdered by these thugs who have no future - the real mass-murderers, and torturers, and rapists that our courageous troops are voluntarily risking their lives, leaving loved ones and jobs to liberate strangers, and defend every American - facing and fighting and removing the same brutal neighborhood bullies that Iraqis fought for years - and died by the thousands, executed and in mass graves - conveniently silent for his accomplices and the UN.

The truth about Iraq: Saddam and his regime was a WMD, and a threat to the free world

Another truth, our press and most of the elected reps pandering to a press-fed, and misled public - mostly ignored the troops, SOD Rumsfeld and the commanding officers on the ground daily - pushing, instead, the "news" from those who have been working to undermine our war efforts from the beginning - and by doing so - emboldening THIS enemy, and endangering America's HONORABLE trooops.

The military is long overdue an apology from the press and most on Capitol Hill.

And, the SOD IS taking responsibility.

It takes time to investigate such a failure of discipline - to punish accordingly.

The military, NOT the press uncovered the activities in this prison, and immediately began investigating.

There will be justice done.

America should be thanking God for SOD Rumsfeld and our military, and it's further proof of the downfall of our press, our culture, our education system that we are so appallingly ungrateful for the sacrifice our troops are making on behalf of us all today - in real blood, pain, sweat, tears, and loss.

8 THE CRUELEST COVER-UP ~ Tales of Saddam's Brutality 
8 Graphic proof from Saddam's Killing Fields ~ Photos ~ http://www.9neesan.com | the dead of Iraq

[DentsRun]

And, the SOD IS taking responsibility.

It takes time to investigate such a failure of discipline - to punish accordingly.

What I was responding to was the hypocrisy of the phrase "I take full responsiblity." If Rumsfeld truly is fully responsible for what happened in the Iraqi prisons he doesn't have to investigate any further. He can resign right now. But it's clear he doesn't really believe that he's fully responsible. Otherwise he wouldn't be seeking out those people far lower in the chain of command who do bear direct responsiblity for these crimes.

This is really my complaint. I don't like it when people like Rumsfield (and Janet Reno before him) say, "I take full responsiblity" and then proceed to act as if they believe their personal responsibility is too slight to be worth mentioning, let alone resign over.