Soldier's Family Set in Motion Chain of Events on Disclosure [Hackworth involved in CBS photos]

NY Times ^ | 5/8/04 | James Dao and Eric Lichtblau

[saquin]

CUMBERLAND, Md., May 7 — Ivan Frederick was distraught. His son, an Army reservist turned prison guard in Iraq, was under investigation earlier this year for mistreating prisoners, and photographs of the abuse were beginning to circulate among soldiers and military investigators.

So the father went to his brother-in-law, William Lawson, who was afraid that reservists like his nephew would end up taking the fall for what he considered command lapses, Mr. Lawson recounted in an interview on Friday. He knew whom to turn to: David Hackworth, a retired colonel and a muckraker who was always willing to take on the military establishment. Mr. Lawson sent an e-mail message in March to Mr. Hackworth's Web site and got a call back from an associate there in minutes, he said.

That e-mail message would put Mr. Lawson in touch with the CBS News program "60 Minutes II" and help set in motion events that led to the public disclosure of the graphic photographs and an international crisis for the Bush administration.

It is still not entirely clear who leaked the photos and how they got into the hands of a "60 Minutes II" producer. What is clear, however, is that the furor over the photos is unlikely to dissipate any time soon.

And it may only get worse.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld disclosed Friday that there were "many more photos" and videos of abuse that have not yet become public. And he acknowledged in Senate testimony that the military might have mishandled the affair by not alerting members of Congress and the public to the growing seriousness of the military's investigation into the abuses before the images became public on "60 Minutes II."

"I wish I had been able to convey to them the gravity of this before we saw it in the media," Mr. Rumsfeld said.

The irony, Mr. Lawson said, is that the public spectacle might have been avoided if the military and the federal government had been responsive to his claims that his nephew was simply following orders. Mr. Lawson said he sent letters to 17 members of Congress about the case earlier this year, with virtually no response, and that he ultimately contacted Mr. Hackworth's Web site out of frustration, leading him to cooperate with a consultant for "60 Minutes II."

"The Army had the opportunity for this not to come out, not to be on 60 Minutes," he said. "But the Army decided to prosecute those six G.I.'s because they thought me and my family were a bunch of poor, dirt people who could not do anything about it. But unfortunately, that was not the case."

Many of the incriminating photographs appear to have been taken on a digital camera by a soldier in the 372nd Military Police Company who is now facing a court-martial. From there, they appear to have circulated among military personnel in Iraq via e-mail and computer disks, and some may have found their way to family members in the United States.

But there are still numerous unresolved questions about the photographs. One is why they were taken. Some officials suggest that soldiers wanted the photographs as souvenirs, but some relatives said they believed that the photographs were going to be shown to other prisoners to pressure their cooperation.

Then there is the question of how the photographs became public.

Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, deputy commander of forces in the region, testifying Friday before Congress, said he was still unclear how that happened. "It was a surprise that it got out," General Smith said.

Military officials were aware of two disks with photographs on them that were part of continuing investigations, one in Iraq and another in Washington, he said.

"That was the limit of the pictures, and we thought we had them all," General Smith said.

Producers at "60 Minutes II" are not saying exactly how they got the photographs. But Jeff Fager, the executive producer, said, "We heard about someone who was outraged about it and thought that the public should know about it."

Digital cameras have become so ubiquitous in the military that many relatives of personnel in the 372nd and other units in Iraq said they routinely received photographs by e-mail. But the photographs were usually tourist-type photographs of smiling sons and daughters, relatives said.

Officials said that the photographs showing psychological or physical abuse numbered in the hundreds, perhaps more than 1,000, with Mr. Rumsfeld hinting Friday that more may come out.

Among some prison personnel in Iraq, the photographs were apparently an open secret. "Some soldiers in Iraq had them — I'm hearing that soldiers were showing them to everybody," Mr. Lawson said. He said he did not have the original photos and did not turn them over to anyone.

The photographs have now turned soldiers like Mr. Lawson's nephew, Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, and Pfc. Lynndie R. England into graphic symbols of military abuse. But for Mr. Lawson, they are evidence of a complete breakdown in training and authority in the Iraqi prison system.

He shared his frustration in his March 23 e-mail message to Mr. Hackworth's Web site, writing: "We have contacted the Red Cross, Congress both parties, Bill O'Reilly and many others. Nobody wants to touch this."

Less than five weeks later, images of his nephew — interviewed on "60 Minutes II" with Mr. Lawson's help — would be shown around the world. Far from untouchable, the story would become unavoidable.

[redrock]

The MP'S 'fair treatment'???

They should be tried...found guilty...and sent to break rocks at Leavenworth for a LONG time.

me

[Texasforever]

Yes but that is not Hack's stated reason for publishing the pictures. Don't worry those pictures, no matter the context, will ensure 20 years hard labor but we are talking about Hack. He supposedly did this to "protect" the MPs but he has done everything but that.

[joyce11111]

That is my fervent hope!

[redrock]

The 'perp's' (gotta love that term) will be tried by a Military Court.

It looks at some things a little different than a civilian court....and those pictures being published will NOT keep the 'perp's' from spending a lot of time in Leavenworth.

redrock

[TexKat]

We can see (and you know what they say about pictures being worth more than words)..in very graphic detail...what has been carried out in our Name.

The beginning of this thread starts at the post that has the numeral 1 in front of it. If you start there by the time you get back here then perhaps you will be up on what is going on.

[MJY1288]

Just remember, Americans have never appreciated unjustified attacks on their President in a time of War. The left have been attacking George W. Bush since day one as well as undermining everything he has been trying to accomplish for the Nation

[danamco]

Hackworth the traitor,is his past in the military alittle tainted
As I recall no, he was just "career limited" as they say.


It seems to me that years back I heard Rush Limbaugh mentioned that Hackworth was the most decorated man in the U.S. military! Or is that another Col. Hackworth??

[redrock]

WOW...the things you learn on FR.

A number 1 you say???

Well I'll be darned....(or something like that).

redrock

[Texasforever]

No it is the same guy. He is revered by some but his past actions have left him open to a lot of criticism. He is a very bitter man.

[Terp]

So the father went to his brother-in-law, William Lawson, who was afraid that reservists like his nephew would end up taking the fall for what he considered command lapses, Mr. Lawson recounted in an interview on Friday.

He knew whom to turn to:

David Hackworth, a retired colonel and a muckraker who was always willing to take on the military establishment.

I wonder if the father had the chance do it over again would he of had the brother-in-law go to Hackworthless.

His son is all but tried and convicted now!

[GoLightly]

Yes, I know Military Court does things differently. In some ways their rules are more strict than other courts, as everyone involved has their own career at stake. It's not like you would have your typical jury pool, where a lot of times you wind up with just those too inept to get out of jury duty.

If you heard Rumsfield's testimony before the Senate committee, he himself did not delve into the file, as he did not want to create a situation where "pressure from up above" could be claimed in the defendant's case.

Bottom line, you do not pass active case files around, nor do you publish them, no matter where the case is going to be heard. Anyone who takes that form of action, is trying place a big fat thumb on the scale of justice in some way.

[Chgogal]

Yes, this nation will survive this unnecessary debacle (the release of the pictures). But what about Maupin??? Are his chances of survival diminished in anyway because of Hackworth's poor judgment? Are our soldiers in more danger? Are the nations chances of success in the ME lessened because of this untimely release? I think the answers are as follows; yes, yes and yes. Just my opinion.

[TexKat]

I wonder if the father had the chance do it over again would he of had the brother-in-law go to Hackworthless.

I know. If this is the same elderly couple I saw interviewed last week, the dad did not look like he was in the greatest of health and did not talk too much, the mother did most of the talking.

[MEG33]

In America the abuse of prisoners is not acceptable,the perps must be punished. In America even the guilty deserve a fair trial.

[redrock]

...and I hope that they get that 'fair trial'...and then sent to their new home..at Leavenworth.

redrock

[TexKat]

But what about Maupin???

Thomas Hamill was on Rita Cosby tonight and stated that a couple of days before he escaped the pictures had aired and his capturers started questioning and talking to him about the Abu Ghraib detainees being abused. That is when they started binding him up.

[devolve]

Make sure you recall all that are here on FR praising the illegal media release of files and evidenciary photos before and Court Martials and/or criminal trials.

Then when the defense attorneys, trial judge(s), and or appeals court(s) throw out much of the prosecution evidence as tainted, inflaming, and/or prejudicial to the defendants and they get limited charging, prosecution, conviction, sentence, or even the ol' OJ verdict toss it back in their smug knowing faces.

Lots of armchair Constitutional and legal procedure experts on this and other threads and in the media and Congress.

Slick taught Constitutional Law in Arkansas but during his impeachment proceedings claimed he was not really a Constitutional scholar.

That was an understatement.

This was a classic defense attorney move using surrogates to unlawfully release evidence wilfilly, knowingly, and maliously without getting his/her butt disbarred.

There is some XHD money and power flowing behind the scenes on this "atrocity scamdal".

Lots of beltway shysters with mega experience in manipulating the system.

The money is not on this, it is on bigger things later.

[Judith Anne]

I agree completely with your post. And I am taking names, here.

[ntnychik]

Didn't expect to get the answer to this question so quickly.

[Texasforever]

source Since the time I wrote those words, I can point to a plethora of comments from the nine Democratic presidential wannabes and other Democrats. Their constant and vitriolic criticism of President Bush and the War on Terror only makes them look like eunuchs at an orgy. But the greatest proof to the veracity of my comments exists in a memo coming from Democrats on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. It strategizes how to use intelligence to justify the Iraq war against the Bush Administration during the 2004 election. Included in the memo is a call for, ''...an independent investigation when it becomes clear we have exhausted the opportunity to usefully collaborate with the majority. We can pull the trigger (emphasis mine) on an independent investigation at any time--but we can only do so once. The best time to do so will probably be next year (2004).''