U.S. Sent Specialists To Train Prison Units (Wash Post)

They knew... :grr:

Allegations of Abuse Highlight Inexperience

Presented with reports of abusive behavior by U.S. military guards at Baghdad's main prison, the Army two months ago quietly dispatched to Iraq a team of about 25 military police experienced in running detention facilities to shore up training and supervision, Army officials said yesterday.

It was the first group of such specialists sent to Iraq since the invasion last year, the officials said. The move followed an internal Army investigation that found military police at the Abu Ghraib prison largely unprepared for their role as guards and accused them of grossly mistreating Iraqi detainees, the officials said.

The decision to send the special team reflected an acknowledgement by U.S. military commanders that the abuse of detainees and laxness in oversight evident at the prison may extend beyond the small group of enlisted soldiers and officers charged or reprimanded so far and require broader remedial action.

Although military police are frequently used to take control of prisoners in the field and escort them to detention centers, most are not trained to operate prisons, the officials said. That responsibility falls to a tiny share of the Army's military police force -- about 970 out of 38,000 troops -- who receive specific training to run correctional facilities. The Army maintains several such permanent prisons in the United States and abroad.

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64172-2004May3.html
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This means a) that there has been a coverup operation in place for at least two months and b) that this is much more wide spread than the American public has been told.

So when you hear General Kimmitt issue his denials that this involves more than a few individuals in the military he is a liar.

And when you hear Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, in charge of this debacle, tell you that she had no idea this was happening, she is a liar.

And when you hear General Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, get on television and tell you that he hasn't read the report yet, you can be certain that you are being lied to.

General Sanches (three star) was in charge of MI (Military Intelligence) in theater, and all reports when to him.

I think she is startign to realize, she needs to cover her
behind and make the shit roll uphill.

Oh and I have to say it... my full respect for the JAG officer
defending the Master Sergeant... he started this, making shit roll
uphill... that takes cojones in the US Military.

Gutsy. Especially in these times.

Karpinsky was interviewed for an hour by Debbie Norville Monday night, and claimed that she didn't know a thing, because military intelligence was running the interrogation show at the prison. But the article that begins this thread suggests otherwise. If, as it says, "the army" knew there was a problem, then General Karpinsky would surely have been informed about it.

she actually took some responsibity.

Expect to see her stance to change... many times...

Personally I will take a perverse pleasure if she manages to pull
Lt. General Ricardo Sanches down.

I love it when they fight among themselves.

Hey that’s Sanchez in the middle






SORRY SANCHEZ consiglieri to the Viceroy

His quote,” We are going to Kill the Shia Criminal al Sadr”

Winning hearts and minds.

As I've always stated, repeatedly, our expectation was that Dick Cheney was probably involved in intent and in financing. And so far, that is still my belief. And more to follow from the interrogations. At this point, we have nothing further.

</:tinfoilhat:>

ahem

"When you take a father in front of his family and put a bag over his head and put him on the ground, you have had a significant adverse effect on his dignity and respect in the eyes of his family." --General Ricardo Sanchez

If they can prove that the soldiers involved in the torture were acting under direct orders from their superiors, that is a scandal worth salivating over.

But all this proves is that one part of the army recognized that there was a problem with handing control of POWs welfare to untrained troops and tried to institute a training program to remedy the situation.

Given how explosive those pictures are and their ability to incite retaliatory attacks on US troops, I'm not scandalized that the army didn't throw them on the news at the first opportunity.

There may be legs to this story- but I'm not sure I see them coming from this angle.

These generals have expressed mock surprise and shock at these pictures, but this shows that they knew at the highest levels there was a problem...and they are STILL lying about it.

Jan 9th 2003
From The Economist print edition

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=1522792

Torture has been outlawed in all circumstances everywhere. But global terrorism may be leading America to bend the rules

Everything about this "WAR" reflects just how poorly Georgie and his fellow Neocons prepared for it.... and just how poorly he prepared our military and the Nation both mentally, physically. The Washington Post, May 3rd, 970 out of 38,000 (I assume these are Regular Military) who receive specific training to run correctional facilities, were sent to Iraq....after reported abuses. National Guard and Reserves who train once-a-month are sent into an unknown explosive war, while experts fully trained are dealing with a known quantity?????? Add to this the failure of the Guard and the Reserves being supplied with top notch equipment, equal to the Regular Army and they have set in motion a disaster. Military vehicles lacking armor, lack of Kevlar vests, lack of water, food, etc., etc.s
The only winner's in this war are the War Profiteer's, it ain't the Pvt or the Sgt. Just as with the corruption within the big Corporations, it ain't going to be big guns that will pay for all of this and as usual Georgie and Thugs will claim their outstanding service to this Nation and will receive kudo's from their fellow Neocon's

It all rolls up to the top. They are the ones who are responsible.

The blogger David Neiwert had a post on his website about this.