Posted on 07/03/2004 7:20:27 AM PDT by Brian Mosely
LONDON (AP) - The American general formerly in charge of Abu Ghraib prison says there are signs Israelis were involved in interrogating Iraqi detainees at another facility.
Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, who was suspended in May over allegations of prisoner abuse, said she met a man who told her he was Israeli during a visit to a Baghdad intelligence center with a senior coalition general.
"I saw an individual there that I hadn't had the opportunity to meet before, and I asked him what did he do there, was he an interpreter - he was clearly from the Middle East," Karpinski told British Broadcasting Corp. radio in an interview broadcast Saturday. "He said, 'Well I do some of the interrogation here. I speak Arabic but I'm not an Arab; I'm from Israel.'
"I was really kind of surprised by that ... He didn't elaborate any more than to say he was working with them and there were people from lots of different places that were involved in the operation," Karpinski added.
Israel's Foreign Ministry told the BBC that reports of Israeli troops or interrogators in Iraq were "completely untrue." Israeli officials could not immediately be reached by The Associated Press.
The U.S. military has used private contract workers in the interrogations along with military personnel.
The presence of Israeli forces in Iraq would inflame opinion in the Muslim world, where many compare the abuse of prisoners by U.S. forces to Israel's treatment of Palestinian detainees.
Until a 1999 ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court, Israeli secret service interrogators were allowed to use "moderate physical pressure" - a euphemism, critics said, for torture.
Among the practices allowed prior to 1999 were sleep deprivation, keeping prisoners in uncomfortable positions for long periods and covering their heads with filthy sacks. Former prisoners say some of those techniques also were used by U.S. forces in Iraq.
Karpinski was suspended from command of the 800th Military Police Brigade after the publication in April of photos showing soldiers abusing and humiliating naked Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib. She has said she did not know about the abuse and is being made a scapegoat in the scandal.
The presence of Israeli forces in Iraq would inflame opinion in the Muslim world, where many compare the abuse of prisoners by U.S. forces to Israel's treatment of Palestinian detainees.
Which is probably why she is trying to push this story...to take the spotlight away from herself.
Take responsiblity for the conduct of your soldiers, General.
Karpinski should STFU.
The anti-Semites will be out in droves on this thread.
The Israeli's are so good at interrogations I'd welcome their involvement.
agree..with ya...Buchananistas will be out soon!
ahhhh...the israeli connection instead of the french connection...at least the israeli are more trustworthy tan the frogs...
This story seems a little to convenience for Karpinski. The word 'fabrication' comes to mind.
I have a feeling Karpinski may have fabricated this story to take pressure off her and point it elsewhere. Israel is always a convenient scapegoat.
This Karpinski should be in the brig for shooting that information out to the press.
Big Deal. Saddam was more trustworthy than the Frogs.
She's a dumb broad who can't keep her mouth shut. I saw her on MSNBC last week as a commentator about prisons as if she knew what she was talking about. IMHO, she's the one individual who should go down for this mess. She was directly in charge and now is playing the victim in the media. Whadda mess.
"The presence of Israeli forces in Iraq would inflame opinion in the Muslim world, where many compare the abuse of prisoners by U.S. forces to Israel's treatment of Palestinian detainees."
Interesting charge without evidence. This twit is not helping her case, cause "if" she now wants to cover her lack of competence, and sees this as method, it is beyond credibility.
She was in charge of the prison, and she was "incompetent", (a little Hillry speak).
she has a big mouth
This so called general=spec/4, the typical klintoon appointee. I am not responsible for anything.
I've served under and known several Generals (male and female) in my time, and none have shown her lack of leadership and discretion.
She and General Clark seem to be cut from the same thread.
She's a text-book failure of affirmative action, in my opinion.
Pretty much what I was thinking. She's really very unimpressive.
Anything that gets the intel out of these B***ARDS is fine with me.Karpinski is probably FOS,and even if not,she is still responsible for those under her command.America and Israel always switch off as bogeyman in the media,despite the facts.
Which side of the war is she on? I hope they find a good reason to court martial her.
On second thought, this goes beyond stupidity. If she is trying to damage the cause of the Good Guys, she's doing a swell job.
She is the epitome of a modern PC clinton regime senior officer, in other words, a disgrace to the uniform.
Is she retired? If so she should be brought back to active duty, charged accordingly. Stripped of her PENSION and put in Leavenworth.(SP)
She's an embarrasment to every woman who wears/or has worn a uniform, not to mention every soldier.
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