Posted on 08/19/2004 1:26:20 PM PDT by glorgau
A U.S Army investigation into abuses of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison is expected to place blame on low-level soldiers, while generally clearing senior commanders of involvement. Seven U.S. soldiers are already facing charges of abuse in connection with a scandal that shocked the world.
The results of the Army investigation are expected to be released in the coming days. Barring any last minute changes, U.S. military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say it will place most blame for the abuses at Abu Ghraib on reservist guards and those who ran the prison. They say the investigation found no direct evidence that high level Pentagon commanders gave orders for prisoners to be abused.
One soldier charged in the abuse case has already pleaded guilty, and has been sentenced to a year in prison. All the defendants say they were just following orders from higher up in the military chain of command to "soften up" Iraqi inmates for interrogation. Among those who could go to prison is 21-year-old Army Private 1st Class Lynndie England, who has been photographed smiling and posing with naked Iraqi inmates.
"[I was] told to stand there, give the 'thumbs up', smile, stand behind all of the naked Iraqis in the pyramid [and] take a picture," she said.
The soon to be released Army report is one of seven military investigations looking into abuse at Abu Ghraib, and whether what went on there was limited to a few individuals, or a widespread practice.
During a Congressional hearing on the matter in May, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld took full responsibility for what happened at Abu Ghraib, but rejected calls from some in Washington for him to resign.
This is exactly the "wrong" result, and it shows that the leadership is corrupt.
May wanna fix title.
What about the AAC Brigadier in command?
I read this on the front page of the NYT this morning.
Except I didn't.
These acts went way beyond "fun" into humiliation. No decent human being piles up naked men and takes pictures with a woman pointing at them. They did more to defeat us in this war than any division of the Republican Guard. Almost as much damage as the MSM.
Do you think it was Pentagon orders?
Sigh.
I guess we can expect ANOTHER month of Abu Ghraib headlines in the NYT. I thought they had gone away.
Expect the following retort: there's a cover-up, who's covering-up the cover-up, who authorized the purchase of dog collars, etc. More of the same.
The actual report of the investigation will be ignored.
I think it was done completely at low level. Maybe a junior officer in the mix. Oversight may have been lax but Not knowing and ordering are two different scenarios.
Not in the military. That part of the UCMJ is the same as a civilian's ignorance of the law not being a defense in a felony case. This low level officer crap is itself the cover up.
So you're saying everyone in the chain of command is guilty. The UCMJ sure has changed since 1976.
I agree with you. Low level.
And what's changed? A sitting CG is exempt from charges because she didn't leave her office to simply give her area of responsibility a visual now and then because she passed off her responsibilities to civilian interrorgators? That's bull.
The question is to establish if laws were broken, then find the OIC and fix it. Everything else is politics and hysteria. Now pfc England and the rest also have their share of the UCMJ to uphold and didn't, so with all the blame to pass around the MSM has a tool to sell papers and burn all. But the female CG gets a pass. Wonderful. And the world is chasing e-2's.
Beam me up.
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