WSJ: Abu Ghraib Accountability -- An overhyped story, not a whitewash

Wall Street Journal ^ | April 27, 2005 | Editorial

[OESY]

We'd have thought every American would be relieved to learn that 10 major inquiries, sworn statements from 37 high-level officials, and information gleaned from dozens of courts-martial and criminal investigations have cleared most senior civilian and military leaders of wrongdoing.... Instead, the latest Army report reaching this conclusion has induced further cries of whitewash.

This wailing says more about the accusers.... The media and Congressional Democrats flogged the Abu Ghraib story for months throughout the 2004 election year, with a goal of stripping the Iraq War of moral authority and turning President Bush into another LBJ. But now that their worst chain-of-command conspiracy hypotheses haven't panned out, they refuse to admit it....

Unpacking so many falsehoods takes more space than we have. But let's review the speed and seriousness with which Abu Ghraib was handled, which does the U.S. military credit by any standard: The abuse reports went up the chain of command on January 13 last year; within a day an Army criminal probe had started. Two days after that, Central Command issued a press release notifying the world of that investigation; on March 20 it was announced in Baghdad that criminal charges had been brought against six of the soldiers involved. A month earlier, meanwhile, Major General Antonio Taguba had completed an internal investigation of what had happened. This is all before the infamous photos were leaked to the press one year ago....

The salient and remarkable truth here is that America has punished its own for the Abu Ghraib abuses; and it has done so even before Saddam and his henchmen have faced justice for the horrors they propagated in that same prison. More than a few good soldiers have had their careers tarnished by the media and Democratic innuendo that they somehow condoned human rights abuses....

[OESY]

Senator Ted Kennedy all but blew a gasket yesterday, essentially accusing both the U.S. military and Bush Administration of moral perfidy. "Our nation will continue to be harmed by the reports of abuse of detainees in U.S. custody, the failure by top officials to take action, and the abandonment of our basic rules and traditions on human rights," he said. He even stooped to the moral-equivalence canard that some in the U.S. chose "to stoop to the level of the terrorists" and "deserve to be held fully accountable."



And Teddy would never vote to confirm a Bush nominee with a temper who wouldn't run away from a fight to reform a corrupt U.N.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

And Ted Kennedy story must be accompanied by the MANDATORY "Ted in Neck Brace" photo.

[Da Mav]

Great article! Thanks

[Wolverine]

Yeah, I killed Mary Jo....And YOU can't do anything about it!

[wideawake]

To quote Gegorge Orwell: "Every man over 40 is responsible for his face."

Mary Jo Kopechne's murderer's face shows the moral wear and tear it has been through.

[No Longer Free State]

Senator Ted Kennedy all but blew a gasket yesterday, essentially accusing both the U.S. military and Bush Administration of moral perfidy. "Our nation will continue to be harmed by the reports of abuse of detainees in U.S. custody, the failure by top officials to take action, and the abandonment of our basic rules and traditions on human rights," he said. He even stooped to the moral-equivalence canard that some in the U.S. chose "to stoop to the level of the terrorists" and "deserve to be held fully accountable."

Senator, this isn't supporting the troops. BTW, what do you say lets ask Mary-Joe about moral perfidy?