Posted on 05/05/2005 8:10:56 PM PDT by No Longer Free State
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A one-star Army Reserve general became the first high-level military officer punished in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal on Thursday when President Bush demoted her to the rank of colonel.
Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski was disciplined after Army leaders deemed her job performance "seriously lacking" and accused her of concealing a past shoplifting arrest.
The Army said in a statement Karpinski had been reduced in rank to colonel, although an investigation by the Army inspector general's office "determined that no action or lack of action on her part contributed specifically to the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib."
Karpinski said last year she was being used as a "convenient scapegoat" for detainee abuse that was the fault of others.
The announcement came 13 days after Army officials disclosed the Army had exonerated Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the former top U.S. commander in Iraq, as well as three other senior officers.
The publication a year ago of photographs depicting U.S. forces abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib on the outskirts of Baghdad triggered international criticism of the United States. Numerous additional cases of detainee abuse have since surfaced.
Karpinski had commanded the 800th Military Police Brigade at the heart of the Abu Ghraib abuse. Previous investigations found Karpinski feuded with the head of the military intelligence unit at the prison, contributing to an atmosphere of chaos.
Bush approved a recommendation to demote Karpinski on the advice of Army and Army Reserve leaders and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Army said. It added Karpinski would not face criminal charges.
STOLEN COSMETICS
A U.S. official who asked not to be identified said Karpinski failed to inform the Army as required when filling out an official document about an earlier arrest on an Air Force base in the United States on a misdemeanor charge of stealing less than $50 worth of cosmetics from a military store.
Asked how Army investigators looking into detainee abuse learned of her shoplifting arrest, the official said, "Somebody ratted her out."
The Army confirmed what officials said previously -- that Karpinski received a formal written reprimand from the Army's No. 2 general and was relieved from command of the brigade. It also said Army leaders found that allegations of dereliction of duty by Karpinski were "substantiated."
The Army, which had been accused by human rights activists of punishing only a handful of low-ranking soldiers involved in the physical abuse and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison, also said it had taken disciplinary action against other officers in connection with detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan.
They included a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, three majors, 10 captains, four 1st lieutenants and two 2nd lieutenants, the Army added, declining to identify them.
Five of the officers, none with a rank higher than captain, faced unspecified criminal charges, but most of the discipline was administrative punishment such as a formal letter of reprimand or a discharge from the military, the Army said.
In the latest military trial stemming from Abu Ghraib, a judge at Fort Hood, Texas, declared a mistrial on Wednesday in the case of Army Pfc. Lynndie England, who was photographed holding a naked Iraqi prisoner on a leash, after evidence at her trial undermined her guilty plea deal with prosecutors.
YOU WANNA EXPOUND ON WHAT PART OF MY STATEMENT IS WRONG?
Iranian Embassy - 1979
Iranian Rescue Mission - 1980
Beirut - 1983
Moscow Embassy - 1980s
Italian Tourists - 1990s
Ospery - 1990s to present
Officer Rifle Markmenship - post 9-11
What the f*** are you talking about?
I understand that the Marines are very proud, and I have seen some steps that show they are reversing course, BUT the items listed in Post 41 show that the USMC as been lying and losing for 30 years AND that the Chain of Command was NOT held accountable. That is what is wrong with your statement. In this case, the Chain of Command appears to been hammered.
The Colonels that you dealt with must have been non-combat arms. As an Air Defense Artillery officer, I had the utmost respect for virtually every officer that I dealt with. Sure, there are always exceptions, but they didn't blow off the administrative part of their jobs.
Truthfully, I didn't have much use for most of the civilians that I dealt with, in Germany or the US. If all of the "i's" weren't dotted, or the "t's" crossed, the civilians that could quote chapter and verse of their administrative regulations gummed up the works, with little or no regard for the troops they were tasked with supporting.
As I recall, there was one civilian who really did a great job while in my section. I married her five years later.
You have no clue. Marines carry out orders. They do NOT develop policy. Regardless, your digs at the Corps has no relevance to the discussion at hand: the personal dereliction of duty of an Army Reserve affirmative action General. My point was that her personal conduct and reluctance to accept responsibility for her failure to even remotely supervise her own command would NEVER be tolerated in the USMC officer corps, much less at flag level.
By the way, you failed to mention such things as Operation Frequent Wind, Operation Eagle Pull, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and most recently the battle for Fallujah, Iraq.
The Marine Corps record stands on its' own merits, whether you choose to recognize it, or not.
Although I think your $10 comment is harsh and way off, I believe absolutely that she should have been prosecuted and possible doing more time than any of the soldiers taking the brunt of the punishment.
Graner and England are creeps, but Karpinski should have known that way before they were able to do so much damage.
Damn, I remember how my Group Commander would make unannounced visits at my tac park when I was a young LT in Germany. Scared the bejeebers out of everybody in the chain of command, especially those Friday afternoon visits. Considering that his drive from his HQ was about 90 minutes, everybody's weekend was screwed if the visit went poorly.
Same thing with those friendly quarterly/semiannual drop-ins from the 32nd AADCOM Deputy CG, at least when it was BG Archie Cannon. Damn, he was fun to be around, though it didn't quite seem so much fun back in 77-78 during the Carter years.
How Karpinski ever made it past Captain is a mystery to me. On second thought, maybe not. Shoplifting? WTF?
A general who can't counter a pat on the butt with a punch in the nose should seek another line of work.
Yes her conduct was and is totally unacceptable. Very rarely does a Chain of Command get hammered like that, the Army appears to held them accountable.
I suppose this has to do with the punishment being meted out to the junior officers, but where the heck were the night duty officers??? Every unit I've ever know has a duty officer who regularly walks the area. The trailer park trash running the prison apparently weren't worried about one, though.
When the EA-6 Prowler crashed on the carrier and drugs were discovered, the Marines cleaned house. The embassy Marines who betrayed their country were under control of the embassy staff, you gonna blame the operational Marine forces for that?
Your trying to discredit the Marines with your half truths is laughable.
Karpinski is just an example of the Army's lackluster idea of leadership and your poor attempt to defend the Army by attacking the Marines is a joke!
Iran & Rescue Attempt: The Delta Force Commander wanted the Marine pilots Courts-Martialed. As for the embassy, that will always be a "What-If" ...
Beirut: You are making excuses and yes a terrible price was paid and the Chain of Command NOT sacked. Moscow: Between Iran and Moscow embassy security problems, What action was taken against the Chain of Command?
Ospery: When Marine Field Grade Commanding Officers are shown on tape telling their men to lie about maintenance records and then many marines die show me what General Officers were sacked?
Rifle Range: Are all Marine Officers' really expert?
During Operation Iraqi Freedom I at least saw a Regimental Commander get relieved. I don't know why, but at least the Marines appear to be going in the right direction.
You started with a cheap shot at the Army, I was in the Army for 10+ years as both Enlisted and as an Officer and what we saw really was a service that was far behind the Army in fighting ability and was being dishonest.
Her shoplifting arrest occurred when she was a Colonel. No excuse. Not a "youthful indescretion".
When she was put up for general her background was investigated. She was required to list any arrests (not just convictions). She didn't. She lied. She covered up. If the Army wasn't so embarrassed by her and ready to put her behind them they'd very publicly crucify her. BTW, while the article doesn't say so, I'm sure her resignation is being processed as rapidly as possible now that her case has been 'resolved'.
My guess is the deal was cut to put this behind us as quietly as possible. If they tried to fry her like she deserves, she'd have called everyone from the lowest private to Rumsfeld. The kangaroo court, we don't need.
Gotta take one off your list. The failed Iran hostage rescue was run by special ops, not the Marines.
You had me on your side until you said this. As you know (and admitted), every service has a percentage that makes them all look bad from time to time. To compare Karpinski to the long line of fine Army leadership is to do to the Army what you acuse YASOTAY of doing to the Marines, and your attack on the Army is done to defend the Marines.
All our services are, on the whole, outstanding organizations lead by outstanding leaders. Every one of them has a degree of scum that rises higher than it ought to.
Good! The only problem is that many of us LTCs worked our butts off trying to attain the rank of Colonel and had to retire as LTCs. This negligent and corrupt bitch gets to retire as a Colonel.
Apparently not, but that might have been because her commander in the Army was never informed of the incident. Or, maybe she BS'd her way out of discipline when the report got to her commander's desk.
She was apparently caught shoplifting on an Air Force base. If so, the incident would likely have been investigated by blue-suit law enforcement. The incident report would have been provided to the base commander (usually an O-6) who would be expected to transfer the file to the Army for disposition. Because she is Army, the Air Force would not have disciplined her.
There are many places in that flow for the incident to have been hushed up or quietly deep-sixed. Had she been Air Force, or had she shoplifted on an Army post, it is highly unlikely she would have escaped discipline.
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