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Soldier's Family Set in Motion Chain of Events on Disclosure [Hackworth involved in CBS photos]
NY Times ^ | 5/8/04 | James Dao and Eric Lichtblau

Posted on 05/07/2004 11:02:41 PM PDT by saquin

CUMBERLAND, Md., May 7 — Ivan Frederick was distraught. His son, an Army reservist turned prison guard in Iraq, was under investigation earlier this year for mistreating prisoners, and photographs of the abuse were beginning to circulate among soldiers and military investigators.

So the father went to his brother-in-law, William Lawson, who was afraid that reservists like his nephew would end up taking the fall for what he considered command lapses, Mr. Lawson recounted in an interview on Friday. He knew whom to turn to: David Hackworth, a retired colonel and a muckraker who was always willing to take on the military establishment. Mr. Lawson sent an e-mail message in March to Mr. Hackworth's Web site and got a call back from an associate there in minutes, he said.

That e-mail message would put Mr. Lawson in touch with the CBS News program "60 Minutes II" and help set in motion events that led to the public disclosure of the graphic photographs and an international crisis for the Bush administration.

It is still not entirely clear who leaked the photos and how they got into the hands of a "60 Minutes II" producer. What is clear, however, is that the furor over the photos is unlikely to dissipate any time soon.

And it may only get worse.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld disclosed Friday that there were "many more photos" and videos of abuse that have not yet become public. And he acknowledged in Senate testimony that the military might have mishandled the affair by not alerting members of Congress and the public to the growing seriousness of the military's investigation into the abuses before the images became public on "60 Minutes II."

"I wish I had been able to convey to them the gravity of this before we saw it in the media," Mr. Rumsfeld said.

The irony, Mr. Lawson said, is that the public spectacle might have been avoided if the military and the federal government had been responsive to his claims that his nephew was simply following orders. Mr. Lawson said he sent letters to 17 members of Congress about the case earlier this year, with virtually no response, and that he ultimately contacted Mr. Hackworth's Web site out of frustration, leading him to cooperate with a consultant for "60 Minutes II."

"The Army had the opportunity for this not to come out, not to be on 60 Minutes," he said. "But the Army decided to prosecute those six G.I.'s because they thought me and my family were a bunch of poor, dirt people who could not do anything about it. But unfortunately, that was not the case."

Many of the incriminating photographs appear to have been taken on a digital camera by a soldier in the 372nd Military Police Company who is now facing a court-martial. From there, they appear to have circulated among military personnel in Iraq via e-mail and computer disks, and some may have found their way to family members in the United States.

But there are still numerous unresolved questions about the photographs. One is why they were taken. Some officials suggest that soldiers wanted the photographs as souvenirs, but some relatives said they believed that the photographs were going to be shown to other prisoners to pressure their cooperation.

Then there is the question of how the photographs became public.

Lt. Gen. Lance Smith, deputy commander of forces in the region, testifying Friday before Congress, said he was still unclear how that happened. "It was a surprise that it got out," General Smith said.

Military officials were aware of two disks with photographs on them that were part of continuing investigations, one in Iraq and another in Washington, he said.

"That was the limit of the pictures, and we thought we had them all," General Smith said.

Producers at "60 Minutes II" are not saying exactly how they got the photographs. But Jeff Fager, the executive producer, said, "We heard about someone who was outraged about it and thought that the public should know about it."

Digital cameras have become so ubiquitous in the military that many relatives of personnel in the 372nd and other units in Iraq said they routinely received photographs by e-mail. But the photographs were usually tourist-type photographs of smiling sons and daughters, relatives said.

Officials said that the photographs showing psychological or physical abuse numbered in the hundreds, perhaps more than 1,000, with Mr. Rumsfeld hinting Friday that more may come out.

Among some prison personnel in Iraq, the photographs were apparently an open secret. "Some soldiers in Iraq had them — I'm hearing that soldiers were showing them to everybody," Mr. Lawson said. He said he did not have the original photos and did not turn them over to anyone.

The photographs have now turned soldiers like Mr. Lawson's nephew, Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, and Pfc. Lynndie R. England into graphic symbols of military abuse. But for Mr. Lawson, they are evidence of a complete breakdown in training and authority in the Iraqi prison system.

He shared his frustration in his March 23 e-mail message to Mr. Hackworth's Web site, writing: "We have contacted the Red Cross, Congress both parties, Bill O'Reilly and many others. Nobody wants to touch this."

Less than five weeks later, images of his nephew — interviewed on "60 Minutes II" with Mr. Lawson's help — would be shown around the world. Far from untouchable, the story would become unavoidable.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2004electionbias; 60minutes; abugerbil; agitprop; bushhaters; cbs; ccrm; crazyivan; dontaskdonttell; hacknut; hackworth; iraq; iraqaftermath; iraqipow; iraqipowphotos; ivanfrederick; jailhouselawyers; loathesthemilitary; media; mediabias; moralrelativism; prisonabuse; propaganda; saddamites; therestofthestory
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To: A CA Guy
If the rapes happened (I mean if the rumors are true) then they could have just as easily raped here. They probably rapped before they ever entered the military.

There are sickos everywhere, and I hope people don't believe that just because someone joins the military doesn't mean they can't be bad to the core.
161 posted on 05/08/2004 12:12:32 AM PDT by GottaLuvAkitas1
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To: Fledermaus
If you're going to be a "nuke them all" jabroni, at least call the Islamofascists "7th Century idiots".
162 posted on 05/08/2004 12:12:59 AM PDT by Barlowmaker
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To: onyx
Hack is the very essence of a 3rd string quarterback bitter because "politics' prevented him from being the starter.
163 posted on 05/08/2004 12:13:14 AM PDT by Texasforever (The French love John Kerry. He is their new Jerry Lewis)
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To: onyx
Most of those "defiant soldiers" only joined for the money.
164 posted on 05/08/2004 12:13:24 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: onyx
So, to get even with Rumsfeld, he sacrifices the lives of our military?
165 posted on 05/08/2004 12:13:29 AM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
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To: Barlowmaker
Oh, now we are arguing about centuries! lol
166 posted on 05/08/2004 12:14:15 AM PDT by Fledermaus
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To: Fledermaus
Okay...alone,together.Is that an oxymoron or just Clintonian? LOL

My gallant knight...and I wouldn't tell you how to get there,to slay the dragons? :-(

But seriously, yes, it IS, believe it or not, even worse over there.

167 posted on 05/08/2004 12:15:04 AM PDT by nopardons
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To: McGavin999
Looks that way to me.
It is a coordinated effort.
I want this whole conspiracy to
unravel in full public view.


168 posted on 05/08/2004 12:15:27 AM PDT by onyx (WHO LEAKED TO CBS?)
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To: Howlin
And somehow they are getting hooked up with Hack. I wonder how?
169 posted on 05/08/2004 12:15:44 AM PDT by A Citizen Reporter
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To: A Citizen Reporter
His web site.
170 posted on 05/08/2004 12:16:27 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: McGavin999
So, to get even with Rumsfeld, he sacrifices the lives of our military?

Sort of blows that carefully crafted myth of him being the "soldiers...soldier" doesn't it? Hack is a hack.

171 posted on 05/08/2004 12:17:08 AM PDT by Texasforever (The French love John Kerry. He is their new Jerry Lewis)
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To: Fledermaus
You are vile beyond belief. Quit spitting your foul feces in my direction. You clearly have no common decency. Go over to DU where you belong. Your filthy contempt for American values is disgusting.
172 posted on 05/08/2004 12:17:12 AM PDT by BykrBayb (5 minutes of prayer for Terri, every day at 11 am EDT, until she's safe. http://www.terrisfight.org)
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To: onyx
We're going to have to find out if she met with BG Karpinski while she was over there.
173 posted on 05/08/2004 12:17:40 AM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
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To: onyx
Few people, who claim HACK as being so sort of military superstar, recall his involvement with the suicide of Admiral Jeremy Borda...the day before he was scheduled to be interviewed by the HACK...and after finding out that the HACK was going to do a hatchet job on him, claiming that one of the medals he wore wasn't earned.

Turned out the medal was properly earned but he knew his career would be trashed following the HACK's assisination piece. A few months later HACK found out to his own dismay that the he wasn't entitled to the Ranger Tab he always claimed he earned.

I doubt the HACK lost any sleep over either.

174 posted on 05/08/2004 12:18:27 AM PDT by CWOJackson
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To: Texasforever; Fledermaus
I'm a BushBOT too...hehehehe

But there are some here,who do try to give the poor BAT a hard time.He's light years ahead of all of them,put together, in the intelligence department,so he gets just a wee bit frustrated.

175 posted on 05/08/2004 12:18:27 AM PDT by nopardons
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To: Texasforever
I hope Hackworth can get into real trouble for this.
I know you said he could lose his pension, but I want
him prosecuted also, if it is determined he broke
military and/or civilian law.
176 posted on 05/08/2004 12:18:46 AM PDT by onyx (WHO LEAKED TO CBS?)
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To: A Citizen Reporter

Thanks for telling me!

WOW! She really stepped in it! I wonder how many people realize she knew after she said that today?

*Remember the 17 members that the guy wrote to with no response?* I wonder if she found out from the letters?
Also, do you remember the timeline when she went to Iraq? That could be key too.

This just may be the thing that brings her down.
177 posted on 05/08/2004 12:19:17 AM PDT by GottaLuvAkitas1
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To: A Citizen Reporter
Oh please tell me what happened with Rummy and Hitlery. Also, does anyone know if there is a transcript of the latest political inquisition? Ted Kennedy said something outrageous, surprise, surprise, and I wanted to get the exact quote.
178 posted on 05/08/2004 12:19:19 AM PDT by beaversmom (Michael Medved has the Greatest radio show on GOD's Green Earth)
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To: Texasforever
I want this thing pursued. I want to know who was behind leaking these pictures and I want to watch them dangle from the end of a rope. The damage that has been done to this country and our military as a result of this just can't be calculated.
179 posted on 05/08/2004 12:19:30 AM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
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To: GottaLuvAkitas1
One has to wonder why the military didn't check these people's priors,before they assigned them to this detail and/or into the service.
180 posted on 05/08/2004 12:20:43 AM PDT by nopardons
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