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

[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.

[nopardons]

I'll take "what", for 1 million.:-)

[nopardons]

WOW! Do a link on this thread to that;please.

[BykrBayb]

Did I hurt your little feelings? Complain to the moderator if you think I've broken the rules. And if your spouses are upset by something I've said, I can only imagine how degraded they must be by your behavior.

[philman_36]

Clinton Era Atrocities (no Hearings, No media)
It's right there on the main page! How could you miss it?

[nopardons]

Yes, shame on him,indeed.

[philman_36]

BTW, the space bar is your friend...
Another poster has the same problem.

[faithincowboys]

Here's my post, it's long, Here's the source site, ,Here's an article about it from insight, much shorter

[McGavin999]

the unintentended consequences of losing civil control of the military intelligence apparatus in Iraq will reach to the top levels of our government, -- as incompetence in any war always does, one way or another.

Isn't that a bit melodramatic?

[nopardons]

No,dear,you didn't "hurt my feelings" at all.All you've managed to do is show everyone on this thread what a foul mouthed,smarmy,low class,unthinking,over emotional person you are.

Obviously you are more than just a little familiar with degrading behavior;you've done nothing else but engage in it on this thread.

[nopardons]

BTW...who decided that you were the typing police? LOL

[nopardons]

Many thanks! I'm going to bookmark all of that.

[subedei]

"I wouldn't want to be Hackworth either. Hack just betrayed his country and every single member of the military. What a total creep."

"Yeah, he's going to be responsible for the death and injury of thousands. Not only that, but he has endangered this country more than anyone since Benedict Arnold.

Yeah, well he just screwed every man and woman in the military. They're going to hunt him down if this turns out to be true. Talk about betrayal."

"No, I'm not fine with the perps, but I'm furious with Hackworth because he should have known better. He should have known what this would do to the situation over there. He just endangered every one of those kids in that theater. He also endangered this country by putting those pictures into the hands of the media."


Hack betrayed his country and "every single member of the military"? By doing what exactly?? Trying to call attention to gross violations that were already being investigated by the military, violations which cast a horrible light on the majority of actual honorable soldiers who are still "somehow" able to tell the difference between right and wrong???

I love your priorities here, curse the name of the "evil" Hackworth who you disparage as a "traitor" while saying basically nothing about the people who have actually done the dishonorable deeds. Now we hear news about guards allegedly raping women and small boys and beating people nearly to death. BUT WAIT, THE REAL NEWS IS HACKWORTH, what a horrible horrible "traitor" for attempting to hold people publically accountable for actions which dishonor the country whose freedoms they were supposedly fighting for.

Comparing Hackworth with Benedict Arnold, saying that he will be responsible for "the death and injury of thousands", that he endangered "every one of those kids in that theater", that he endangered our country, and that military people are going to hunt him down? Talk about inane, exaggerated, fallacious and malicious comments.. As if somehow the knowledge of abuse within the prisons, which was already made known by the military to the press, is suddenly going to put EVERY single one of our troops and our very country in danger where it wasn't before? Absolutely ludicrous. And military people are going to hunt him down in droves eh? That would in fact mean that they would violate the very code of honor and ethics that they profess to live by. Brilliant conclusion!...

I personally disagree with MANY things Hackworth says and positions he takes, and I also disagree with the way in which he says and does things. I however do not feel the need or think I have the right to viciously attack someones character and motives just because I dislike or disagree with someones modus operandi in reference to their statements or actions concerning the military. Hackworth actually put his life on the line serving our country, have you? Amazing how you feel so bold to make fallacious and malicious attacks on him. Where is your civility and honor in all of this???

[BigSkyFreeper]

There was one memo that recommended gathering all negative war issues and releasing them at a scheduled interval. I will try to find that and pot it tomorrow. There was also a mysterious meeting between the Kerry campaign and all the media bigwigs including all three network anchors a few months ago.

You may be on to something. I do recall that memo and of course the mysterious Kerry camp meeting with the Liberal media big wigs. That meeting happend not long ago actually. Al Franken was in attendence if I am not mistaken.

[subedei]

"Maybe it would be wise to see if Hackworth has any connections to Scott Ritter or any of the companies that were on the "Take" in the U.N. "Oil for Food" Program" MJY1288

This is absolutely ludicrous. Hackworth taking oil money from Saddam and doing what exactly??? Writing articles that differ with or are distrustful of the military bureaucracy or that are overly pessimistic? Oh yeah.. He was never doing that before.... *sarcasm*

Great unfounded character assassination!...

[McGavin999]

I totally disparage what the people who took the pictures did, but Hack is supposed to know better. We have men in harms way. That's why I'm so angry with him. He's been in battle, he knew what this would do to moral, and he did it anyway.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Hackworth has no character to assassinate.

[MEG33]

I am not aware that MI was not included in an investigation until April.We should not hear about it until they get their ducks in a row.

I do know the innocent get dragged into investigations and I don't want a fiasco over ruining people for life or letting the guilty upper level off,either.Some stuff in an investigation report needs to be kept secret in order to give a fair trial.

Some of those who need questioned were transferred out and some are in Germany.I say let the chips fall where they may..no excuse for this...

[TexKat]

Go to the post I just put up called "Clinton Era Atrocities (no hearings, no media)"

Interesting, and yes shocking. However did you apply your own title to the article?

[hmmmmm]

I'm only now reading this thread so please forgive me if this has been addressed further down.. You know what her attorney said tonight? That she joined the Guard for "a career path, to get money for college."

She signed up for military duty not welfare. It's service to the USA, no matter the branch...it is neither a handout nor an escape route. It should be an indisputable fact that any form of voluntary service is a privilege not a handout... that applies to all, even those who signed on (or thought about it) during the "clinton" years. This is so infuriating.

*temporarily relinquishing my soap box*