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.

[BigSkyFreeper]

He should know better. But since he's got a big chip on his shoulder, it clouds his judgement.

[nopardons]

Nope,that story is old news,but I somehow seem to have missed it.I may have been on vacation and NOT on FR at the time.

[philman_36]

Is it me or do you see an emerging trend amongst some posters on this subject?

[faithincowboys]

Did it take training to figure what they were doing wasn't according to code? They took pictures of what they were doing because what they were doing was ....(in search of a euphemism) eccentric.

[Proud Legions]

20% of what Hackworth claims is usually true. The problem is you never now which 20%. I lost all respect for him when he said in Vietnam he often went into combat so doped up as an officer that he had a hard time functioning. When asked why he did that, he said all his soldiers were dopers and he thought he could win their confidence by being like them. Hmmm....

So I guess that means if he was an LT at this prison, not only would he not have stopped these actions, he would have joined in?

He always thinks he knows best, and does what he wants regardless of the consequences. He assumes every other officer that has served or is serving is an idiot, and only he knows best. If he had paid attention, he would have know that a large number of senior NCOs and officers were already under investigation, and that they were very likely to get more punishment than any of these junior troops. Because they were not in any pictures, and were being looked at for failures of leadership and command as opposed to the direct actions of abusing prisoners, the investigation takes much more time and effort (no such clear evidence as pictures and videos). IF Hackworth in fact is the one responsible for the release of sealed military evidence to be used in both trials and investigations, I hope by now even he realizes he screwed the pooch on this one. He may in fact have done just the opposite of what he wanted...which is hurt the Army's case against the officers, and he very likely may have caused the deaths of numerous soldiers, and put US efforts at winning the War on Terror back years. Some hero.

Clearly a big problem at this prison, in addition to all these soldiers acting incredible stupid, was a whole cadre of incompetent, derelict officers and senior NCO's. Anyone who has spent time in the military and then reads the Taguba report can see that clearly. But Hackworth thought/thinks he is the only one who could see that. I have spent years working with and for Taguba; he knew and knows what he is doing. He did not need Hackworth's help. Hackworth has become just one more armchair general who is screwing up our work because they think they know better than we.

[nopardons]

I agree with your assessment and well,your entire post.We need to get this info out there.The media will NEVER cover this.It's "old news";though still relevant.

[subedei]

Your reply fails to respond to basically any of the points I brought up. As I said before, your comments were inane, exaggerated, fallacious and malicious.

"He's been in battle, he knew what this would do to moral, and he did it anyway."

You called him a "traitor", you said that our military people would "hunt him down", you said that he was "going to be responsible for the death and injury of thousands", that he had "endangered this country more than anyone since Benedict Arnold", and that he had "endangered every one of those kids in that theater". But now you want to make a slight comment about its supposed affect on moral?

Since when is our soldiers moral preferrable to doing what is LEGAL, and what is RIGHT??? And why exactly would this have a bad affect on moral? Maybe because this puts their lives, their sacrifice, their honor, and that of everyone who gave their lives over there in a bad light? Why should such shame be hidden or glossed over? Are you implying that they should feel shame for dishonorable actions they themselves had no hand in? If I were them I imagine I would, even though I should not. Sorry, rule of law, basic fundamental human rights and our very freedoms which they fight for DEMAND that this subject be displayed openly and honestly, and that it be dealt with in the same manner.

Your previous uncivil and fallacious comments still call for a decent response...

[McGavin999]

Could be, Sanchez surely would have informed the Marines about what was about to come down and it may have influenced their response to the "peace efforts".

[faithincowboys]

I think the time for excusing acts consistent with treason (I know it's a loaded, scary word) is over. If it makes everyone feel better, I think the time for excusing acts that harm this country is over.

[BykrBayb]

Oh, you're so witty! Did you think of that scathing remark all by your little lonesome? Or is there a puppet master with his hand up... oh, nevermind. I almost exposed you to grown-up language again.

[TexKat]

That's not correct. If you've read any of the Iraqi blogs you'd know that Fallujah has always been a problem area. Even Saddam couldn't control it. The "abuse" is considered a joke in Iraq. It was mild compared to what went on in Saddam's day. As foul as it was to us, it was nothing compared to what Uday did every day.

I am well aware of the situation/situations of Fallujah. I remember the first time I troops moved out of Fallujah and left it in the hands of the little Iraqi police force last year. The Blackwater contractors said they lost their way while escorting a food convoy, so they decided to go through Fallujah (they knew it was dangerous). I have also read reports that they were not escorting a food convoy. But please do not get me wrong. I am in no way making light of their deaths.

Also there is still something strange about the on again, off again battles in Fallujah last month and we still did not get what we went in there for. However we did release one of their Imans.

[DollyCali]

ya'll still around?

[nopardons]

I've never claimed to be even remotely a "good" typist and since most people easily understand my replies,it seems not to matter ones whit,what you think of my lack of typing skills.

[McGavin999]

What was LEGAL or RIGHT about stealing evidence? What was right about interferring in a case that was obviously already underway? Sorry your little tinpot hero has been shown up for the bloviating phoney he obviously is.

As to the rest, I stand by everything I said. The man is a moral zero who has betrayed our military.

[Barlowmaker]

It's a very plausible scenario, but I don't know that the Fallujah operation wasn't proceeding along the "fallback" track anyway.

What the Marines are doing in Fallujah is textbook urban warfare. They've actually got a book, written in the 1920s or about, that lays out the fundamentals of a "three block" strategy to pacify an urban guerilla threat. One block of overwhelming force, one block of humanitarian aid, and one block of political negotiating. Lather, rinse and repeat as necessary.

It's the way you convert the noncombatant majority to be your allies. Stick, carrot, stick, carrot. You have to give them options and time to do the right thing and rid the vermin from their midst.

We're still fully in control of Fallujah. We're just letting the Iraqis get a chance to go get the punks first.

I don't see the 1st Marines as being the party who is grievously hurt by this. They're impervious to violent retribution. They welcome anyone to try it. It's our civilian contractors and less battle trained/specialized military units in other areas of Iraq that will feel the awful ramifications of this betrayal. They are more imperiled today than before CBS and Dan Rather spit at them.

[MEG33]

Thank you.One poster asked about the MI not being investigated untilApril.That is disturbing as all the arrested soldiers point fingers there.(Just following orders.)I share your disdain for Hack.

[faithincowboys]

Hillary should have to answer for this. And what did Kerry know about this? Isn't it funny, Kerry says he commited all these atrocities when he was in Nam. Doesn't that mean that 30 years from now Lynndie England and company could run for President and win one of the major parties nominations? This is crazy. Kerry is a total schmuck.

[nopardons]

Now you're claiming that your guttersnipe,potty-mouth language is "adult",of all things? LOL

[nopardons]

Obviously.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Clearly what you're trying to say is that he just looks out for himself, as if to say "to hell with everyone else".