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.

[DollyCali]

Been up since 2 .. got to be early last night.. Long, intense days ..just here a short time yet.. how is your son..know he is home & enjoying his family. Will he have to return?

[TexKat]

I'm just looking for possible reasons we backed off. Maybe it was tactical or even strategic and the timing of the coming prison scandal was just a coinkydink.

And why that super anti-American Fallujan iman was released.

[philman_36]

Move along.
Isn't it "Move along smartly".

[MEG33]

Get well soon.

[McGavin999]

It might be a little while, they're under investigation right now. I don't think this is going to have long term damage in Iraq, but it's sure going to send a lot of rage filled Arabs trying to get into Iraq to fight us as a result of this. It's going to make it really tough on the Marines at the Syrian border.

Things actually seem to be going better in Iraq. We still don't know how the American people are going to react to this either. Everyone was in shock over the pictures when they first came out, but the people seem to be rallying around Rumsfeld. Latest poll says 70% don't want him to resign.

It has made it a lot more dangerous for the men in the field because those who were in Fallujah will be back out on the streets setting bombs etc.

I don't know what's going to happen with Bush's re-election prospects, but if Kerry gets in, we can expect the terrorist strikes here at home within months from the election.

[TexKat]

See post #225 on this thread.

[philman_36]

Get well soon.
I'm neither ill nor hospitalized. Why would you wish me such a thing?

[BykrBayb]

Just as it's about to get interesting, I have to go. See you around.

[TexKat]

Thanks for asking DC, he is doing fine. Yes, if things go as scheduled we are looking at the latter part of this year.

[philman_36]

See you around.
C ya.

[Barlowmaker]

The Marines relieved the 82nd Airborne on March 17. The killing of the contractors was on March 30.

I guarantee you, the Marines were not put there to sit outside Fallujah and play pinochle.

Y'know whose blood Dan Rather and the rest of the media jackals will have on their hands by this orgy of exploitation? Pfc. Keith Maupin, a 20 year old being held hostage right now. If that kid is killed in retribution for these images being broadcast around the world ... when a FULL INVESTIGATION and specific allegations were well underway ... the killers will be Rather, CBS and the rest every bit as much as the terror monkeys who hold him captive. Was this kid's life worth showing these photos?

[MEG33]

My Email to 60 Minutes 11 began "Have you no shame?"

[subedei]

"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."


Stealing evidence? Who exactly did he steal it from and when was it designated classified evidence? What was right about interferring in a case? Did you even bother to read that article? I don't suppose the justifiable fears of a relative of one of the accused who thought his nephew was going to be railroaded is a right enough reason to "interfere", especially when no one else would bother to tell his story? Since when is it "wrong" to publically talk about legal cases or things pertaining to them? Great assumptions without merit, you sure seem to have knack for this!...

"The man is a moral zero who has betrayed our military.", yeah right...

Betray:

1. a. To give aid or information to an enemy of; commit treason against: betray one's country.
b. To deliver into the hands of an enemy in violation of a trust or allegiance
2. To be false or disloyal to: betrayed their cause; betray one's better nature.
3. To divulge in a breach of confidence: betray a secret.

My little tinpot hero? When did I state or imply that he was my hero? Thanks for the logical fallacy though. You stand by everything you said? Yes, don't even bother trying to back up your inane, exaggerated, fallacious and malicious comments, just "stand by them" without actually responding.

[subedei]

"Getting his hands on evidentiary materials he shoudln't have had his hands on.

Why would he waste time calling attention to something that was already known, because CNN was at the CentCom briefing when it was announced there were allegations brewing to the surface of prisoner abuse at a number of Iraqi prisons, which the military was forming an investigation over the matter. CentCom released a statement at that very same briefing, which can be found on the CentCom's website. Anyone with a TV and a keyboard would have known about it. Maybe you didn't know about it, but I certainly did. It was all over the media at the time."


Hackworth "betrayed" his country and "every single member of the military" by accepting photos from the relative of an accused soldier? um yeah, right...

Betray:

1. a. To give aid or information to an enemy of; commit treason against: betray one's country.
b. To deliver into the hands of an enemy in violation of a trust or allegiance
2. To be false or disloyal to: betrayed their cause; betray one's better nature.
3. To divulge in a breach of confidence: betray a secret.

And why exactly was it wrong for him to have this so called "evidentiary materials" to begin with, and where and when exactly was it labeled or defined as "evidentiary materials" and excluded from public display under penalty of law?

Why would he waste time or call attention to it? um, because there was only vague announcements concerning abuse, there were no public pictures. Could this reason BE any more obvious? William Lawson was afraid that his nephew was going to take the fall and couldn't get help anywhere else, reason enough why this was worthy of public display and interest from Hackworth. Maybe you didn't know about it, but I certainly did, it was all over the article from this very thread...

[Barlowmaker]

I shudder to think what is happening to that brave young soldier every time one of those thugs sees that picture of that woman holding that naked Iraqi man at the end of a leash.

I hate Dan Rather viscerally.

[Carolinamom]

First news of the morning for me and boy oh boy. Hackworth is toast. But isn't it VERY interesting that 17 Congressmen received prior notice but didn't seem to notice?

[subedei]

"How about this, he has done exactly what Kerry did if he helped leak these pictures. He has helped the enemy and hurt the soldier on the ground. If he is behind this his character has committed suicide…not assassinated."

So suddenly guilt by association is reason enough to assassinate someones character with outrageous and moronic claims attempting to tie him to a vicious dictator without proof? This is about public accountability, claims attempting to portray is as "hurting" our soldiers is assumptive. And as I stated before, keeping up the soldiers moral is never justification for not doing what is right. If we are not willing to accept the burden and responsibility of living in a free and open country based on rule of law, when will we? Those guards who allegedly abused those prisoners violated our laws, basic human rights, and degraded the honor and uniform of their fellow soldiers as well as those who died. Who gives a crap what Kerry would have done, these dishonorable events deserves as much light as possible so that it doesn't happen again.

"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson

[MEG33]

I missed that. Prior notice of the report?

[leadpenny]

Dan Rather is pond scum but this story was going to burst into the open in a matter of days anyway.

Once Hugh Thompson went to the Chaplain at Ft. Rucker, Alabama and told his story, it was a matter of days until My Lai was on all the front pages. Third Army HQ bumped it to the Pentagon in a NY minute. No chain of command can keep bad news under wraps for long. The problem was that the CG of the Americal Division and his staff tried to.

[golas1964]

Okay, I haven't read all the other posts, so I apologize (seems like there's a lot of that going around these days) if I'm repeating someone else's thought. We're all asking ourselves, why would the soldiers in question be taking pictures/videos in the first place? You would take the photos if your intent was to distribute them on a gay porn website somewhere... Could this situation be a case of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' run amuck???