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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: mass55th
I knew this would really infuriate you.
541 posted on 05/08/2004 8:00:04 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: evad
Sabrina Harmon is not the one that is pregnant. Its this one

Dogleash girl that is knocked up.

Lynndie England is pictured in her 2001 senior portrait from Frankfort High School in Short Gap, West Virginia. England was identified as being pictured in some of the recently released images taken at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. REUTERS/HO

542 posted on 05/08/2004 8:00:20 AM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: Howlin
"So Hackworth will be this war's John Kerry?"

Sure looks that way. He must be proud.

543 posted on 05/08/2004 8:00:21 AM PDT by cake_crumb (UN Resolutions = Very Expensive, Very SCRATCHY Toilet Paper)
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To: cake_crumb; Texasforever; CWOJackson
I would hope that Hackworth knows better than to endanger military personnel

JMO, Hack, does not. He is a McCain/Hagel clone, looking out for how much face time he can get by an adoring(for the day) liberal media.

Kinda of interesting seeing the "Hack" contingent on FR not as numerous or verbose. 4 years ago, Hack was the bomb.

JMO, shows that reading FR(baiscally deconstructing the liberal media, IMO), does some difference.

544 posted on 05/08/2004 8:00:56 AM PDT by Dane
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To: Polybius
When the liberal news media wanted to use the Wilson story as a weapon against President Bush, they were bemoaning the fact that a CIA agent who drove herself to CIA HQ in Langley everyday would be in "danger" because it was now known that she worked for the CIA.

&&&


Thanks for your very clever sketch of Ms Valerie. I really needed a chuckle on this extremely gut-wrenching thread.

I have not heard one 'journalist' ask the question "who gave the photos to 60 Minutes."

545 posted on 05/08/2004 8:01:59 AM PDT by maica (Member of Republican Attack Machine, RAM, previously known as the VRWC)
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To: McGavin999
Not only that, but he has endangered this country more than anyone since Benedict Arnold.

If you didn't serve in the Revolutionary War, I wouldn't go around disparaging a decorated war hero.

546 posted on 05/08/2004 8:03:00 AM PDT by Zechariah11 ("so they weighed for my hire thirty pieces of silver")
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To: Texasforever
Well we know Hack's motives- he hates Rumsfeld.
547 posted on 05/08/2004 8:06:03 AM PDT by rintense (Now I know why liberals hate guns... they keep shooting themselves in the foot!)
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To: maica
I have not heard one 'journalist' ask the question "who gave the photos to 60 Minutes."

Nor did any of our esteemed Congress critters; it kind of makes you think they must all know.

548 posted on 05/08/2004 8:06:30 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin
What the heck does Hack have to say about the fact that terrorists are killing more Iraqi citizens than Coalition troops?? Nothing, I bet.
549 posted on 05/08/2004 8:07:46 AM PDT by cake_crumb (UN Resolutions = Very Expensive, Very SCRATCHY Toilet Paper)
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To: Texasforever
"Next thing we will here is that these guys are 'whistle blowers'."

Yep. Because the media and Dems want to make the public forget that leaking those photos, and showing them on TV, is illegal.

550 posted on 05/08/2004 8:10:20 AM PDT by cake_crumb (UN Resolutions = Very Expensive, Very SCRATCHY Toilet Paper)
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To: Anti-Bubba182
Sergeant Frederick works as a civilian as a correctional officer in Virginia, neither he nor his father believes he was adequately trained by the military to handle prisoners of war

Does it list the name of the prison? I have a good friend in Va. employed in a prison.

551 posted on 05/08/2004 8:12:17 AM PDT by BARLF (I heard this morning that the effect of this event has tarnished the military in general)
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To: saquin
Sounds like something Hackworth would do.
552 posted on 05/08/2004 8:13:10 AM PDT by VaBthang4 ( He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps)
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To: saquin
Since we now know that investiations into the mistreatment had begun in January-and that the photos were part of the investigation, WHY IN THE HELL WOULD ANYONE RELEASE THESE PHOTOS TO SO HURT OUR TERRIFIC MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN AND TO INFLAME THE IRAQIS AND ARAB WORLD>>>>>>>>>>

MAKING THE JOB THERE NOT ONLY HARDER, BUT HURTING THE MILITARY as a WHOLE, SO VERY< VERY MUCH.

Disgraceful. Hurtful. DISGUSTING.

This is disgraceful. Why not take the photos to MR. RUMSFELD instead of CBS.

Hackworth has hurt our nation, deeply.

This is a betayal by people who WANT the Iraqi quest for freedom to fail.

553 posted on 05/08/2004 8:14:00 AM PDT by Republic
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To: saquin
Ivan Frederick was distraught. His son, an Army reservist turned prison guard in Iraq, was under investigation earlier this year for mistreating prisoners,...

If you mistreat prisoners you should be investigated.

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,...

Command lapse? Was Federick commanded to mistreat the prisoners?

...some relatives said they believed that the photographs were going to be shown to other prisoners to pressure their cooperation.

No supporting evidence is given of any command to mistreat the prisoners.

554 posted on 05/08/2004 8:15:08 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: churchillbuff
"Don't you mean what the ABUSERS IN THE PRISON did the military and the country?"

We ARE angry at the abusers and what they did to the prisoners, the military and the country. We're ALSO angry with the leaker who did possibly irreparable damage to the country by leaking them to CBS AND at CBS for showing the damned things!

What's WITH you people?? WHY does everything have to revolve around exactly ONE aspect or ramification?? Too hard to keep track of more??

555 posted on 05/08/2004 8:16:37 AM PDT by cake_crumb (UN Resolutions = Very Expensive, Very SCRATCHY Toilet Paper)
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To: Sacajaweau
It was announced in January for the WHOLE WORLD. Please don't tell me they don't watch the news and/or hear about it. I'm sure everyone gets a Centcom brief everyday.

See excerpt of Centcom Briefing transcript for Januarary 16 at post# 508. What is the meaning of a guarantor?

556 posted on 05/08/2004 8:16:44 AM PDT by TexKat (Just because you did not see it or read it, that does not mean it did or did not happen.)
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To: TigersEye
"Mr. Lawson said he sent letters to 17 members of Congress about the case earlier this year, with virtually no response, ..." If any criminal indictments are appropriate ... here are the heads that ought to roll!

What did the 17 members of Congress do?

557 posted on 05/08/2004 8:18:24 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: cyncooper
Ping

My suspicion is that at first only word of abuse leaked out. The ones responsible took or had someone take posed pictures of the reservists in these various abusive positions to deflect any implication of themselves. Either that, or they took the posed pix to show to other inmates, possibly to hang them in their cells to make them talk.

Whatever the case, these pix looked staged and posed. These are not candid shots in my mind. Maybe some others will come out and be different. The ones I've seen so far look like a scene was set up, smile, click, etc. What they intended to use them for later is another question. It's all just so bizarre.

I'm not saying it was right, but this doesn't look like systematic abuse as much as it does systematic picture taking. However, I guess these pictures are mild compared to the body of an American's remains charred and hanging in the town square, or the ones of the people jumping from the WTC.

558 posted on 05/08/2004 8:21:19 AM PDT by World'sGoneInsane
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To: Fledermaus; ValerieUSA
Secondly, who cares what you think?

I think quite highly of Valerie's input on this board. I find her to be a thoughtful, honest, caring, individual. Not once has she played the victim card, though God knows she's had enough opportunities to do so. I consider Valerie to be one of the finest individuals to inhabit this board.

I guess you'll have to include me on your ever-growing list of "morons" whose opinions should not be recognized on FreeRepublic.

559 posted on 05/08/2004 8:22:18 AM PDT by BraveMan
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To: ozzysmom
I'm sure the un-hyphenated last name of Hack's wife is just a coincidence. (Ain't she a beaut?)


David Hackworth & his wife Eilhys England Hackworth

And what do you want to bet his choice of candidate for 2004 is is the flip-floppin' anti-war-except-for-when-he's-called-a-hero F'n Kerry? They had something in common back in 1971 and they still do in 2004.

After almost five years in Vietnam Hack's cup runneth over. In 1971, as the Army's youngest colonel he spoke out on national television saying, "This is a bad war ... it can't be won we need to get out." In that interview, he also said that the North Vietnamese flag would fly over Saigon in four years -- a prediction that turned out to be right on target. He was the only senior officer to sound off about the insanity of the war.

560 posted on 05/08/2004 8:22:19 AM PDT by arasina (So there.)
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