General who probed Abu Ghraib says Bush officials committed war crimes

The News Observer (McClatchy) ^ | 4/23/09 | Warren P. Strobel

[anniegetyourgun]

WASHINGTON — The Army general who led the investigation into prisoner abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison accused the Bush administration Wednesday of committing "war crimes" and called for those responsible to be held to account. The remarks by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, who's now retired, came in a new report that found that U.S. personnel tortured and abused detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, using beatings, electrical shocks, sexual humiliation and other cruel practices.

"After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts and reports from human rights organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes," Taguba wrote. "The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account."

Taguba, whose 2004 investigation documented chilling abuses at Abu Ghraib, is thought to be the most senior official to have accused the administration of war crimes. "The commander in chief and those under him authorized a systematic regime of torture," he wrote.

A White House spokeswoman, Kate Starr, had no comment.

Taguba didn't respond to a request for further comment relayed via a spokesman.

[grey_whiskers]

OK, so I missed one.

Cheers!

[Cedric]

Torture?

Okay.

Where’s the problem?

[CatoRenasci]

Indeed. I'm long out (Vietnam era out by late '70s) but without the rough men doing very unpleasant things to very bad people, the thin veneer of civilization would crack tuit suit and people would find their asses raped and/or enslaved. Evil exists. Evil within our own society can be dealt with playing by nicey nice rules almost all, if not all, of the time because it's relatively isolated are rare. Outside, in the big bad world, sometimes it has to be met with its own methods because it will stop at nothing and will use our own adherence to rules as a way to attack us. Make war against us by the rules, and we fight back by the rules. Make war ignoring the rules and be considered literally outside of -- and therefor not entitled to any protection from -- the law.

[yazoo]

Let’s not forget putting underwear on their heads. Oh, the horror, the horror.

[dools007]

Bingo. That’s exactly what’s going on.

Bush never cleaned house when he became President—anywhere.
State, CIA, Military, GAO, Dept. of Justice, FBI, Dept of Environmental Protection etc. etc. Even as they exploded bombs in his face month after month he stuck to his “New Tone” stupidity.

To my knowledge he never countered a single demrat accusation. For me, the perfect example of this was Katrina. He allowed the demrats free rein to politicize the natural disaster. Even worse, instead of mounting an offensive against the demrat and media lies, he actually embraced many of them.

But I digress. The Usurper’s poll numbers continue to drop and he is making gaff after gaff foreign and domestic policy wise. “I don’t speak Austrian very well” being one of the most obvious. So let’s drag out GW and the old Abu Grab torture story to distract the brain dead American public. Typical totalitarian tactic. When in trouble create a monster for folks to focus on.

[Scotswife]

” using beatings, electrical shocks, sexual humiliation and other cruel practices. “

hmmm....I have yet to see beheading and eye gouging on the list.

And then, of course, there is the special treatment reserved for the ladies - getting buried up to the shoulders and getting stoned to death.

Is stoning on the list? Do we do that?

[Ulysse]

OK BUT other Generals and Mlitary leaders could open their mouth!

It’s time to have balls to fight Leviathan!

[lilycicero]

Charles In Charge Graner ping...

[maica]

Keeping Bush in the news cycle so Obama can get a free pass to “change America”.

****

Absolutely.

This is the latest edition of the “Culture of Corruption” that the democrats have used so successfully for the past two election cycles.

The same media that used the Abu Ghraib photos for years, will “have to” share the newest batch of released photos with the world.

This will decimate our military forces as honorable servicemen (and women) will feel compelled to leave the military services operating under this regime.

[Iscool]

I’ll go on the record...It it saves just one American woman’s husband from being de-headed or blown up, or one American Mother’s son or daughter, or some American kid’s father or Mother, or a sister or brother, I give my permission for my gov’t to use any means they could possibly conjure up to prevent that situation...

[LeonardFMason]

“Taguba didn’t respond to a request for further comment relayed via a spokesman.”

This Taguba is a no good stinking COWARD. What a TURD! If he is going to say crap like this he should have the BALLS to answer some questions. Paper pushing nobody. I wonder who changes his DEPENDS.

[Lurking in Kansas]

Sucking up to the Zero’s administration… looking for another star??

[Old Sarge]

Typical totalitarian tactic. When in trouble create a monster for folks to focus on.

Bush = Goldstein.

[Lurking in Kansas]

Indeed. I'm long out (Vietnam era out by late '70s) but without the rough men doing very unpleasant things to very bad people, the thin veneer of civilization would crack tuit suit and people would find their asses raped and/or enslaved. Evil exists. Evil within our own society can be dealt with playing by nicey nice rules almost all, if not all, of the time because it's relatively isolated are rare. Outside, in the big bad world, sometimes it has to be met with its own methods because it will stop at nothing and will use our own adherence to rules as a way to attack us. Make war against us by the rules, and we fight back by the rules. Make war ignoring the rules and be considered literally outside of -- and therefor not entitled to any protection from -- the law.

Indeed.

This is what makes liberals so dangerous... they don't understand this fact.

[Old Sarge]

Do you hear it?

The drumbeat getting louder?

The Majority Of The American People_® are being prepped to accept something that has never happened in this nation's history.

Americans will soon be tried before an international court for crimes against Socialism.

And The Sheep will accept it, because it is the will of The One (piss be upon him).

[TADSLOS]

I invite your attention to the Abu Ghraib 15-6 investigation document that MG Taguba signed in his capacity as the senior investigating officer. There's no reference to a finding or recommendation concerning DoD or the Bush administration's policies concerning treatment of POWs/detainees. Article 15-6 Investigation

Taguba is simply grandstanding and attempting to make a connection between the command and leadership failures of Abu Ghraib and the broader policies of interrogation techniques used to gain critical intelligence against terrorists. Why? Because he's still bitter for being "let go" as a two star. Also, if you look closely at his personal and career history, you'll see a man who never quite made the A list. Also, he's a protege of Shinseki. They're home boys from Hawaii. It would not surprise me in the least to see Taguba as a freshly minted Obama minion Under SECDEF with policy oversight concerning detainees and interrogations.

Then there's this synopsis of Taguba's testimony before Congress:

Taguba: No direct order given for abuse

Some background and personal perpective on MG Taguba:

Head of Inquiry on Iraq Abuses Now in Spotlight

General Says Prison Inquiry Led to His Forced Retirement

I had direct interaction in 1998 with then BG Taguba when he was the CoS, USARC. I found him to be overly forceful in his dealings with subordinate staff, abrasive at times. I'm not saying that some of his treatment towards the staff wasn't well deserved, but I think he reveled in it. I chocked it up to overcompensation for his physical stature, since he is a rather small man, and the fact that as an AC BG he was assigned to what is considered a second tire, backwater RC assignment. I attributed his actions at the time as one of a bitter man. Apparently, he's still that way.

[kevinm13]

Bush can’t run for President again yet the Dims seem to want to make him a horrible monster. He protected my country after 9/11 and I am grateful. 0bama is doing everything he can to make our country less safe. This BS about allegations of torture is treasonous, anti-American and false (except in the politically correct world that the libs live in when words or pictures of people with underwear on their heads is torture). If this General thought that there was torture in 2004, then he should have done something about it then. Not now when he has retired and like Wesley Clark probably looking for a political career bashing the US. That isn’t what he swear an oath to protect when he signed up for the military. Treasonous loser.

[Obadiah]

This is all a diversion. Obama and the liberals are raping pillaging America. To divert attention and cover for what they are doing they are trying to light the Bush administration on fire by using the “torture” and now “war crime” labels as an incendiary device. It is all so obvious, even the rank and file liberals don't quite see this, they are just the useful tools.

[jaydubya2]

Good Find!

Antonio Taguba AKA Antonio Mario Taguba

Born: 31-Oct-1950 Birthplace: Manila, Philippines

Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: Asian Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Military

Nationality: United States Executive summary: Authored Taguba Report on Abu Ghraib

The first Filipino-American General in the US Army.

[ConservativeMind]

This man is an @ss.

They aren’t “war crimes” if they are legal in the country they were performed in.

However, if President Bush did these things in his home, there might be a problem.