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| Rumsfeld Backs Iraq Interrogation Methods | |||||
| 2004-05-12 | |||||
| WASHINGTON (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld defended military interrogation techniques in Iraq on Wednesday, rejecting complaints that they violate international rules and may endanger Americans taken prisoner. Rumsfeld told a Senate committee that Pentagon lawyers had approved methods such as sleep deprivation and dietary changes as well as rules permitting prisoners to be made to assume stress positions. Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also noted that the rules require prisoners to be treated humanely at all times. But Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. said some of the approved techniques "go far beyond the Geneva Convention," a reference to international rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war.
Expanding his question to include detainees in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay, he asked whether such a declaration would "also serve to help American prisoners" held captive. Rumsfeld replied that the Geneva Convention applies to all prisoners held in Iraq, but not to those held in Guantanamo Bay, where detainees captured in the global war on terror are held. He said the distinction is that the international rules govern wars between countries but not those involving groups such as al-Qaida. "Terrorists don't comply with the laws of war. They go around killing innocent civilians," Rumsfeld added.
Rumsfeld and other Pentagon officials have said the abuses in Abu Ghraib were unauthorized actions taken by a handful of personnel, and Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, who investigated the mistreatment, testified to that effect before a Senate committee on Tuesday. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt announced that two more American soldiers have been ordered to stand trial in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal although no date for the courts-martial was set. Sgt. Javal Davis, 26, of Maryland and Staff Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II of Buckingham, Va., were ordered to undergo a general court-martial, Kimmitt said. Spc. Jeremy C. Sivits, of Hyndman, Pa., goes on trial May 19 before a special court martial, which cannot levy as severe a sentence as a general court-martial. Taguba told the Senate Armed Services Committee that military police who acted improperly did so "of their own volition." But several senators questioned whether low-ranking soldiers would have created the sexually humiliating scenarios by themselves. "It implies too much knowledge of what would be particularly humiliating to these Muslim prisoners," said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine. "And that is why, even though I do not yet have the evidence, I cannot help but suspect that others were involved, that military intelligence personnel were involved, or people further up the chain of command."
Taguba testified that orders were issued taking tactical control of the Abu Ghraib facility away from Karpinski and giving it to Col. Thomas M. Pappas, commander of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade."It was clear that he was directed to be the forward operating base commander there for security detainees and force protection," Taguba said. "However, General Karpinski challenged that and she noted that in her recorded testimony." Taguba said the order placing Pappas in charge of prison policy where Karpinski's MPs worked created a confusing situation and was contrary to Army doctrine. Nonetheless, he found that Karpinski retained overall responsibility for the MPs in her brigade and assigned much of the blame for the abuse to inadequate leadership on her part.
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Rummy is right that rough (but reasonable)methods are valuable for interrogation, as we all know. Thats another reason Abu Graib was bad news - we dont want to lose valuable methods, because some idiots (im still not clear which idiots) took it too far. I am moving away from position on dumping Rummy A. Biggest problem is that it might take too long to confirm a successor, and the next two to 4 months are too important to go with just an (overstretched) acting SecDef b.No obvious candidates - Id luv McCain, but thats not politically realistic. Only real choice who could get confirmed quickly is Sen. John Warner, (R-Va) c. So far the seething about Abu Graib has come most from Europe, secondarily from the arab world, and lastly from Iraq. As long as the Iraqi street isnt seething, it may not be worth the interegnum at DoD to sac Rummy. d. The Berg beheading has begun to change the subject - at least enough to focus on real responsbility for Abu Graib - and to let real advances on the ground come back to the fore. e. Remaining concerns - the handover on June 30. A government consisting 100% of 'technocrats', largely Sunni Arabs, and subordinate to outside Sunni Arab states, would be a defeat for democratization, and could lead to more dissension within Iraq. Better outcome would be a balance with some representation for Iraqi political parties, especially the Kurds, but also the Shia. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-05-12 2:06:18 PM |