Smeagol-Gollum
20-05-2004, 09:15
Army answered jail complaints by shutting out Red Cross
By Douglas Jehl and Eric Schmitt in Washington
May 20, 2004
US Army officials in Iraq responded late last year to a Red Cross report of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison by trying to curtail the agency's spot inspections of the prison, a senior army officer who served in Iraq has said.
After the International Committee of the Red Cross observed abuses in one cell block on two unannounced inspections in October and complained in writing on November 6, the military responded that inspectors should make appointments before visiting the cellblock. That area was the site of the worst abuses.
The Red Cross report in November was the earliest formal evidence known to have been presented to the military's headquarters in Baghdad. But the officer said the military did not begin any criminal investigation before it replied to the Red Cross on December 24.
Until now, the army has described its response on December 24 as evidence that the military was prompt in addressing Red Cross complaints, but it has declined to release the contents of the army document, citing the tradition of confidentiality in dealing with the Red Cross.
Brigadier-General Janis Karpinski of the 800th Military Police Brigade, which guarded the prisoners, said senior officers treated the Red Cross report in "a light-hearted manner".
For several months in Iraq, Red Cross inspectors had exercised the right to drop in on army-run prisons without notifying prison officials in advance.
The White House general counsel, Alberto Gonzales, said on Tuesday he had not been aware that the issue of whether the Red Cross should be allowed to conduct such inspections was a point of dispute. He added, however, that he might have "concerns" about allowing such inspections.
"Part of the concerns is whether or not there were interrogations that might be interrupted under a spot check," he said.
A member of US military intelligence accused the army on Tuesday of trying to cover up the extent of detainee abuse in Iraq.
Sergeant Samuel Provance told the American ABC television network that dozens of soldiers had been involved in the abuse.
"What I was surprised at was the silence," said Sergeant Provance, 30, who ran the military intelligence computer network at Abu Ghraib. "The collective silence by so many people that had to be involved, that had to have seen something or heard something."
The role of US military intelligence in the abuse is being investigated by Major-General George Fay, the army's deputy chief of staff for intelligence.
Sergeant Provance said General Fay had threatened to take action against him for failing to report what he saw sooner.
"I feel like I'm being punished for being honest," Sergeant Provance said.
The New York Times, Agence France-Presse
SOURCE
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/19/1084917655693.html
COMMENT.
Anybody else out there still wondering why the US Administration is loathed by the rest of the world?
Yet another international organisation snubbed because it refuses to fall into line with what the US thinks is for the best.
The UN was ignored and bypassed, the Geneva Convention was dismissed out of hand, with curious claims that "it didn't apply" to prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, and now apparently in Iraq as well, now the Red Cross.
Is there any international organisation left that hasn't been insulted and ignored?
Cause if there is, I'm sure that the yankees are coming for them.
By Douglas Jehl and Eric Schmitt in Washington
May 20, 2004
US Army officials in Iraq responded late last year to a Red Cross report of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison by trying to curtail the agency's spot inspections of the prison, a senior army officer who served in Iraq has said.
After the International Committee of the Red Cross observed abuses in one cell block on two unannounced inspections in October and complained in writing on November 6, the military responded that inspectors should make appointments before visiting the cellblock. That area was the site of the worst abuses.
The Red Cross report in November was the earliest formal evidence known to have been presented to the military's headquarters in Baghdad. But the officer said the military did not begin any criminal investigation before it replied to the Red Cross on December 24.
Until now, the army has described its response on December 24 as evidence that the military was prompt in addressing Red Cross complaints, but it has declined to release the contents of the army document, citing the tradition of confidentiality in dealing with the Red Cross.
Brigadier-General Janis Karpinski of the 800th Military Police Brigade, which guarded the prisoners, said senior officers treated the Red Cross report in "a light-hearted manner".
For several months in Iraq, Red Cross inspectors had exercised the right to drop in on army-run prisons without notifying prison officials in advance.
The White House general counsel, Alberto Gonzales, said on Tuesday he had not been aware that the issue of whether the Red Cross should be allowed to conduct such inspections was a point of dispute. He added, however, that he might have "concerns" about allowing such inspections.
"Part of the concerns is whether or not there were interrogations that might be interrupted under a spot check," he said.
A member of US military intelligence accused the army on Tuesday of trying to cover up the extent of detainee abuse in Iraq.
Sergeant Samuel Provance told the American ABC television network that dozens of soldiers had been involved in the abuse.
"What I was surprised at was the silence," said Sergeant Provance, 30, who ran the military intelligence computer network at Abu Ghraib. "The collective silence by so many people that had to be involved, that had to have seen something or heard something."
The role of US military intelligence in the abuse is being investigated by Major-General George Fay, the army's deputy chief of staff for intelligence.
Sergeant Provance said General Fay had threatened to take action against him for failing to report what he saw sooner.
"I feel like I'm being punished for being honest," Sergeant Provance said.
The New York Times, Agence France-Presse
SOURCE
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/19/1084917655693.html
COMMENT.
Anybody else out there still wondering why the US Administration is loathed by the rest of the world?
Yet another international organisation snubbed because it refuses to fall into line with what the US thinks is for the best.
The UN was ignored and bypassed, the Geneva Convention was dismissed out of hand, with curious claims that "it didn't apply" to prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, and now apparently in Iraq as well, now the Red Cross.
Is there any international organisation left that hasn't been insulted and ignored?
Cause if there is, I'm sure that the yankees are coming for them.