Probe finds no systematic abuse - The Washington Times
An Army investigation has found no systematic abuse of prisoners in Iraq or Afghanistan and says nearly half of the accusations of mistreatment involved detainees "at the point of capture" on the battlefield."[Soldiers] face the daily risks of being attacked by detainees, contracting communicable diseases from sick detainees, being taunted or spat upon, having urine or feces thrown upon them and having to treat a detainee humanely who just attacked their unit or killed a fellow soldier," said the report released yesterday by the Army's inspector general, Lt. Gen. Paul Mikolashek.
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The Army inspector general portrayed the abuses as sporadic, not systematic.
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Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has said his review of investigative material shows no evidence that senior civilian or military leaders condoned or ordered the abuse.
General approved extreme interrogation methods - Guardian Unlimited
The highest-ranking US general in Iraq authorised the use of interrogation techniques that included sleep manipulation, stress positions and the use of dogs to "exploit Arab fears" of them, it emerged today.A memo signed by Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez authorised 29 interrogation techniques, including 12 that exceeded limits in the army's own field manual and four that it admitted risked falling foul of international law, the Geneva conventions or accepted standards on the humane treatment of prisoners.
The memo, dated September 14 2003, also stated that the Iraq interrogation policy was modelled on the one used at Guant?namo Bay "but modified for applicability to a theater [sic] of war in which the Geneva conventions apply".
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"The memo clearly establishes that Gen Sanchez authorised unlawful interrogation techniques for use in Iraq, and, in particular, these techniques violate the Geneva conventions and the army's own field manual governing interrogations," ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh said in a statement. "He and other high-ranking officials who bear responsibility for the widespread abuse of detainees must be held accountable."
When it says that interrogation techniques were "modified for applicability" to a jurisdiction in which the Geneva Conventions would apply, the implication is that techniques used at Guantánamo Bay were even harsher.
The "few bad apples" defence simply doesn't work anymore. When you let the troops know with a nudge and a wink that the law and the field manual don't apply anymore, you can't claim to be surprised when they go beyond what was in the memo.
Update:
And it appears that Gen. Sanchez may have lied to Congress.
Great credit to the ACLU for pressing for the release of that memo.
The time it takes to get these documents out is really a problem, though. The drag in time between events and documentation works against their getting attention in the msm. The pressure from bloggers may counter that traditional failing, though. Let's hope.
Pogge, this will sink out of sight and soon. Outside of leftwing bloggers, no one cares. Since November, the American people have been complicit in this crime and do not want to be reminded of that fact. The MSM in their role as enablers will not allow the illusion of perpetual American innocence to be challenged in any substantive way. Sorry to say it, but it will probably be a one day wonder.
Not that we shouldn't raise hell about it. I just don't want anyone to get their hopes up.
But let's us remember this official memo and draw it out that torture was endorsed at the highest levels.
Though i must say, reading about the dangers faced by invading US soldiers/prison guards broke my heart.
...nah.