Thread: Abu Ghraib Investigator Points to Pentagon

By Josh White and Amy Goldstein
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 17, 2007; A07

The Army two-star general who led the first investigation into detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq believes that senior defense officials were involved in directing abusive interrogation policies and said that he was forced to retire early because of his pursuit of the issue, says an article to be published tomorrow in the New Yorker magazine.

Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba said that he felt mocked and shunned by top Pentagon officials, including then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, after filing an exhaustive report on the now-notorious Abu Ghraib abuse that sparked international outrage and led to an overhaul of the U.S. interrogation and detention policies. Taguba's report examining the 800th Military Police Brigade put in plain terms what had been documented in shocking photographs.

In interviews with New Yorker reporter Seymour M. Hersh, Taguba said that he was ordered to limit his investigation to low-ranking soldiers who were photographed with the detainees and the soldiers' unit, but that it was always his sense that the abuse was ordered at higher levels. Taguba was quoted as saying that he thinks top commanders in Iraq had extensive knowledge of the aggressive interrogation techniques that mirrored those used on high-value detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and that the military police "were literally being exploited by the military interrogators."

Source and full story.

Originally Posted by Davocrat

By Josh White and Amy Goldstein
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, June 17, 2007; A07

The Army two-star general who led the first investigation into detainee abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq believes that senior defense officials were involved in directing abusive interrogation policies and said that he was forced to retire early because of his pursuit of the issue, says an article to be published tomorrow in the New Yorker magazine.

Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba said that he felt mocked and shunned by top Pentagon officials, including then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, after filing an exhaustive report on the now-notorious Abu Ghraib abuse that sparked international outrage and led to an overhaul of the U.S. interrogation and detention policies. Taguba's report examining the 800th Military Police Brigade put in plain terms what had been documented in shocking photographs.

In interviews with New Yorker reporter Seymour M. Hersh, Taguba said that he was ordered to limit his investigation to low-ranking soldiers who were photographed with the detainees and the soldiers' unit, but that it was always his sense that the abuse was ordered at higher levels. Taguba was quoted as saying that he thinks top commanders in Iraq had extensive knowledge of the aggressive interrogation techniques that mirrored those used on high-value detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and that the military police "were literally being exploited by the military interrogators."

Source and full story.

Gonzo, Yoo, Sanchez, Miller and of course the White House. They are the "Few bad apples" Rotten to the freaking core.

Those are the criminals that were most responsible for the abuses we saw there and others that were not photographed around the globe. Of course they hung it on the lowest level folks that they could find to cover their asses.

They should all go to jail.

Hersh should be lauded as the Woodward and Bertstein of the decade, but unfortunately right-wing blogothugs have smeared him to the point that Bushco will probably blow this off with their media goon squad.

Hersh has been right about everything I've read by him. We need more journalists with his moxie.

Originally Posted by Davocrat

Hersh should be lauded as the Woodward and Bertstein of the decade, but unfortunately right-wing blogothugs have smeared him to the point that Bushco will probably blow this off with their media goon squad.

Hersh has been right about everything I've read by him. We need more journalists with his moxie.

I think his sources are fantastic. He seems to have the scoop on most things.

He was wrong about when we would hit Iran. But, I do not think he was wrong that we will before the neocons leave office. I expect they will do it just before their time is up. They will not leave them untouched. They hate Iran more than they hated Saddam.

I also think that is why they do not give a shit that they just created a theocracy with close links to Iran. They think they will not be around to matter. Of course, that will be as big if not a bigger disaster than Iraq because they are totally nuts and incompetent on every level.

Maybe that's the real reason Rumsfeld was fired?
I still do not believe that the torture that was claim at abu ghraib was as horrible as it was portrayed.

Originally Posted by Migi e!

Maybe that's the real reason Rumsfeld was fired?
I still do not believe that the torture that was claim at abu ghraib was as horrible as it was portrayed.

Anyone that thinks it was not as bad as we were told is living in denial.

If you think it was not as bad as we were told, you better go look at this photo set of a guy KILLED during this torture:

The Abu Ghraib Files: "Other government agencies" (News at Salon.com)

Look at them all. Take a good hard look. While you do, notice the sick fucks gloating over the body and how pleased they are with their "work".

Not just "frat pranks". Not just "panties on the head".

TORTURED TO DEATH.

Go look at those shots and then come back here and tell me it was not that bad. :hissy:

I hope I'm not the only one to see this part:

Originally Posted by Davocrat

Taguba was quoted as saying that he thinks top commanders in Iraq had extensive knowledge of the aggressive interrogation techniques that mirrored those used on high-value detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and that the military police "were literally being exploited by the military interrogators."

"he thinks" ... HE was the investigator. What evidence does he have? If that is what he "thought" ... where is the proof? His folks interviewed everyone there ... he should have read all the reports to make his ... where's the proof? Are we to believe that all those lower level folks at Abu were going to suck it all up to protect the heavies? I think not.

When you run an investigation like the Gen-Gen ran ... you swear in all the witnesses. You read them their rights. You even provide them the opportunity to have a legal beagle. And yet ... "he thinks" ... Personally, I think not. I think the Gen-Gen is wanting another 15-minutes. If he had the proof ... show it. The type investigation that he conducted is covered by myriad regs. He had a legal staff. All of this is a bunch of crap.

Been there ... done that (an investigation)

Nox

Originally Posted by The N word

I hope I'm not the only one to see this part:

"he thinks" ... HE was the investigator. What evidence does he have?

Been there ... done that (an investigation)

Its called a whitewash Noxy:

"Taguba said that he was ordered to limit his investigation to low-ranking soldiers who were photographed with the detainees"

If you have really ever been there and done that, you will appreciate how frustrating that is and how rotten it smells to the investigator.

Of course there isn't evidence because he was instructed not to gather any.

Originally Posted by Latherty

Its called a whitewash Noxy:

Only a whitewash AFTER he does his report. In other words ... he submits ... they change.

Originally Posted by Latherty

"Taguba said that he was ordered to limit his investigation to low-ranking soldiers who were photographed with the detainees"

Yep. And you imply that those low-ranking did not point the finger upstairs. If they did that ... that is a mandatory entry in his investigation ... and apparently, that entry was NOT there.

Originally Posted by Latherty

If you have really ever been there and done that, you will appreciate how frustrating that is and how rotten it smells to the investigator.

Don't say "IF". As I said ... I have been there. And I DO know the frustration. I also know that if he found information that pointed elsewhere and failed to report it, he is guilty of derelection of duty ... a crime under the UCMJ. And as an investigator, when that rotten smell appears ... you follow the trail.

Originally Posted by Latherty

Of course there isn't evidence because he was instructed not to gather any.

He would have already had the evidence ... the interviews with the troops would have given it to him. If it was there in the interviews and he did not report it ... DERELECTION OF DUTY. So the cop-out of "not gather any" doesn't work. He may not have sought it out ... but it would have fallen in his lap. Therefore ... his feelings are crap.

Nox

Your entire post is negated by this single line:
"said that he was forced to retire early because of his pursuit of the issue"