NYT: Officer Says Army Tried to Curb Red Cross Visits to Prison in Iraq

[kskiska]

Army officials in Iraq responded late last year to a Red Cross report of abuses at Abu Ghraib prison by trying to curtail the international agency's spot inspections of the prison, a senior Army officer who served in Iraq said Monday.

After the International Committee of the Red Cross observed abuses in one cellblock on two unannounced inspections in October and complained in writing on Nov. 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 before January, when photographs of the abuses came to the attention of criminal investigators and prompted a broad investigation. But the senior Army officer said the military did not start any criminal investigation before it replied to the Red Cross on Dec. 24.

The Red Cross report was made after its inspectors witnessed or heard about such practices as holding Iraqi prisoners naked in dark concrete cells for several days at a time and forcing them to wear women's underwear on their heads while being paraded and photographed.

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/19/politics/19ABUS.html?hp

[Barrett808]

1. Breathtaking to watch all this erupt

If only the media had shown this kind of interest before the disastrous illegal invasion.

[saigon68]

2. like covering up a manure pile

with a couple of Rose Petals

[PaDUer]

3. They were hiding

the prisoners so the Red Cross wouldn't see them.

[David Dunham]

4. We need to get the rest of the media to publicize this story.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. I am SHOCKED I tell you, I am SHOCKED that they

tried to hide the abuses from the ICRC... NOT

Seen this happen before, way TOO MANY TIMES...

Hey Fourth Estate you realize this is a HUGE violation of the Conventions?

Thought I'd like to remind you of this.

Rolls eyes....

I am SHOCKED I tell you....

[maddezmom]

6. Sanchez is in deep with the coverup

~snip~
Until now, the Army had described its response on Dec. 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 international agency.

An Army spokesman declined Tuesday to characterize the letter or to discuss what it said about the Red Cross's access to the cellblock.

In an interview, however, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade, whose soldiers guarded the prisoners, said that despite the serious allegations in the Red Cross report, senior officers in Baghdad had treated it in "a light-hearted manner."

She said that she signed the Army's response on Dec. 24, but that it had been drafted primarily by Army lawyers who reported to Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the top American commander in Iraq.

General Karpinski said she did not see the Red Cross complaint until late November, and questioned how the staff judge advocate for General Sanchez, and his team of lawyers, had dealt with the matter. "It was an unusual routing because they had possession of it before I knew the letter existed," she said of the Red Cross complaint.

~snip~

[maddezmom]

7. just verified that the letter was written by Sanchez's legal staff

for Karpinski's signature on Nov. 24

[dArKeR]

8. Report: U.S. tried to curb Red Cross inspections - MSGOP

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5012416/

[Judi Lynn]

9. This sounds like the Bush approach to life.

(From your article)

After the International Committee of the Red Cross presented its report complaining of prisoner abuse in one cellblock in November based on two surprise inspections, the U.S. military told ICRC inspectors they should make appointments before visiting the cellblock, the Times said in the report, citing a senior Army officer.

That's right, be sure to stay out of our road. We only observe laws if they're convenient.

Sheesh.