Kucinich Calls for Expanded Investigation of Iraqi Prison Cover-Up

[goodhue]

http://kucinich.us/pressreleases/pr_050304.php

Kucinich Calls for Expanded Investigation Amid Allegations of Iraqi Prison Cover-up

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 3, 2004

Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich today demanded "the immediate removal and replacement of all military and non-military personnel who played any role whatsoever in the operation of the Abu Ghraib prison" near Baghdad where Iraqi detainees were allegedly tortured and abused.

New allegations today that the International Red Cross was deliberately deterred from investigating conditions at the prison "has all the earmarks of a cover-up, and until this matter is fully investigated and the perpetrators are brought to justice, everyone who is any way connected with that facility is under a cloud of suspicion," Kucinich said. That includes military police assigned to the prison, military intelligence personnel, CIA agents, and private security contractors.

According to news reports here and in England, the former head of U.S. military prisons in Iraq, Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, said the prison was staffed by personnel under her command, but the cell block where the abuses allegedly occurred "were under the control" of military intelligence. She also charged that military intelligence officers went to great lengths to try to exclude the ICRC (International Committee for the Red Cross) from access to that interrogation wing."

Amnesty International has also disclosed receiving "frequent reports of torture or other ill-treatment by Coalition Forces during the past year." The organization said "virtually none of the allegations of torture or ill-treatment has been adequately investigated by the authorities."

"The allegations of torture, abuse and humiliation, in and of themselves are appalling," Kucinich said, "but now several different sources are claiming that there was a concerted attempt to conceal those activities." Kucinich pointed out that a report completed several months ago by Maj. Gen. Donald J. Ryder, the Army's top law-enforcement officer, concluded that military intelligence did not order military police to put pressure on prisoners to prepare them for interrogations. A subsequent investigation and report by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba details significant examples and evidence of torture. Information regarding both reports was published over the weekend in the New Yorker magazine.

"Until this matter is thoroughly investigated and all information is made public, how do we know who and what to believe?" Kucinich asked. Until those questions are satisfactorily answered, "anyone even remotely connected with that prison should be removed, reassigned, or suspended."

For information about the National campaign: http://www.kucinich.us

For Congressman Kucinich's Schedule: http://www.kucinich.us/schedule.htm.

[whistle]

1. Include criminal investigation of the four civilians....

...involved also.

[goodhue]

3. yes but

what entity if any has the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the four civilians?

[peacetalksforall]

2. Good, but when is someone going to demand that the responsibility

go up....I will be completely disgusted if these soldiers get all the blame and punishment and everyone up the chain of command gets off, including the contractors and their CEO's.

Where is the backbone of the United States - doing their job while torment was condoned and/or blessed.

Up Up Up the line. Someone come forward and demand it.

Do we need to make a list and present it to someone? Who is that someone? The people of the United States need someone who will place the blame in a court of law.

[goodhue]

4. yes but

what court of law?

Its high time the US join the International Criminal Court!

http://www.iccnow.org/

[no name no slogan]

5. Just wait, in three months from now....

everybody else will be clamoring for an expanded investigation into what happened there, and also be calling for the resignation of the generals.

Just like everything else, Dennis Kucinich is indeed ahead of his time. He has to wait for the rest of the world to catch up!

:D

[goodhue]

6. kick

for continued calls for investigation of COVER-UP

[Desertrose]

7. another kick

for Dennis and his forsight and honesty.

:kick: to get to the bottom of this !

Peace
DR