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 Greetings! You are reading an article from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by! May 5, 2004 TimelineBy GreyhawkMuch information on the Iraq prison torture story is making it's way into the major media. Most of it is confusing, if not deliberately misleading. Given the amount of information available to the average news reader, a better understanding of the situation could likely result from reviewing the events of the story in chronological order. The following is an attempt to construct that chronology drawing from a few published news stories on the topic. No claim is made for the accuracy of the source stories. This chronology is presented without speculation or interpretation beyond what may be contained in the sources. Further, note that regardless of evidence at this time all accused in the Abu Ghraib case are merely that - accused. This post will be updated - or corrected - as information becomes available or discredited. Note that this chronology as currently posted details events around two separate cases. The first occurred at Camp Bucca, Iraq, in May 2003. The second (multiple incidents, apparently) at Abu Ghraib in the fall of 2003. The soldiers involved in these cases, while members of different companies at different locations, were all members of the 320th MP Battalion, under the 800th MP Brigade. The accused in the first case were awaiting courts martial (though one had been discharged) when the incidents at Abu Ghraib occurred. Note that comments on this and all posts are open and unmoderated, although obscene remarks will be deleted when discovered. No claim is made regarding truth or accuracy of comments, to include identity of the commenter. In all matters the reader is advised to draw his or her own conclusions. Update 6 May 04 1715: The Fall 2004 typo was corrected, thanks to the sharp eyes of the blogosphere. In response to potential for confusion, I note again that this timeline covers two events, thus I've tried to diminish potential confusion by adding preface (AG) to Abu Ghraib-related paragraphs and (CB) to those on Camp Bucca. My desire is that this post be a recitation of facts, and neither partisan nor opinionated, to the degree that's humanly possible. Update 9 May 04: Added paragraphs linked to reference 7 as the New York Times follows the lead of the Mudville Gazette in investigating the "story behind the story". For those arriving at this page from external links, there are several entries here on this topic made after this timeline. See "Main" link above. Sources: 2. Soldiers' story shifts from pride to shame, Dan Fesperman, The Baltimore Sun, 2 May 2004 3. Army reservists' families say soldiers charged in Iraq were targeted unfairly Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2 Sep 2003 4. Former Soldier Disillusioned Lauren Roth, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 25 Nov 2003 5. U.S. discharges soldiers for abuse of Iraqi prisoners Barbara Starr, CNN, 5 Jan, 2004 6. CBS Delayed Abuse Report At the Request Of Gen. Myers AP Unattributed, Washington Post, 4 May 2004 7. Soldier's Family Set in Motion Chain of Events on Disclosure James Dao and Eric Lichtblau, NY Times, 8 May 2004 Update: 8-10 added 10 May 04: 8. More details of Army's abuse probe surface, Barbara Starr, CNN, 26 January 2004 9. Soldiers charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners, Barbara Starr, CNN, 20 March 2004 10. Testimony as Prepared by Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Before The Senate and House Armed Services Committees, 7 May, 2004. Previous entries here on the topic can be found here, here, here, and here. (AG) April 2003: In the looting that followed the regime?s collapse the huge Abu Ghraib prison complex, by then deserted, was stripped of everything that could be removed, including doors, windows, and bricks. The coalition authorities (over time, we assume) had the floors tiled, cells cleaned and repaired, and toilets, showers, and a new medical center added. (1) (CB) April 13 2003 Camp Bucca, Iraq: A riot occurs and is suppressed by guards. (4) (CB) May 12 2003, Camp Bucca, Iraq: According to witness reports Master Sgt. Lisa Girman, Sgt. 1st Class Scott McKenzie, Spc. Timothy Canjar and Sgt. Shawna Edmondson, members of the 320th Military Police Battalion, commanded by LTC Jerry Phillabaum, are seen abusing prisoners during a transport. They were subsequently charged with dereliction of duty, assault and other offenses. The four say they acted in self-defense. (3) (AG/CB) June 2003: Janis Karpinski, an Army reserve brigadier general, was named commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade and put in charge of military prisons in Iraq. Directly under the 800th is the 320th MP Battalion; directly under the 320th is the 372nd MP Company. (1) (CB) August (4) through September (3) 2003: An article 32 hearing is held for the four guards accused of abuse at Camp Bucca. At such hearings evidence is presented, witnesses are questioned and based on the proceedings the investigating officer may recommend dismissal of the charges, administrative discipline or Courts Martial (3). General courts martial (highest level) are scheduled for Master Sgt. Girman, Sgt. 1st Class McKenzie, and Spc. Canjar on Jan. 20, 25 and 30, respectively. Edmonson accepts a demotion and other-than-honorable discharge in lieu of court martial. (AG) In October of 2003, the 372nd was ordered to prison-guard duty at Abu Ghraib.(1) (AG) "Fall": Several thousand prisoners were housed at Abu Ghraib, They fell into three loosely defined categories: common criminals; security detainees suspected of ?crimes against the coalition?; and a small number of suspected ?high-value? leaders of the insurgency against the coalition forces. At last two high "inspections" with possibly conflicting recommendations are conducted. (1) (AG) November 2003: Coincident with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan the US suffers one of the bloodiest months in the occupation of Iraq. Between October and December of 2003 there were numerous instances of ?sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses? at Abu Ghraib. (1) (AG) Dec/Jan timeframe (implied various sources): A soldier, recognizing the behavior at Abu Ghraib as criminal, reports it. Army CID investigates the allegations of abuse at Al Ghraib and apparently establishes the case against most of the currently accused, including Army Staff Sergeant Ivan L. Frederick II. (CB) Late Dec/Early Jan: The three members of the 320th MP Battalion awaiting courts martial (scheduled for late Jan) elect non-judicial punishment in lieu of court martial. They are discharged from military service, two have their ranks lowered, and all three are ordered to forfeit pay for two months. (5 - see also here) Added Note 6 May 04 17:12 UTC: The above paragraph has resulted in some unintended confusion. The soldiers referenced were waiting courts martial on the Camp Bucca case, not the Abu Ghraib case. (AG) Jan: General Karpinski was formally admonished and quietly suspended, and a major investigation into the Army?s prison system, authorized by Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez, the senior commander in Iraq, was under way.(1) (AG) Jan 14: SSG Frederick began writing his journal on Jan. 14, only a few hours after Army authorities fetched him for questioning and searched his quarters at 2:30 a.m. that day. He mailed copies to his mother, father, uncle and sister, and decided not to send it by e-mail for fear that the Army would see it first. (2) (AG) In January Army SSG Frederick began letters and e-mails to family members, and repeatedly noted that the military-intelligence teams, which included C.I.A. officers and linguists and interrogation specialists from private defense contractors, were the dominant force inside Abu Ghraib. (1) (AG) 26 Jan CNN reports: The U.S. military's criminal investigation into potential abuse of Iraqi detainees by U.S. soldiers at Abu Gharib prison in Iraq now includes reports from soldiers that military police took photographs showing soldiers hitting detainees, CNN has learned. Earlier, several Pentagon officials who declined to be identified by name confirmed to CNN that investigators were looking into the reports -- all coming from fellow soldiers -- of photographs showing male and female detainees with some of their clothing removed. (8) (AG) Late Feb: A fifty-three-page report, the result of the January investigation (later obtained by The New Yorker), written by Major General Antonio M. Taguba was completed in late February. (1) (AG) 20 March CNN reports: Six U.S. soldiers have been charged with offenses related to the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at an Iraqi prison, the U.S. Army said Saturday. Multiple sources said the allegations involve soldiers who took photographs of Iraqi prisoners in late 2003, including pictures that show the prisoners partially clothed or physical contact between soldiers and detainees. <...> One source said "less than two dozen detainees" were subjected to the alleged abuse, which was reported by U.S. Army soldiers who witnessed it. (9) (AG) Mar: SSg Frederick's uncle William sent an e-mail message to retired colonel David Hackworth's Web. The NY Times describes Hackworth as "a retired colonel and a muckraker who was always willing to take on the military establishment." That e-mail message would put Mr. Lawson in touch with the CBS News program "60 Minutes II" and help set in motion events that led to the public disclosure of the graphic photographs and an international crisis for the Bush administration. The Times reports on 8 May: (7) The irony, Mr. Lawson said, is that the public spectacle might have been avoided if the military and the federal government had been responsive to his claims that his nephew was simply following orders. Mr. Lawson said he sent letters to 17 members of Congress about the case earlier this year, with virtually no response, and that he ultimately contacted Mr. Hackworth's Web site out of frustration, leading him to cooperate with a consultant for "60 Minutes II." (AG) On April 9th, an Article 32 hearing (the military equivalent of a grand jury, in which evidence is presented, witnesses are called, and the decision to pursue court martial is made) in the case against Sergeant Frederick. In addition to a military lawyer, SSgt Frederick retains the services of Gary Myers, one of the military defense attorneys in the Vietnam-era My Lai case. After the hearing, the presiding investigative officer ruled that there was sufficient evidence to convene a court-martial against Frederick. (1) (AG) Unknown date (14 Apr? (6)): CBS obtains photos of prisoner abuse along with the Taguba report. Seymour Hersh, a writer, also obtains a copy of the Taguba report. The Washington Post reports: CBS News delayed for two weeks airing a report about U.S. soldiers' alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners, following a personal request from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (This air date suggests CBS obtained the information around 14 April or shortly before. Note on 12 Apr Andy Rooney publishes a previously inexplicable piece called "Our Soldiers in Iraq Aren't Heroes") (AG) 30 April: The New Yorker posts Hersh's account of the Taguba report online (1). (AG) 7 May: "There are indications that the information provided was penetrating at some level, however. On January 20 th, for example, CNN reported that a CID investigation was being conducted into allegations of detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib, and mentioned the possible existence of photographs taken of detainees. Nonetheless, I know that we did not fully brief you on this subject along the way and we should have done so. I wish we would have known more sooner and been able to tell you more sooner. But we didn't. For that, I apologize." (10) (AG) Current: Six (and likely a seventh) soldier directly responsible for events at Abu Ghraib await courts martial. Numerous other individuals are facing reprimands and have had their careers effectively terminated. Many news sources imply the reprimands are the only result and ignore the pending courts martial. Finally, a note from a Wall Street Journal Editorial: The irony of this latest episode is that American soldiers may be held accountable for abusing Iraqis before Saddam's worst henchmen are. Posted by Greyhawk / May 5, 2004 10:16 PM | Permalink 25 TrackBacksPresident Bush said Wednesday in an interview with Arab TV that the treatment of Iraqi prisoners by some members of the U.S. military was "abhorrent" and does not represent "the America that I know." And Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch... Read More Mudville Gazette has a timeline for those tracking... Read More A quick overview of the story of the Abu Ghraib case.... Read More SEN. KERRY: "The horrifying abuse of Iraqi prisoners, which the world has now seen, is absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable. And the response of the administration, certainly the Pentagon, has been slow and inappropriate." "I believe the president n... Read More Greyhawk over at Mudville Gazette has an incredibly detailed timeline of the prisoner abuse stories. The first comment points out the January 16th CENTCOM press release announcing the beginning of the investigation.... Read More Greyhawk over at the Mudville Gazette has done us all a service by collecting a survey of reports concerning the Abu Ghraib prison affair and constructing a timeline of events as best as can be determined. There are a number Read More Greyhawk has spent some time and effort working out the timeline of the Iraqi prisoner abuse case. I know the news media want desperately for it to look as if nothing was done until their "intrepid" reporters broke the case, Read More I wanted to write a little bit about what I'm thinking regarding the news of prisoner abuse/torture in Iraq, and... Read More This is more slanted to a required reading post than anything else. First, Greyhawk puts the timeline together and then questions CBS's decision to air the photos. Their claim is that this was a competitive story and the New Yorker Read More GREYHAWK has put together a definitive, well-sourced chronology of the prisoner abuse investigation of Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca facilities... Read More The blogosphere is alive with analysis of the issues surrounding the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American MPs. There's a call from the left that Rumsfeld needs to resign, as though he called the prison and told them to abuse... Read More Evil Right-Wing Fantasy: what if Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigned, Vice President Dick Cheney resigned and they just switched jobs? The howls of horror would be almost as hilarious to hear as those that resulted from Turkey-Gate. My jokes Read More Mudville Gazette has a timeline on the scandal in Iraq. Puts the issue more into perspective. Read More Abu Ghraib Timeline Greyhawk from Mudville Gazette has put together an invaluable timeline on the events at Abu Ghraib prison. The chronology adds some interesting perspective (for example: SSG Frederick only began writing his journal (which put the b... Read More This is not going to be a good post, in language or in topic. If you want better thoughts, go to Castle Argghhh!, Blackfive (here and here), or Greyhawk (here, here, and here). First off, I'm fucking tired of the... Read More The more I watch the news, the less worried I am that reporters are held back by their patriotism. In fact, most reporters seem pretty eager to prove what objective guys they are by sticking it to America. Read More For the last few days I’ve been watching the whole brouhaha over the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners. Yeah, it was stupid and wrong, but now we have people calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation over the whole mess. The... Read More The news media is running in circles trying to convince everyone that the military delayed and obfuscated when the mistreatment of prisoners was brought to their attention. That's not true. (which has never been a problem with the media)... Read More (Via the Imperial Educational Advisor) In case you want a step-by-step breakdown of the events at Abu Ghraib and what... Read More Greyhawk has put together a timeline dealing with the Iraq prison torture story (which is actually two stories). It is based on a few published news stories on the topic, but in the comments there is the more official account.... Read More The Mudville Gazette has a timeline of events in the Iraqi prison case. Good reading here. Well known for quality fiskings, bastardsword doesn't let us down with this memorable dissection of a Roger Cohen column. It just wouldn't be Sunday... Read More The Mudville Gazette offers a comprehensive timeline of the Abu Ghraib scandal. It lays to rest any nonsense coming from the media about coverups and official denials and delays in addressing the problems that were going on. Four months before... Read More "And, for the first time, 60 Minutes II showed some of the pictures that led to the Army investigation." (emphasis mine)This timeline shows the pictures did not lead to anything but maybe this.......CBS shows, Nick goes. (Inspired by the a Read More First Abu Ghraib, and now, Guatanamo Bay? Allegations have surfaced of heinous prisoner abuse at Guantanamo Bay. Forcing inmates to sodomize each other, naked women taunting the prisoners, forcing prisoners to strip down, refusing prisoners medical tre... Read More Abu Ghraib Timeline Greyhawk from Mudville Gazette has put together an invaluable timeline on the events at Abu Ghraib prison. The chronology adds some interesting perspective (for example: SSG Frederick only began writing his journal (which put the b... Read More 26 Comments |
November 26, 2010America@war [Greyhawk]
I think anyone who's ever pondered the "comment" option - once only available on blogs and bulletin boards, now ubiquitous on almost any web site - will appreciate this:
The so-called faculty of writing is not so much a faculty of writing as it is a faculty of thinking. When a man says, "I have an idea but I can't express it"; that man hasn't an idea but merely a vague feeling. If a man has a feeling of that kind, and will sit down for a half an hour and persistently try to put into writing what he feels, the probabilities are at least 90 percent that he will either be able to record it, or else realize that he has no idea at all. In either case, he will do himself a benefit. That's wisdom from the past, captured for posterity at the US Naval Institute, shared via the web on the institute's 137th anniversary. From their about page:
"The Naval Institute has three core activities," among them, History and Preservation: The Naval Institute also has recently introduced Americans at War, a living history of Americans at war in their own words and from their own experiences. These 90-second vignettes convey powerful stories of inspiration, pride, and patriotism. Take a look at the collection, and you'll see it's not limited to accounts from those who served on ships at sea, members of the other branches are well-represented. I'm fortunate to have met USNI's Mary Ripley, she's responsible for the institute's oral history program (and she's the daughter of the late John Ripley, whose story is told here). She also deserves much credit for their blog. ("We're not the Navy nor any government agency. Blog and comment freely.") We met at a milblog conference - Mary knew (and I would come to realize) that milbloggers are the 21st-century version of exactly what the US Naval Institute is all about. Once that light bulb came on in my head, I mentioned a vague idea for a project to her - milblogs as the 21st century oral history that they are. "Put that in writing," she said (of course - see first paragraph above!) - and here's part of the result. Shortly after the first tent was pitched by the American military in Iraq a wire was connected to a computer therein, and the internet was available to a generation of Americans at war - many of whom had grown up online. From that point on, at any given moment, somewhere in Iraq a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine was at a keyboard sharing the events of his or her day with the folks back home. While most would simply fire off an email, others took advantage of the (then) relatively new online blogging platforms to post their thoughts and experiences for the entire world to see. The milblog was born - and from that moment to this stories detailing everything from the most mundane aspects of camp life to intense combat action (often described within hours of the event) have been available on the web... And et cetera - but since you're reading this on a milblog, you probably knew that. And you know that milblogs aren't just blogs written by troops at war, that many friends, family members, and supporters likewise documented their story of America at war online in near-real time, as those stories developed. The diversity in membership of that group is broad, the one thing we all have in common is the impulse to make sense of the seemingly senseless, and communicate the tale - for each of us that impulse was strong enough to overcome whatever barriers prevent the vast majority of people from doing the same. Everyone at some point has some vague idea they believe should be shared - we were the people who, from some combination of internal and external urging, found and spent those many half hours persistently trying to write it down. But where will all that be in another 137 years? Or five or ten, for that matter. That's something I've asked myself since at least 2004 - when I wrote this:
Membership in the ghost battalion has grown in the years since, and an ever growing majority of those abandoned-but-still-standing sites are vanishing. Have you checked out Lt Smash's site lately? How about Sgt Hook's? If you're a long-time milblog reader you know the first widely-read milblog from Operation Iraq Freedom and the first widely-read milblog from Afghanistan are both gone from the web. If you're a relative newcomer to this world you may never even have heard of them - or the dozens upon dozens of others who carried forth the standard they set down. If you have a vague notion that something should be done about that, (a notion I've heard expressed more than once...) then you and I and the good folks at the US Naval Institute are in agreement. Preserving the history documented by the milbloggers is just one of the goals of the milblog project, the once-vague idea that we're now making real. And it's a big idea, if I say so myself - too big to explain in one simple blog post, so stand by for more. Likewise, it's too big a task to be accomplished by just one person. So if you're a milblogger (and exactly what is a milblogger? is a topic for much further discussion on its own) I'm asking for your help. All I'll really need is just a little bit (maybe just one or two of those half hours...) of your time, and your willingness to tell the tale. We've already made history, it's time to save it. (More to follow...) Posted 4:02 PM | Permalink |
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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
 
 
 Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house. I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email. Original content copyright © 2003 - 2011 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed. Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com  Tending Distant Far from hearth and home, watching What tales we'll tell When things grim Some distant sunset, vision fading Saluting fallen friends whose names - Greyhawk, Baghdad, December 2004 |
You might add this January 16, 2004, CENTCOM Press Release to your timeline:
Which at least shows that, although they didn't wish to release even minor details, CENTCOM did indicate an investigation into some unspecified detainee treatement problems/incidents was underway. MG Taguba's report says the formal request from LTG Sanchez (CJTF-7) to CENTCOM, to "appoint an Investigating Officer (IO) in the grade of Major General (MG) or above to investigate the conduct of operations within the 800th Military Police (MP) Brigade," was made on January 19th. The specific request for an investigating officer of that rank (MG or above) indicates LTG Sanchez's initial investigation revealed the likelyhood that problems stemmed all the way up to the 800th's commander.
A quote from your article: "The second (multiple incidents, apparently) at Abu Ghraib in the fall of 2004. The soldiers involved ......"
How can this be...fall 2004 isn't even here yet!!!
Jeez!
NoNameMe - could it be... A TYPO???? I'm sure you've never done that, but others of us do it frequently!
Greyhawk - terrific timeline, it's much easier to see things when they're put into some sort of order.
C'mon NoNameMe - if you put your thinking cap on and focus, I bet you can figure out what it is supposed to say...especially if you actually read the timeline.
Jeez!
Fixed - thanks.
One of the "defenses" being foisted by the accused is that they were told that "there were no Rules or Regulations" covering there actions, so they just kept doing it. Apart from this being a pathetically weak defenses to begin with, anyone who has served a day in the military knows that virtually everything that you do is covered by one (and often multiple) regulations. I mean, if you are an NCO, and you don't say "That is against regulations" at least 5 times a day, you just aren't trying.
Does any one know:
1. the source of the pictures
2. who gave the pictures to CBS
3. if the pictures were made advalable to the US military prior to CBS receiving them
To Steven Orr,
In addition to your comments is there any truth to the story in WSJ that the military were investigating this particular case long before the story got out and are the news media going to pass along the gfact that the military are handling the case properly without the media involving itself. Will the true facts of teh case be broadcast even if it benefits the Bush administration.
What I don't understand is why they took pictures. Surely they would know what kind of evidence they would be. And why the bags over the prisoners' heads?
Has anybody identified the individual prisoners in these photos?
If these photos were made to use in interrogations, why not use actors or soldiers? The effect would be the same, no?
I suppose the idea that these MPs were overcome with rage and revenge to the point where their behavior makes no sense is sort of plausible, but I keep coming back to the question of why take pictures. Just to try out their new digital cameras? It doesn't make sense.
How does the CIA being there excuse anything?
Of course, a lot of people do senseless things every day. But for a whole bunch to go off the cliff like this requires a more complex explanation than just "They were stupid."
I think we can explain this situation better than merely saying these folks were "stupid."
Whenever anyone runs a "prison guard" simulation, where the guards have to deal with recalcitrant but non-violent inmates who are in a severely subordinant position, they run into the same problem: otherwise normal folks slide readily towards sadism as they are forced to exert their will on their powerless charges. The only prevention lies in a strictly enforced code that explicitly defines permissible and impermissible behavior.
Note: This is no way excuses these people, and in fact puts more blame on their superiors. They should have known to look for exactly this dynamic. I hope we do justice by our soldiers, and enforce the code against those who broke it. Otherwise, this will happen again, and again the good work of the other 135,000 will be tarnished and made harder. Laxity is not our friend.
dennymack
Greyhawk,
Major General Taguba's report is available on the internet in both a PDF version from NPR and an HTML version from by MSNBC. The version from NPR is more complete.
I read through MG Taguba's report and have extracted dates and descriptions which you might wish to include in your timeline from. I've ordered them chronologically. The contents below are largely verbatim from MG Taguba's report.
--
On 1 May 2003 cessation of major ground combat occurs.
In late May or early June 2003 the 800th MP Brigade was given a new mission to manage the Iraqi penal system and several detention centers.
On May 12 2003 soldiers from the 223rd MP Company reported to the 800th MP Brigade Command at Camp Bucca that four Military Police Soldiers from the 320th MP Battalion had abused a number of detainees during inprocessing at Camp Bucca. A CID investigation determines that four soldiers from the 320th MP Battalion had kicked and beaten these detainees following a transport mission from Talil Air Base. They are formally charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) with detainee abuse at the Theater Internment Facility (TIF) at Camp Bucca, Iraq.
On 8 June 2003 CID issues a report on abuse of detainees at Camp Bucca.
On 30 June 2003 BG Janis Karpinski took command of the 800th MP Brigade from BG Paul Hill.
On 26 August 2003 the Article 32 Findings on abuse of detainees at Camp Bucca are released.
From 31 August to 9 September 2003, MG Geoffrey D. Miller, Commander JTF-GTMO, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba led a team of personnel experienced in strategic interrogation to HQ, CJTF-7 and the Iraqi Survey Group (ISG) to review current Iraqi Theater ability to rapidly exploit internees for actionable intelligence. MG Miller’s team focused on three areas: intelligence integration, synchronization, and fusion; interrogation operations; and detention operations. MG Miller’s team used JTFGTMO procedures and interrogation authorities as baselines.
On 9 September 2003 MG Miller issued a report "Assessment of DOD Counter-Terrorism Interrogation and Detention Operations in Iraq". He recommends that "the 'guard force' be actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees."
Sometime in September or early October 2003 Lieutenant General (LTG) Ricardo S. Sanchez, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Seven (CJTF-7) requests a team of subject matter experts to assess, and make specific recommendations concerning detention and corrections operations.
Between October and December 2003, at the Abu Ghraib Confinement Facility (BCCF), numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses were inflicted on several detainees. This systemic and illegal abuse of detainees was intentionally perpetrated by several members of the military police guard force (372nd Military Police Company, 320th Military Police Battalion, 800th MP Brigade), in Tier (section) 1-A of the Abu Ghraib Prison (BCCF). The allegations of abuse were substantiated by detailed witness statements and the discovery of extremely graphic photographic evidence. In addition to the aforementioned crimes, there were also abuses committed by members of the 325th MI Battalion, 205th MI Brigade, and Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center (JIDC).
From 13 October to 6 November 2003, MG Donald J. Ryder, Provost Marshal General, personally led an assessment/assistance team in Iraq at the request of CJTF-7 Commander, LTG Sanchez. MG Taguba later says of this period "Unfortunately, many of the systemic problems that surfaced during MG Ryder's Team's assessment are the very same issues that are the subject of this investigation. In fact, many of the abuses suffered by detainees occurred during, or near to, the time of that assessment."
On 5 November 2003 MG Ryder issued a report titled "Assessment of Detention and Corrections Operations in Iraq" conducted by MG Ryder and a team of military police, legal, medical, and automation experts. The Ryder Report concluded that the OEF template whereby military police actively set the favorable conditions for subsequent interviews runs counter to the smooth operation of a detention facility.
On 10 November 2003 LTC (P) Jerry Phillabaum, Commander, 320th MP Battalion received a GOMOR from BG Karpinski, Commander 800th MP Brigade, for lack of leadership and for failing to take corrective security measures as ordered by the Brigade Commander.
On 10 November 2003 MAJ David DiNenna, S-3, 320th MP Battalion received a GOMOR from BG Karpinski, Commander 800th MP Brigade, for failing to take corrective security measures as ordered by the Brigade Commander.
On 12 November 2003 SPC Myrna Hernandez was showering at the same time as two other female soldiers when she saw CPT Leo Merck, Commander, 870th MP Company on his hands and knees peering under the raised door and taking pictures with a digital camera. They turned in Merck the next day.
(this date is not in Taguba's report, I've used the date that SPC Hernandez reported to the press)
On 19 November 2003 the Commander, 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, was designated by CJTF-7 as the Commander of FOB Abu Ghraib (BCCF). As of this point COL Thomas M. Pappas was the Commander of the 205th MI Brigade and the Commander of FOB Abu Ghraib (BCCF). MG Taguba says of this period "With respect to the 800th MP Brigade mission at Abu Ghraib (BCCF), I find that there was clear friction and lack of effective communication between the Commander, 205th MI Brigade, who controlled FOB Abu Ghraib (BCCF) after 19 November 2003, and the Commander, 800th MP Brigade, who controlled detainee operations inside the FOB. There was no clear delineation of responsibility between commands, little coordination at the command level, and no integration of the two functions. Coordination occurred at the lowest possible levels with little oversight by commanders."
On 29 December 2003 the Bucca cases that were set for trial in January 2004 are disposed of by plea bargains.
Sometime in December or early January (the date is unspecified by MG Taguba) SPC Joseph M. Darby, 372nd MP Company discovered evidence of abuse and turned it over to military law enforcement.
From 10 January to 25 January 2004 CID conducts interviews at Abu Ghraib.
On 17 January 2004 BG Janis Karpinski was formally admonished in writing by LTG Sanchez, Commander, CJTF-7 regarding the serious deficiencies in her Brigade.
On 17 January 2004, LTC Jerry Phillabaum was suspended from his duties Pending Relief for Cause, for dereliction of duty as the Battalion Commander of the 320th MP Battalion by LTG Sanchez or BG Karpinski (Taguba's report is contradictory on who, specifically, ordered LTC Phillabaum's suspension).
On 17 January 2004, CPT Donald Reese was suspended from his duties as the Company Commander of the 372nd MP Company.
On 19 January 2004 Lieutenant General (LTG) Ricardo S. Sanchez, Commander, Combined Joint Task Force Seven (CJTF-7) requested that the Commander, US Central Command, appoint an Investigating Officer (IO) in the grade of Major General (MG) or above to investigate the conduct of operations within the 800th Military Police (MP) Brigade.
On 24 January 2003 the Chief of Staff of US Central Command (CENTCOM), MG R. Steven Whitcomb, on behalf of the CENTCOM Commander, directed that the Commander, Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC), LTG David D. McKiernan, conduct an investigation into the 800th MP Brigade’s detention and internment operations from 1 November 2003 to present.
On 28 January 2004 CID issues a report on criminal abuses at Abu Ghraib.
On 31 January 2004 the Commander, CFLCC, appointed MG Antonio M. Taguba, Deputy Commanding General Support, CFLCC, to conduct the investigation. MG Taguba was directed to conduct an informal investigation under AR 15-6 into the 800th MP Brigade’s detention and internment operations.
On 2 February 2004 MG Taguba took his team to Baghdad for a one-day inspection of the Abu Ghraib Prison (BCCF) and the High Value Detainee (HVD) Complex in order to become familiar with those facilities.
On 6 February 2004 a Transfer of Authority (TOA) was issued, relieving COL Thomas M. Pappas of the command of 205th MI Brigade and the command of FOB Abu Ghraib (BCCF).
On 7 February 2004 MG Taguba's team visited the Camp Bucca Detention Facility to familiarize itself with the facility and operating structure.
On 8 February 2004 MG Taguba's team moved to Baghdad and conducted a series of interviews with a variety of witnesses.
On 13 February 2004 MG Taguba's team returned to Camp Doha, Kuwait.
On 14 and 15 February 2004 MG Taguba's team interviewed a number of witnesses from the 800th MP Brigade.
On 17 February 2004 MG Taguba's team returned to Camp Bucca, Iraq to complete interviews of witnesses at that location.
From 18 February through 28 February 2004 MG Taguba's team collected documents, compiled references, did follow-up interviews, and completed a detailed analysis of the volumes of materials accumulated throughout their investigation.
Sometime in this period court-martial charges were filed for CPT Leo Merck, Commander, 870th MP Company for Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and Unauthorized Use of Government Computer in that he was alleged to have taken nude pictures of his female Soldiers without their knowledge.
On 29 February 2004 MG Taguba's team finalized their executive summary and out-briefing slides.
On 3 March 2004 the out-brief to the appointing authority, LTG McKiernan, took place on.
On 9 March 2004 MG Taguba's team submitted the AR 15-6 written report with findings and recommendations to the CFLCC Deputy SJA, LTC Mark Johnson, for a legal sufficiency review.
dennymack,
I was a public defender for about 13 years. One of the things that used to really bother me was when DUI arrestees were stripped and left in the "drunk tank" overnight. Sometimes it was probably justified when they were so out of control, they might harm themselves with their own clothing, but often it was punishment for being uncooperative.
It reminds me of the psychology experiment where people were given buttons to push which supposedly gave electric shocks to other volunteers, and how easily they could be persuaded to increase the pain in the subjects.
I suppose that explains a lot, but, as you say, it suggests that such things are always a danger and require extra vigilance on the part of leaders. This is definitely one area where the military needs more people and better training. It is also a type of work that attracts certain personalities who have to be carefully screened out.
I still don't understand why anybody would allow him/herself to in these photographs. But then, I remember a rape case where the perp wrote a confession on the victim's buttock with a magic marker and signed it.
Steven Orr asks:
Does any one know:
1. the source of the pictures
SPC Joseph M. Darby, 372nd MP Company found the pictures on a CD he received from CPL Charles Graner. SPC Darby handed the disk over to CID.
2. who gave the pictures to CBS
Probably the same person who handed over the copy of MG Taguba's report. I expect that the photos were an attachment to that report.
3. if the pictures were made advalable to the US military prior to CBS receiving them
CID had them since December or January; MG Taguba refers to them in his report. CBS received them on or about 14 April. MG Taguba's report was submitted on 9 March, over a month earlier.
AST asks:
Has anybody identified the individual prisoners in these photos?
One of them is Hayder Sabbar Abd, age 34, from Nasiriya. See http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/05/international/middleeast/05INMA.html?pagewanted=all&position=
Steven Orr asked: who gave the pictures to CBS
James D. Macdonald replied: Probably the same person who handed over the copy of MG Taguba's report. I expect that the photos were an attachment to that report.
Actually, MG Taguba elected to not include the photos in the annex to his report. His rationale was as follows: "Due to the extremely sensitive nature of these photographs and videos, the ongoing CID investigation, and the potential for the criminal prosecution of several suspects, the photographic evidence is not included in the body of my investigation. The pictures and videos are available from the Criminal Investigative Command and the CTJF-7 prosecution team."
I think it is entirely possible that there were two separate leaks, one of the photos and one of MG Taguba's report.
In the press accounts I've seen there are indications that CBS obtained the photos before they obtained Taguba's report. It is possible that they only saw a copy of Taguba's report after they got in touch with Sy Hersh of The New Yorker (when they sought his aid in verifying the authenticity of the photos). There have also been some reports that a CD with the photos was passed around to more than one MP at Abu Ghraib, so I suppose it might be possible that CBS obtained their photos independent of the photos SPC Darby turned over to CID. Also note that MG Taguba makes reference to video evidence, which apparently has not been leaked to the press.
http://search.csmonitor.com/search_content/0504/dailyUpdate.html
The behaviour and the picture taking are kinky - cruel, mindless actions - the above link the Christian Science Monitor has an apt description of these people.
The consequences of such actions are incalculable.
I would like to know why "private interrogators" are employed and at what cost? Doesn't the Army have people qualified in this area? Every war has it's atrocities and sometimes it is years later before they are revealed.
We are fooling ourselves if we let ourselves be led to think that this kind of behavior was the result of poor leadership or of an aberrant small group of people.
All evidence points to the fact that this is exactly what is done to prisoners everywhere in military situations in order to extract evidence from them. We simply are all learning about this for the first time, since obviously it is usually kept secret from the civilian population.
The regrets expressed by Rumsfied, Bush et al are for the fact that this has been made public; they fear not only the effect such publication will have on the Arab world's opinion of the US, but of the damage it will have on their own careers, since they will be blamed for a cover-up of the material. The trouble is, they are not to blame (much as I would like to see Bush go); they probably are also aware that this kind of 'softening up' of prisoners is standard procedure, and couldn't have done much about it short of changing the entire system of obtaining information from prisoners. That is what needs to happen--not the court marshall of individuals.
Various experts have testified that this kind of treatment of prisoners doesn't get good data anyway: it simply makes prisoners tell their questioners whatever they think they want to hear.
So--how can important info be obtained, in a humane way? Perhaps by giving prisoners truth serum. That would get the real truth (rather than the kind of truth obtained under torture) without harm to the prisoners.
Until such time as that kind of thing is standard procedure, we will have to work to try to remove these abusive methods not just from this prison, but from any prison, anywhere, especially those run by the military, in foreign countries, where there is little recourse for prisoners to have lawyers, or for prisoners to be able to tell what has happened to them.
Meanwhile, this is just the tip of the iceberg. No doubt the same methods are used at Guantanamo---yet according to the news, someone who has been running that prison has now been sent to Iraq to take charge of things....which will hardly do any good at all.
Beviant,
I was a Military Policeman for twenty years.
This incident was the result of poor leadership and the work of an aberrant small group of soldiers.
Does anybody know what actions were taken by Gen. Meyers and the Joint Chiefs to reduce risk to American soldiers in the two weeks between their request that CBS delay airing the photos and the actual broadcast?
Who were the 17 members of congress that were contacted by Mr. Lawson?
Truth Serum? Right, injecting chemicals into someone's bloodstream is so much more 'humane'.
Even the Vulcan Mind Meld causes some discomfort.
Poor Leadership within the 822nd Military Police Company while at Camp Bucca, Iraq allowed many soldiers to carry on sexual affairs between the men and women in the unit which included the senior leadership. The leadership within the unit turned their back to the problems within the unit and what was going on in Camp Bucca and abused of the soldiers also
Bleviant wrote, "All evidence points to the fact that this is exactly what is done to prisoners everywhere in military situations in order to extract evidence from them."
Do you have any evidence for that assertion? Are you arguing that this is official US Army doctrine for prisoners? If so, where is that written? Or are you merely displaying your ignorance and prejudice?
I have no personal experience with either being a prisoner or a guard. If that makes me ignorant, so are most civilians. And I hope I am not prejudiced. Saddened, perhaps, like most of us, and suspicious of the spin that's being given this incident--ie. that poor leadership was the sole cause and that this is only one abberant incident. I would love to believe that the few military people who have said that they do not use abuse/torture with prisoners are telling the truth. I believe that decent people exist everywhere, including, of course, in the military.
Unfortunately, a quick search of the Net on this incident shows that again and again various military people say that this not only was the way to get intelligence out of terrorists at this prison, but is what is being done at other Iraqi prisons, too, as well as at Guantanamo. They defend these 'softening up' techniques as necessary to get info needed to keep their troops safe.
It now appears (now that the soldiers involved are being interviewed) that they were 'just following orders'. I think they probably were. Lynnie England says she was told to hold that leash and pose for the picture. The pictures themselves were apparently used to convince prisoners that they should tell all they knew--which in some ways is at least better than torturing/abusing them all, I suppose.
Various non-wartime cases (the Milgrim experiment, the Stanford experiment)have shown that people who would never normally do terrible things will do them in special situations--especially those involving licence and permission to do so. And yet some people will stand up to that situation and refuse to do such things. It will be interesting to see what those people--like Joe Darby--say were their reasons for not going along with the others in simply passing on the photos he encountered on a CD.
As for the use of truth serum, I know it would mean injecting chemicals into someone. It certainly isn't a good idea from that perspective. But tell me, what would you use, in that case, that is neither chemical nor abuse or torture? Psychological tricks and threats fall into the 'abuse' category. Is there any way---short of course of not having wars--to get information from prisoners? OldButt, what did you and your fellow MPs use that wasn't like this?
I think a lot of PFC England's credibility has been lost by the discovery of yet more pictures, these of her engaged in group sex with other soldiers. And even if they were ordered to do it, which I don't think is likely, given that intel types want info, and such techniques, as have been noted, are not likely to elict good info, the "I was following orders" defense died at Nuremburg. Soldiers are taught that they have no duty to obey illegal orders.
The chain of command in that unit had some rather severe breakdowns. From what I've seen of the pictures, it looks to me like some very bored soldiers, with too much power and not enough supervision. My guess is that they started their little cruelties, discovered it was fun, and it became a game of one-upsmanship, with the photos for proof/bragging rights.
I think Sadden Vet is an idiot and probably was part of the problem because he certainly doesnt know what hes talking about.