Army Investigates Army: Clears Top Officers in Torture Cases
Friday, April 22, 2005 at 11:59PM
TheSpook
An Army inspector general's report has
cleared senior Army officers of wrongdoing in the abuse of military
prisoners in Iraq and elsewhere, government officials familiar with the
findings said yesterday. The only Army general officer recommended for
punishment for the failures that led to abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison
and other facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan is Brig. Gen. Janis L.
Karpinski, who was in charge of U.S. prison facilities in Iraq as
commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade in late 2003 and early
2004. Several sources said Karpinski is expected to receive an
administrative reprimand for dereliction of duty. The investigation
essentially found no culpability on the part of Lt. Gen. Ricardo S.
Sanchez and three of his senior deputies, ruling that allegations they
failed to prevent or stop abuses were "unsubstantiated." The report has
not been released. Of those 10 major inquiries, the inspector general's
was designed to be the Army's final word on the responsibility of
senior leadership in relation to the abuses. It was the only
investigation designed to assign blame, if any, within the Army's
senior leadership. Army officials said yesterday that they have
identified 125 soldiers and officers who were either tried at
courts-martial or issued administrative punishments for detainee abuses
in Iraq and Afghanistan. So far, seven low-ranking soldiers have faced
the most serious charges in the sexual humiliation and physical abuse
cases arising out of Abu Ghraib; five have pleaded guilty or have been
found guilty, and two have courts-martial scheduled for next month. [more] and [more]
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