[tw]

Originally posted by Undertoad
All I ask, tw, is that you stop just making shit up.

It turns out they removed the six, uh, alleged fuckwad guards from duty a few days after they found out about it in January, and initiated court-martial procedures,

Provide all the facts UT. First the entire MP company - except for a few - are now being investiagated if not reprimanded. This only *after* the press reported the coverup. Only one court-martial was being considered. Other five just reprimanded. Now most everyone in the unit, "except a few" (and that is an exact Rumsfeld quote) is suspect - as they should be. The abuse was that widespread.

How widespread the abuse was stated by Rumsfeld in testimony today as Senators such as McCain and Clinton took him apart. Especially damning was the angry questioning from McCain who demanded Rumsfeld display knowledge and stop asking a General to, instead, answer the questions. McCain demonstrated how little Rumsfeld really knew of the problem. Rumsfeld had mostly ignored the entire affair which is why he could not even list the command structure from him down to the unit. Again he was dependent on his General to answer questions of specific facts because he did not know specific and major facts.

Lynne English had long been transfered out because she was pregnant in Iraq. Her boyfriend is another story of "wrong man to be prison guard". Only after her transfer out was she being investigated. Only a few were taken back to the US for investigation. One officer tried to claim the problem only existed on third shift. But the abuse may have spread beyond this MP unit. Units now in Germany are also under investigation. Rumors have it that at least two other American prison facilities may also be involved.

Of course Rumsfeld did not dispute the facts. Instead he blamed people with digital cameras taking unauthorized pictures AND leaking secret information to the press. Of course. Blame the messenger so they don't blame top management. Cast blame everywhere so that we forget - 85% of all problems are directly traceable to top management. Of course DoD refused to even followup an investigation of almost the entire MP unit- leaving the two foot tall study mostly unread. Even the Red Cross had warned Rumsfeld of problems. Rumsfeld's comment also included "...they found problems as they always do...". It demonstrated how little he really regarded the problem.

Where Sen Hillary cited accusations against Chaplain Yee. All charges against this Chaplain in Guantanamo Bay were trumped up, quickly leaked to the press, and eventually (quietly) dropped. Why did the DoD not trump the dropping of those charges as they had hyped Yee's arrest (on phony charges)? If what Yee did in Guantanamo was serious, then why is his so called secret crime not kept secret. Whereas widespread abuse in Iraq is not disclosed?

Rumsfeld claims this Iraq problem was all disclosed in January. Then he blames whistle blowers and people with digital cameras for creating all problems. No. The problem was Rumsfeld, et al were keeping this quiet and not charging any officers. Again, almost zero court-martials. That probably now will change due to whistle blowers - the same whistle blowers that Rumsfeld blames instead of taking blaming for Rumsfeld's inaction.

How did CBS get the story? Rumsfeld's staff was quick to leak charges against Chaplin Yee but not tell anyone about the abuse in Iraq. Double standard. This is the ethics of the man and his administration. Since nothing was happening to stop the problem in Iraq - same officers (except top officers) remained at that prison long after six were returned to the states. Then patriots - whistle blowers - let the word out. So Rumsfeld instead blames those whistle blowers - rather than the principles he had advocated first in Guantanamo Bay. Now most everyone in the MP unit will finally be investigated. UT forgets to mention that part.

Furthermore, Rumsfeld apparently knew the CBS story was going to be reported in advance. He knew it even when he testified, only hours before the story was released, before Congress. The same Congressman he is suppose to report these things to; yet he said nothing. Rumsfeld thought the story so insignificant that he did not even tell his boss - George Jr - of the story in advance. At least that is the president's public statement.

Get your facts right UT. Stop hugging the mental midget president everytime they get caught lying. The question is how many people will now be blamed for condoning sexual abuse and torture. Don't question whether a newspaper picture is legit. Question what did Rumsfeld know and when did he know it. Rumsfeld was sitting on the case - not even continuing the investigation beyond maybe one court-martial. No they were not going to court-martial all six. Now that may change because patriots - whistle blowers - exposed a Rumsfeld coverup.