'Intelligent discontent is the mainspring of civilization.' -- Eugene V. Debs

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Karpinski Says Abuse Continues 

A Bay Area ABC affiliate interviewed Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, and Karpinski claimed torture and abuse are still going on at Abu Ghraib and alleged that the official investigations mainly served to cover up the complicity of top Pentagon brass:

Serious charges tonight from the general who was in charge of Abu Ghraib prison. She believes the abuses are still happening. Even more disturbing, Brigadier General Janis Karpinski says the investigation into the scandal has been covered up. She spoke today with ABC7 political reporter Mark Matthews.

General Janis Karpinski is laying out a scenario of torture, conspiracy and cover-up that she suggests goes all the way from Abu Ghraib to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

When pictures of the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib Prison were made public, the nation was shocked, the Army embarrassed and the commanding general of the prison was suspended from her command. Today General Janis Karpinski told me she believes this kind of abuse is still going on in Abu Ghraib.

General Karpinski says she's getting messages from soldiers who are still at Abu Ghraib.

Gen. Janis Karpinski, U.S. Army: "Through email or through a message left on my telephone, that you need to know that it's still happening."

At the time she was in command at Abu Ghraib, General Karpinski says she never knew this sort of thing was happening because powers higher than her didn't want her to know.

Gen. Karpinski: "And they knew it too, that if I found out or had any kind of a hint that any of this was taking place, that I would have screamed and I would have shouted and I would have pursued it with a vengeance."

On KGO Radio this morning, General Karpinski told Ronn Owens that higher-ups are now trying to cover-up and make her the scapegoat.

Ronn Owens: "Do you think you were targeted because you're a woman?"

Gen. Karpinski: "I do. I think that was a big part of the equation."

The general says she isn't trying to duck her responsibility, but feels there are others more culpable going unpunished.

Gen. Karpinski: "The only problems we had were in cell blocks under the control of military intelligence, not military police."

Karpinski says the commanders in charge of military intelligence at Abu Ghraib are still in command leading her to believe the abuse is continuing.

Karpinski is the only officer to be relieved of command because of the part she played in the Abu Ghraib scandal. Her military career is over and she has very little to lose, which probably explains the above.

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