New Report: Bush Officials Tried to Shift Blame for Detainee Abuse to Low-Ranking Soldiers

[kpete]

Source: Huffington Post

New Report: Bush Officials Tried to Shift Blame for Detainee Abuse to Low-Ranking Soldiers
By Sen. Carl Levin, D-MI

Today we're releasing the declassified report of the Senate Armed Services Committee's investigation into the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody. The report was approved by the Armed Services Committee on November 20, 2008 and has, in the intervening period, been under review at the Department of Defense for declassification.

In my judgment, the report represents a condemnation of both the Bush administration's interrogation policies and of senior administration officials who attempted to shift the blame for abuse - such as that seen at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and Afghanistan - to low ranking soldiers. Claims, such as that made by former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz that detainee abuses could be chalked up to the unauthorized acts of a "few bad apples," were simply false.

The truth is that, early on, it was senior civilian leaders who set the tone. On September 16, 2001, Vice President Dick Cheney suggested that the United States turn to the "dark side" in our response to 9/11. Not long after that, after White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales called parts of the Geneva Conventions "quaint," President Bush determined that provisions of the Geneva Conventions did not apply to certain detainees. Other senior officials followed the President and Vice President's lead, authorizing policies that included harsh and abusive interrogation techniques.

The record established by the Committee's investigation shows that senior officials sought out information on, were aware of training in, and authorized the use of abusive interrogation techniques. Those senior officials bear significant responsibility for creating the legal and operational framework for the abuses. As the Committee report concluded, authorizations of aggressive interrogation techniques by senior officials resulted in abuse and conveyed the message that physical pressures and degradation were appropriate treatment for detainees in U.S. military custody.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-carl-levin/new-report-bush-officials_b_189823.html

[wroberts189]

1. They ordered it and then blamed it on them ..despicable. knr nt

[tomm2thumbs]

6. you hit the nail right on the head

I think Cheney is going to start to look like more of an insane crazy messed-up freakshow attraction than he already is now.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. And THAT is why Obama has said he is not interested in pillorying

the operatives who did the nasty shit at Gitmo - because it is those who ordered it, and those who created the policies, and those who crafted the defense of those policies who need to get the heat.

[Doremus]

13. It was obvious from the first court martial. nt

[izquierdista]

2. Well, Gollee!

You mean Lyndie England didn't mastermind it all? I am completely surprised!!

[Just-plain-Kathy]

17. Ms England looked as if she really enjoyed her job. n/t

[TheMadMonk]

19. About as much as any school yard bully enjoys doing what they do.

Right? No of course not, but unfortunately entirely within the bounds of normal human behaviour.

Ever heard of the Stanford Prison Experiment? Perfectly ordinany people can all too easily become inhuman monsters simply when handed carte blanc.

When "suggestions" come down from on high all bets are off. Particularly when it is very, very likely that those "suggestions" came in a trickle, begining with merely questionable treatment on a par with (or even less than) normal hazing. You don't think those upperclassmen aren't grinning their bloody heads off when the apply the paddle?

And for those who would say: "I'd NEVER do anything like that." I call BULL FUCKING SHIT.

If you have ever given (or chosen to receive) a Chinese/Indian burn as a condition of entry to a kids club you are in the same class as Lindy England. If you have ever dared a friend (or taken a dare) to run around the house (inside or out) in their underwear/naked at a sleepover you are in the same class as Lindy England. If you have ever wielded a paddle while freshmen run the gauntlet you are in the same class as Lindy England. If you have ever jeered or thrown tampons at a classmate for daring to get her first period in class, you are in the same class as Lindy England. If you have ever laughed at a spontaneous erection, you are in the same class as Lindy England. If you have ever lifted up a skirt or pulled down another's pants, you are in exactly the same class as Lindy England.

We all, every one of us, with very few exceptions, have it in ourselves what it takes to be just like Lindy England and that which separates us from her is far more likely to be lack of opportunity than aqngelic self control. One only has to peruse threads on any number of hot button issues to find Lindy's soulmates right here on DU. "Deserves to..." "Should be..." "cut his balls off with a rusty knife" "Hope he suffers" "He'll get his on the inside" these phrases and thousands like them are the proof that we here are no different to the Lindy Englands of this world.

[supernova]

3. We knew this at the time

talked about it endlessly on DU, that the directions must have come from the * admin.

Still, it's better to now have the proof.

[predfan]

4. Tried, hell.............who did time? Grunts.

[hootinholler]

11. Exactly!

I think there was one officer who was charged after Abu. The whistleblower from Abu was made a pariah in his hometown.

Neither our representative (Bartlett-R) nor our Senators (Mikulski-D, Sarbanes-D) so much as lifted a finger to help the grunts.

-Hoot

[havocmom]

5. S.O.P.

Leona Hensley was not unique in her opinions about the 'little people' v the top economic tier.

All through the years of Iraq and this bogus 'war on terra' I keep thinking about how the 'grunts' get held accountable while the policy makers get off pretty easy.

[tekisui]

7. Reading the report shows clear conspiracy to commit felonies.

And, everyone was involved. Bush, Rice, Rummy, Ashcroft, and of course gonzo, yoo, addidington, bybee, fieth.....

[Jefferson23]

8. Yea, well we're all shocked that they tried to pass the buck, old news.

Every time Cheney opens his mouth he implicates himself further and more reports like this just hurt them even more, keep talking Cheney, keep talking.

[rocktivity]

9. Candidate for this year's "You Call This NEWS?" award

If that's the truth, why didn't the officers punish them internally?

:eyes:
rocktivity

[DCKit]

21. They're trying to get through to the willfully ignorant, highly reactive 19% ers.

They know *WE* get it.

Personally, I think they (we) should play the religion card and shame them on the basis of their supposed Christian ethics, morals and beliefs - make their false prophet preachers get up on Sundays and defend BushCo's criminality.... or not.

[glitch]

12. There's a surprise. Profiles in Courage the Bushies ain't.

[47of74]

14. As they always do

[Hubert Flottz]

15. Trickle down blame...

It's not going to work either, I HOPE!

[Ian David]

16. Why do Republicans hate The Troops? n/t

[UTUSN]

18. NOoooo!1 Ya THINK?!1 n/t

[EFerrari]

20. That edgy Senate! What will they come up with next!

[Quantess]

22. Of course. Is anyone surprised?

No one here at DU is surprised, anyway.

[Snazzy]

23. "Wolfowitz said GTMO should use more aggressive interrogation techniques"

http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2009/04/22/torture/

So let's see, in last 24hrs I've seen at least Rummy, Wolfy, Condee, and Meyers mentioned essentially picking up the phone and saying "torture them."

Going to be everyone on NSC Principals, prodded by Cheney.

There was a story maybe a year ago (sorry enough google for today) where Rummy personally participated/showed up at some "high value detainee" interrogation. That one will be especially interesting. I wonder when the infighting will pick up? Watch for it was all Rummy's idea for one thing. My vote is it wasn't even really Cheney, it was sick fuck W:

"Please," Bush whimpers, his lips pursed in mock desperation, "don't kill me."