Official Blames Iraq Abuse on Lower Ranks (a few "bad eggs")

[Khephra]

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Pentagon's inspector general, following an eight-day trip to Iraq, said on Friday that abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison appeared to be the fault of a few soldiers he called ``bad eggs.''

``I'm not aware of any illegal orders that came from any leaders,'' said Inspector General Joseph Schmitz, making his first public comments since returning June 19.

He said during his visit to Abu Ghraib, the new commander there informed him that past leaders failed to get out enough and oversee the soldiers.

Schmitz, the principal adviser to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the prevention of fraud and abuse in the Department of Defense, said he is reserving final judgment until he sees the results of several investigations of prisoner abuse.

Schmitz's comments came after a speech at The City Club of Cleveland in which he praised American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as ``affable liberators.''

more

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Inspector-General-Iraq.html

[shraby]

1. Interesting in light of the testimony

of Capt Reese saying Pappas disposed of a tortured to death Iraqi.

[54anickel]

2. Those words will bite him in the ass...when will they learn. Hopefully

never. Just keep inserting that foot.

[shraby]

3. They must still think that

a lie repeated often enough will be believed..they forget about film, television and internet not only refuting the lie but being able to put the lie right beside the truth in the same frame in front of the public.

[daleo]

4. He went off message

They are "bad apples", not "bad eggs". Sheesh...how did the man ever make inspector general?

[calimary]

5. So we've gone from apples to eggs now?

Some of those eggs may come from chickenhawks...

[Frances]

I just saw the Bush interview in Ireland

where Bush said that the prison scandal in Iraq was just a few bad soldiers. He said that the U.S. is not like that, that the U.S. is compassionate, but strong.

I think Bush lives in an alternate universe where reality does not intrude.

[Frances]

6. I just saw the Bush interview in Ireland

where Bush said that the prison scandal in Iraq was just a few bad soldiers. He said that the U.S. is not like that, that the U.S. is compassionate, but strong.

I think Bush lives in an alternate universe where reality does not intrude.

[Frances]

7. I just saw the Bush interview in Ireland

where Bush said that the prison scandal in Iraq was just a few bad soldiers. He said that the U.S. is not like that, that the U.S. is compassionate, but strong.

I think Bush lives in an alternate universe where reality does not intrude.