Outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld personally authorized torture of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the prison’s former U.S. commander said in an interview on Saturday.
Former U.S. Army Brigadier General Janis Karpinski told Spain’s El Pais newspaper she had seen a letter signed by Rumsfeld which allowed civilian contractors to use techniques such as sleep deprivation during interrogation.
Karpinski, who ran the prison until early 2004, said she saw a memorandum signed by Rumsfeld detailing the use of harsh interrogation methods.
"The handwritten signature was above his printed name and in the same handwriting in the margin was written: "Make sure this is accomplished"," she told Saturday’s El Pais.
"The methods consisted of making prisoners stand for long periods, sleep deprivation … playing music at full volume, having to sit in uncomfortably … Rumsfeld authorized these specific techniques."
The Geneva Convention says prisoners of war should suffer "no physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion" to secure information.
"Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind," the document states.
A spokesman for the Pentagon declined to comment on Karpinski’s accusations, while U.S. army in Iraq could not immediately be reached for comment.
Karpinski was withdrawn from Iraq in early 2004, shortly after photographs showing American troops abusing detainees at the prison were flashed around the world. She was subsequently removed from active duty and then demoted to the rank of colonel on unrelated charges.
Karpinski insists she knew nothing about the abuse of prisoners until she saw the photos, as interrogation was carried out in a prison wing run by U.S. military intelligence.
Rumsfeld also authorized the army to break the Geneva Conventions by not registering all prisoners, Karpinski said, explaining how she raised the case of one unregistered inmate with an aide to former U.S. commander Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.
"We received a message from the Pentagon, from the Defense Secretary, ordering us to hold the prisoner without registering him. I now know this happened on various occasions."
Karpinski said last week she was ready to testify against Rumsfeld, if a suit filed by civil rights groups in Germany over Abu Ghraib led to a full investigation.
President Bush announced Rumsfeld’s resignation after Democrats wrested power from the Republicans in midterm elections earlier this month, partly due to public criticism over the Iraq war.
(Includes information from Reuters news service)
10 thoughts on “Rumsfeld personally approved torture of detainees”
Brave War Heroes All
To the tune of: John Peel
Rumsfeld says he’s watched lots of wars
Says he finds ’em tough to watch
They’re tough, he says, they’re tough tough tough
Wars are mighty tough to watch
Cheney prefers to prioritize
Sounds more impressive than tellin’ lies
He supported the war ‘gainst the Vietnamese
But for himself had other priorities
George Walker Bush scorns such alibis
A War President, war gives him a thrill
Served in the Texas Air National Guard
Wounded in Alabama by a dentist’s drill
Rice is well qualified to serve
But has made damn sure she don’t
When it comes to stickin’ her neck out
You can bet your ass she won’t
Paul Wolfowitz is something else
Like Adolf Hitler, he loves war
But Paul don’t care to participate
Prefers to sit at a desk and peddle hate
Five glorious heroes led us into war
Every one of ’em avoided service
Where we go from here, I hate to think
History will record a horrible stink
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