News & Politics - Rumsfeld Orders Secret Detention of Prisoner

ceilirose · 06-18-2004, 03:18 AM

This article is from today's Baltimore Sun

Quote:

Rumsfeld admits telling military to hide detainee
Secretary says CIA chief wanted to keep Red Cross from suspected terrorist
By Tom Bowman
Sun National Staff
Originally published June 18, 2004

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld acknowledged yesterday that, at the request of the CIA's director, he had authorized the U.S. military to hide an Iraqi detainee last fall from the International Red Cross and other organizations that monitor treatment of prisoners.
Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon that then-CIA Director George J. Tenet asked him in a letter to take custody of an Iraqi national believed to be a high-ranking member of Ansar al-Islam, a Kurdish terrorist group suspected of having links to the al-Qaida network, and keep him off the prison rolls.

"We were asked not to immediately register the individual, and we did that," Rumsfeld said, refusing to discuss the classified letter from Tenet that contained the request and referring further questions to the CIA. Tom Crispell, a CIA spokesman, said the agency would not comment on the letter.

Asked whether other detainees were held in similar secrecy, and not registered, the defense secretary said, "I don't know. ... I'll be happy to tell you more when we get more."

Rumsfeld said the CIA has asked the military "on occasion" to take custody of individuals it had captured or arrested.

"I can think of one additional case off the top of my head. ... I think there's some," he said.

But a senior Pentagon official said later that he knew of no other cases of detainees being held off the books at the request of the CIA.

The detainee held in secret, said Rumsfeld, was not housed at Abu Ghraib prison, where abuse of Iraqi detainees by American soldiers is part of an ongoing Army investigation. A senior official said the individual has been held since October at Camp Cropper, a detention facility on the edge of the Baghdad airport.

The prisoner was treated humanely, said Rumsfeld, and "we are now in the process of registering" the man with the Red Cross. He denied reports quoting anonymous intelligence officials as saying that the military had lost track of the detainee.

"He wasn't lost in the system; they've known where he was and that he was there, in Iraq, for this period of time," Rumsfeld said.

Under the Geneva Conventions, which govern the treatment of captured combatants, the International Red Cross is authorized to have access to all prisons and detainees. The conventions do not say the Red Cross must have immediate access, but rather the ability to visit prisoners as soon as possible.

"To the best of our knowledge, we have access to all places of detention and all people" under the Geneva Conventions, said Amanda Williamson, a spokesman for the International Red Cross in Washington. "We will follow the case up with U.S. authorities."

She said Red Cross officials in Baghdad would discuss the matter with U.S. civilian officials or the military in the Iraqi capital.

Asked why the CIA might want to hold a prisoner incommunicado, Rumsfeld said: "The only reason for delay [in registering] ... that I can think of would be that your interest is in not interrupting an interrogation process of some kind, by having the [Red Cross] gain access. But I'm not an expert."

Daniel J. Dell'Orto, the Pentagon's deputy general counsel, said that "for purposes of imperative military necessity the Red Cross could be denied access for some period of time to deal with the sort of things the secretary's indicated. You need to interrogate, you need to find information on this person."

A report this year by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba was sharply critical of detainees' being brought to Abu Ghraib prison by "other government agencies," a reference to the CIA, and not registered by the military.

A "handful" of these "ghost detainees" were moved around the facility and hidden from the Red Cross, Taguba wrote, adding: "This maneuver was deceptive, contrary to Army doctrine, and in violation of international law."

But Rumsfeld said the detainee held at the request of the CIA "should be looked at separately" from those described in the Taguba report.

"We know from our knowledge that [Tenet] has the authority to do this," Rumsfeld said.

Meanwhile, the Army announced that the investigation into the role of Army intelligence in the abuses at Abu Ghraib will now be overseen by Gen. Paul J. Kern, head of the Army Materiel Command.

Kern replaces Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, as the senior officer to review the findings. Sanchez removed himself so that he could be questioned by investigators.

Copyright � 2004, The Baltimore Sun |

BTW Rumsfeld's appearance at his press conference yesterday was rather bizarre. I saw some of it and he basically blamed the press for creating the ensuing problems that the US has had because of Abu Ghraib.

Sort of along the lines of if the press hadn't published these pictures then the terrorists wouldn't be so mad at us.

Pretty unbelievable..there's no remorse at the actual acts of torture themselves or going against the Geneva Convention which is breaking the US law. To me he's sorry that all this has been made public.

*Lauren · 06-18-2004, 10:07 AM

This man has to be sacked, if not charged. Its obscene the stuff he's been in charge of, or authorised.

SuperDeluxe · 06-18-2004, 11:02 AM

He's got a point. The press clearly has a agenda, Such as the LA times and NY Times deciding to move the story of the american that was beheaded, because they didnt want to take away from the 'real' story.

It is the press that determines whats on the print. Why is tha abu gahrib prison scandal a bigger deal than a american getting beheaded?

ceilirose · 06-18-2004, 11:21 AM

Rumsfeld may very well have broken a law since the Geneva Convention has been ratified by the US Congress. That's news and if it's proven that he indeed break the law then the responsibility is on his head and his alone.

To try and suggest that the reason for increased terrorist attacks is due to the reporting of the prison abuses is nauseating on his part. Blame the people who came up with this plan and enacted it. Not the media and citizens who are asking for accountability on the part of this Administration. IMO we need answers not excuses.

I agree that the media including the New York Times has an agenda. From 9/11 on most of the major news outlets have been the Bush Administration's cheerleaders and any notion of critical reporting was non-existent. The press bought the idea of massive amounts of WMD, Iraq buying uranium from Niger and the notion of happy Iraqis throwing flowers at the feet of American soldiers. They all need to take a hard look at themselves because they failed miserably in being a critical and objective press.

SuperDeluxe · 06-18-2004, 01:10 PM

Pro bush?

You call the intense fasicnation by the LA or NY times with abu gharib pro bush?

Both of those papers are so far left its not even funny.

ceilirose · 06-18-2004, 01:22 PM

Tell me what major newspaper in the US during the build up to the Iraq War even questioned the existence of WMD?

Please tell me..I'd like to see it because it wasn't there in the spring of 2003. Tell me there was opposition to the war when all the major networks started their war coverage with patriotic music and flag images. A few stray editorials here and there? That was probably it..they feared being called un-American and un-patriotic..just like those of us on this board who were anti-war were called.

CNN is a part of a huge corporation, NBC is owned by General Electric..did you know that the major news media outlets in this country are owned by something like 12 corporations?

When David Kay announced that there were no massive stockpiles of WMD in Iraq..all three major networks plus CNN and MSNBC were shocked..yes shocked at this revelation. Why? A good portion of the world and close to half of Americans didn't believe it to be so. They were all hilarious to watch in their shock at this discovery.

You call it intense fascination with Abu Ghraib? Well there should be..top officials of the US Government may have committed crimes. Sorry the conservatives may not like it but it's a very distinct possibility. And yes it may go all the way up to Sanchez, Rumsfeld and others.

Intense fascination was Monica, Bill, Hillary, Linda Tripp and the stained navy blue dress. Nobody died from that scandal either. The Reagan funeral, the 9/11 Commission Report and now Johnson's death have and will take attention away from Abu Ghraib. But it can't be swept under the rug..it will stick.

Anabela · 06-24-2004, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SuperDeluxe
He's got a point.

I don't think he does. What he has is a lot of nerve for not apologising for the torture that he's responsable for.
He's like a criminal who's not sorry that he commited the crime but really sorry he was caught.

JohannafromIHJ · 06-24-2004, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SuperDeluxe
It is the press that determines whats on the print. Why is tha abu gahrib prison scandal a bigger deal than a american getting beheaded?

Because there were far more people being hurt in Abu Gahrib, including people under the age of 18. While an American getting beheaded is very tragic, the way the US has treated its prisoners is worse. We expect beheadings from terrorists, we do not expect torture from those who are supposed to represent "the good guys".

ros2nz · 06-24-2004, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Why is tha abu gahrib prison scandal a bigger deal than a american getting beheaded?

So, are you implying that the Abu Ghraib prisoners, on account of their Muslim heritage and non-American personality, are less important than an American getting beheaded? The ones who've been killed in custody, too?

Well, it's strictly a matter of opinion.

I'd have to say that while I consider the beheadings tragic, the Abu Ghraib scandal deserves far more exposure. Especially if the lower end is going to take the rap for the top brass. And right now, it's looking that way.


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