Iraq prisoner abuse scandal: New report blames Rumsfeld

Published August 24th, 2004 - 03:00 GMT

The Pentagon's top civilian and military officials share the blame for creating conditions that led to the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, according to a new report.

The report, by a commission appointed by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, was presented to him Tuesday in advance of a Pentagon news conference to release the details. According to The AP, the commission was presided over by James Schlesinger, a former secretary of defense.

A person familiar with the report said it implicitly faulted Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, by finding that those responsible for the military prison system in Iraq were operating under confusing policies on allowable interrogation techniques.

So far, none of the US investigations has indicated that Rumsfeld or Myers ordered or encouraged any mistreatment of prisoners. In May, Rumsfeld told the House and Senate that as secretary of defense "I am accountable" for the events at Abu Ghraib and he issued "my deepest apologies" to the Iraqis who were abused.

Also faulted by the Schlesinger commission is Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who was the top field commander in Iraq at the time of the reported abuses last fall. (albawaba.com)