Everyone knew it

[SheWolf]

from msnbc..... my comment,, if everyone knew it,, why did they wait to act on it....

Rumsfeld insists
‘everyone knew’
about charges
Secretary strongly denies abuse probe kept secret
By Alex Johnson

Lawmakers made it clear Friday that they were nearly as concerned about being kept in the dark as they were about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at a U.S. detention center near Baghdad, calling Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the carpet for what they claimed was his attempt to keep the mistreatment a secret.

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Fighting for his job at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Rumsfeld pointedly reminded senators that an investigation was announced
to the public almost immediately in January. He blamed the unauthorized disclosure of graphic photographs of the abuse for an explosion of outrage that has spread around the world.

Largely subdued and apologetic during most of the hearing, where Senate Republican aides said he had to show contrition for the behavior of military police and private contractors at the Abu Ghraib prison, Rumsfeld answered pugnaciously when senators challenged him on the Defense Department’s handling of the public disclosure of the case.

The executive summary of the Army’s investigation, which was obtained this week by NBC News, “found numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses” that constituted serious violations of international law.

‘Everyone knew it’
Rumsfeld came under intense questioning from Democratic senators led by Robert Byrd of West Virginia, who demanded to know why Rumsfeld and other senior defense leaders waited to condemn the behavior at Abu Ghraib for more than 3½ months, doing so only after the photographs were broadcast on the CBS News program “60 Minutes II.”

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• Why wasn’t abuse exposed?
May 7: Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld disputes a question by Sen. Susan Collins, D-Maine, who said the Pentagon did not forward and expose the abuse at Abu Ghraib.
MSNBC




CBS said it withheld broadcasting the images for more than week at the request of Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a development that led the senators to further accuse the Defense Department of trying to censor the news.

Complaining that “I do not recall hearing a peep out of either of you, Secretary Rumsfeld or General Myers, about this before CBS broke the silence,” Byrd asked:

“Why did it take the televised broadcast of graphic photos of prisoner abuse, a broadcast General Myers has acknowledged he tried to suppress, to galvanize the leadership of the Defense Department to express its outrage over the situation? Why was a report that described ‘sadistic, blatant and wanton criminal abuses’ by American soldiers left to languish on a shelf in the Pentagon, unread by the top leadership, until the media revealed it to the world?”

Rumsfeld pointed out that the Defense Department announced Jan. 16 that an investigation had been opened into alleged abuse at an unspecified prison in Iraq and that charges against six soldiers were announced on March 20.

“The idea that this is a story that was broken by the media is simply not a fact,” Rumsfeld said, his voice rising for emphasis. “This was presented by the Central Command to the world so that they would be aware that these had been filed.”

To a similar question from Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., an exasperated Rumsfeld responded: “Everyone knew it. CNN was there asking questions.”

[Kurt Stover]

What do you mean, "Why did they not act on it.” The investigation has been going on since the last part of January. The public really doesn't need to be involved and squawking about like this is the worst thing to happen since the Rape of Nanking.

Since this is a military investigation about a military happenstance, it is the rule that the investigation is held and ALL the facts are gathered and the whole investigation is put together and presented. Sure, folks are told that something is going on, but, until you have everything available and ready for presentation, you don't submit it.

It's a foolish person (Especially in the military) that submits speculation, an observance or an investigation before all of the facts are made available. The military operates on a different schedule from the "O.J. Simpson" style of investigation and trial.

If the whole Simpson trial had been investigated and presented, "O.J. Simpson would not be playing golf looking for Nichole's killers" and would be known as Prisoner XXXXX.

No one waited to act on this, the same day it was known a special investigator was assigned and he assembled his team. I know this is a hard idea to comprehend for civilians, but this is the way the military operates, and it is a dang good thing, or a lot of innocent people would be in jail.

It's good to ask questions no doubt, but learn to go beyond the news releases. Some investigation on some stuff would lend to a far better objective conversation.

[SheWolf]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Kurt Stover
[B]What do you mean, "Why did they not act on it.” The investigation has been going on since the last part of January. The public really doesn't need to be involved and squawking about like this is the worst thing to happen since the Rape of Nanking.

what I meant,,, is that (and I don't believe this, I agree with you on something) I don't mean that the public, necessarily, had to be in on every step of the investigations,,,

but the powers that be did not inform their superiors in a timely matter,,,,,, (in my opinion)...

[namgrunt]

My POV

Rumsfeld STAYS!
The President said it, I believe it.

The investigations are ONGOING.
Let the UCMJ do its work. There will be plenty of folks to defend the men and women directly involved.

Responsability!
We are ALL responsible for anything and everything our federal government does. We voted for the human beings who fulfill the roles of governance! If it isn't so, then this ISN'T the United States of America, and we had better stand by, because the horse puckey is going to hit the FAN!

That is how I see it.
Semper Fi!

[namgrunt]

SheWolf

I got the word. Tried to PM you in answer, but all channels are non-functional regarding contacting you, including e-mail. You have been blocked.

If you wish to maintain contact, take down the following info.

namgrunt's e-mail address:
javcas@earthlink.net

Other info will follow if I get an e-mail.

I'm praying for your son's success and safety. Hang in there.

Semper Fi!
Javier Cascos aka: namgrunt
Sgt E5, USMC, - Inactive -

[namgrunt]

SheWolf

Are you still online? Your name is still on the roster list as online. I hope you read the above message.

namgrunt