WarPorn II
Posted by unbrand on 9 June 2004 | 0 Comments
This is an update to my prior WarPorn article. In today’s Washington Post, there’s an article that talks about direct White House interest in the events occurring at Abu Ghraib prison. The article mentions a Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan, “an Army reservist who took control of the Joint Interrogation and Debriefing Center on Sept. 17, 2003.” From the article:
The head of the interrogation center at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq told an Army investigator in February that he understood some of the information being collected from prisoners there had been requested by “White House staff,” according to an account of his statement obtained by The Washington Post.
In a March 9 report on the abuse scandal, [Army investigator] Taguba listed Jordan as one of four military intelligence officers he suspected were “directly or indirectly responsible for the abuses at Abu Ghraib.” He also said Jordan had “failed to ensure that soldiers under his direct control were properly trained” in interrogation techniques and were aware of Geneva Conventions human rights protections for detainees.
So let’s see if we have this straight. The White House is directly requesting information about the prisoners at Abu Ghraib. And one of the people in charge of the abuses knew very well about the White House involvement. At best, this is sick. The White House has denied American involvement in torture and when the photos came out, claimed it was the work of “a few” who would be “dealt with.”
Maybe the President wasn’t getting enough porn from the Pentagon and wanted to go, you know, directly to the source? Cut out the middleman? The Bush family certainly has enough experience in such matters.
The Washington Monthly has a good discussion of the administration’s various memos and positions regarding torture.