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IRAQ Things Bush Didnt Mention in His Speech By Robert Fisk I cant wait to see Abu Ghraib prison reduced to rubble by the Americansat the request of the new Iraqi government, of course. It will be turned to dust in order to destroy a symbol of Saddams brutality. Thats what President Bush tells us. So the re-writing of history still goes on. Last August, I was invited to Abu Ghraibby my favorite U.S. General Janis Karpinski, no lessto see the million-dollar U.S. refurbishment of this vile place. Squeaky clean cells and toothpaste tubes and fresh pairs of pants for the terrorist inmates. But now, suddenly, the whole kit and caboodle is no longer an American torture center. Its still an Iraqi torture center, and thus worthy of demolition. The re-writing of Iraqi history is now going on at supersonic speed. Weapons of mass destruction? Forget it. Links between Saddam and al-Qaida? Forget it. Liberating the Iraqis from Saddams Abu Ghraib life of torture? Forget it. Wedding party slaughtered? Forget it. Clear the decks for both full (sic) sovereignty and chaotic events. This is, at any rate, according to Mr. Bush. When I heard his hesitant pronunciation of Abu Ghraib as Abu Grub on Monday night, I could only profoundly agree. But were in danger again of missing the detail. Just as the unsupervised armed mercenaries being killed in Iraq are being described by the occupation authorities as contractors or, more mendaciously, civiliansso the responsibility for the porno interrogations at Abu Ghraib is being allowed to slide into the summer mists over the Tigris river. So lets go back, for a moment, to the long weeks in which the Department of Bad Apples allowed its jerks to put leashes around Iraqi necks, forced prisoners to have sex with each other and raped some Iraqi lasses in the jail. And lets cast our eyes upon that little, all-important matter of responsibility. The actual interrogators accused of encouraging U.S. troops to abuse Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail were working for at least one company with extensive military and commercial contacts with Israel. The head of an American company whose personnel are implicated in the Iraqi tortures, it now turns out, attended an anti-terror training camp in Israel and, earlier this year, was presented with an award by Shaul Mofaz, the right-wing Israeli defense minister. According to Dr. J. P. Londons company, CACI International, the visit of Dr. Londonsponsored by an Israeli lobby group and including U.S. congressmen and other defense contractorswas to promote opportunities for strategic partnerships and joint ventures between U.S. and Israeli defense and homeland security agencies. The Pentagon and the occupation powers in Iraq insist that only U.S. citizens have been allowed to question prisoners in Abu Ghraibbut this takes no account of Americans who may also hold double citizenship. The once secret torture report by U.S. General Antonio Taguba refers to third country nationals involved in the mistreatment of prisoners in Iraq. General Taguba mentions Steven Staphanovic and John Israel as involved in the abuses at Abu Ghraib. Staphanovic, who worked for CACIknown to the U.S. military as Khakiwas said by Taguba to have allowed and/or instructed MPs (military police), who were not trained in interrogation techniques, to facilitate interrogations by setting conditions ... he clearly knew his instructions equated to physical abuse. One of Staphanovics co-workers, Joe Ryanwho was not named in the Taguba report now says that he underwent an Israeli interrogation course before going to Iraq. We know the Pentagon asked Israel for its rules of engagement in the occupied West Bank and Gaza. Israeli officers have briefed their U.S. opposite numbers and, according to the Associated Press, in January and February of 2003, Israeli and American troops trained together in southern Israels Negev desert ... Israel has also hosted senior law enforcement officials from the United States for a seminar on counter-terrorism. Staphanovic of CACI, who may also be Australian, was accused by Tagubas army report of making a false statement to the investigation team regarding ... his knowledge of abuses. Another outside interrogator, Adel Nakhla, who may be of Egyptian origin, was a witness to the stacking of naked prisoners in Abu Ghraib. John Israel misled investigators by denying he had witnessed misconduct and did not have security clearance. Israel, according to Titantwo of whose employees were mentioned in Tagubas reportworks for one of the companys sub-contractors. Titan refused to name the sub-contractor. Why? Among the companys former directors is ex-CIA director James Woolsey, one of the architects of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, a friend of Ahmed Chalabi and a prominent pro-Israeli lobbyist in Washington. Dr. London says CACI does not condone or tolerate or endorse in any fashion (sic) any illegal, inappropriate behavior on the part of its employees in any circumstances at any time anywhere. But it is clear the torture trail at Abu Ghraib has to run much further than a group of brutal U.S. military cops, all of whom claim intelligence officers told them to soften up their prisoners for questioning. Were they Israeli? Or South African? Or British? Are we going to let the story go? The Independent, May 26, 2004 |
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