One day, a country will produce Army officers of a high enough calibre to actually admit to some responsibility when things go wrong.
But not yet.
The Brit scum in Ireland. The Germans in WW2, and now we have the Americans.
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US generals 'did not order abuse'
Gen Sanchez and Gen Abizaid denied a pattern of abuse
Senior US generals have insisted that the abuse of prisoners in Iraqi prisons was not officially sanctioned.
General John Abizaid, who is in charge of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, admitted that abuse had taken place in both countries.
But he told the Senate Armed Services Committee that there was no "culture of abuse" in the prison system.
During the hearing, the committee's chairman revealed that a fourth disc of photographs of abuse had been found.
Abuse has happened in Afghanistan, it's happened in Iraq, it's happened at various places
Gen Abizaid
US impatient for answers
Senator John Warner said he had heard from the Pentagon that a new disc had been found and was to be made available to Congress.
Shortly before the hearing, an American soldier, Spc Jeremy Sivits, was sentenced to a year in prison after admitting to a US court martial that he abused inmates and photographed them.
'Isolated cases'
During the hearing, Gen Abizaid said the US military had investigated 75 cases of abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan since late 2002, including some murders.
"Abuse has happened in Afghanistan, it's happened in Iraq, it's happened at various places," Gen Abizaid told the cross-party panel of senators.
Also questioned were the commander of US forces in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, and Iraq prisons chief Major General Geoffrey Miller.
Gen Miller acknowledged that there had been isolated cases of abuse at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he used to be the commander.
But he strongly denied that any of the abuses in Guantanamo Bay or Iraq were officially sanctioned.
It was not true that he had ordered the "softening up" of Iraqi prisoners, during a visit to Abu Ghraib last year, he said.
Military intelligence
The committee looked closely at an order issued by Gen Sanchez last November putting the prison under the command of a senior military intelligence officer.
Gen Sanchez said the order was for security purposes, because the prison was coming under attacks by Iraqi insurgents. He said the order did not put military police at the prison under the control of intelligence officials.
He denied authorising interrogation techniques such as sleep deprivation, stress positions or sensory deprivation.
The question of whether military police at Abu Ghraib were operating under orders from military intelligence when they abused prisoners is a key part of the investigation into the scandal.
Later this week, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will appear in a closed-door briefing to open to all members of the Senate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3729971.stm
But not yet.
The Brit scum in Ireland. The Germans in WW2, and now we have the Americans.
------------------------------
US generals 'did not order abuse'
Gen Sanchez and Gen Abizaid denied a pattern of abuse
Senior US generals have insisted that the abuse of prisoners in Iraqi prisons was not officially sanctioned.
General John Abizaid, who is in charge of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, admitted that abuse had taken place in both countries.
But he told the Senate Armed Services Committee that there was no "culture of abuse" in the prison system.
During the hearing, the committee's chairman revealed that a fourth disc of photographs of abuse had been found.
Abuse has happened in Afghanistan, it's happened in Iraq, it's happened at various places
Gen Abizaid
US impatient for answers
Senator John Warner said he had heard from the Pentagon that a new disc had been found and was to be made available to Congress.
Shortly before the hearing, an American soldier, Spc Jeremy Sivits, was sentenced to a year in prison after admitting to a US court martial that he abused inmates and photographed them.
'Isolated cases'
During the hearing, Gen Abizaid said the US military had investigated 75 cases of abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan since late 2002, including some murders.
"Abuse has happened in Afghanistan, it's happened in Iraq, it's happened at various places," Gen Abizaid told the cross-party panel of senators.
Also questioned were the commander of US forces in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, and Iraq prisons chief Major General Geoffrey Miller.
Gen Miller acknowledged that there had been isolated cases of abuse at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he used to be the commander.
But he strongly denied that any of the abuses in Guantanamo Bay or Iraq were officially sanctioned.
It was not true that he had ordered the "softening up" of Iraqi prisoners, during a visit to Abu Ghraib last year, he said.
Military intelligence
The committee looked closely at an order issued by Gen Sanchez last November putting the prison under the command of a senior military intelligence officer.
Gen Sanchez said the order was for security purposes, because the prison was coming under attacks by Iraqi insurgents. He said the order did not put military police at the prison under the control of intelligence officials.
He denied authorising interrogation techniques such as sleep deprivation, stress positions or sensory deprivation.
The question of whether military police at Abu Ghraib were operating under orders from military intelligence when they abused prisoners is a key part of the investigation into the scandal.
Later this week, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will appear in a closed-door briefing to open to all members of the Senate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3729971.stm
