New Report: Top Brass "Present" At Abuse

Bad News for the Big Brass. This breaking news just in from the WashingtonPost.com. A lawyer for one of the soldiers accused in the Iraq prison abuse scandal testified that an officer at Abu Ghraib said the top-ranking U.S. Army General in Iraq was present during some “interrogations and/or allegations” of the prisoner abuse. The WaPo cites the recording of a military hearing as its source:

The lawyer said he was told that Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez and other senior military officers were aware of what was taking place on Tier 1A of Abu Ghraib. The lawyer, Capt. Robert Shuck, also said a sergeant at the prison was prepared to testify that intelligence officers told him the abuse of detainees on the cellblock was "the right thing to do."

Shuck is assigned to defend Staff Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick II of the 372nd Military Police Company. During an April 2 hearing that was open to the public, Shuck said the company commander, Capt. Donald J. Reese, was prepared to testify in exchange for immunity. The military prosecutor questioned Shuck about what Reese would say under oath.

"Are you saying that Captain Reese is going to testify that General Sanchez was there and saw this going on?" asked Capt. John McCabe, the military prosecutor.

"That's what he told me," Shuck said. "I am an officer of the court, sir, and I would not lie. I have got two children at home. I'm not going to risk my career."

Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, the senior military spokesman in Iraq, said General Sanchez was unavailable for comment on this story but would "enjoy the opportunity" to respond later.
Sure, sounds like barrels of fun.

Comments

[steve]

I'd like to know the name of the PR school that Kimmit went to, they think of highly original answers. Why didn't he respond, instead, 'foreign fighter, stay the course, foreign fighter, wedding party? what wedding party, only foreign fighters'.

[steve]

I notice no comments about this on the war lovers' blogs this morning. and nothing about Chalabi, the favorite of the war bloggers. Awfully shy about this type of thing it seems.