Rumsfeld Denies Cover-Up of Iraq Prisoner Abuse

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5108542

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld denied on Tuesday that the Pentagon fosters a "culture of cover-up" and said the military, not the media, reported the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops.

Rumsfeld, who has been supported by President Bush amid demands from some Democrats for his resignation, sharply defended the military's handling of the abuse scandal at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad that has shocked America and infuriated the Arab world.

"The military, not the media, discovered these abuses. The military reported the abuses, not the media," he told a town hall-style meeting of military and civilian workers at the Pentagon.

"One thing that appears reasonably certain, and that is that those who make allegations of a culture of deception, of intimidation or of cover-up need to be extremely careful about such accusations," said Rumsfeld, accused of being too slow to inform Bush and the U.S. Congress of the scandal.

...more...

hmmmm... more threats about "being careful"...

-- Allen

"Your question has been noted in the building." -- Ari Fleischer

"<All Americans> need to watch what they say, watch what they do." -- Ari Fleischer

The Bushbots don't make idle threats. Pentagon whistleblowers would do well to be prepared for the Empire to strike back.

STOP WITH CONGRESS: he didn't tell them.

Freakin' deceptive rat!!!

My most fabulous fantasies involve these freon neocons walking down their own death rows and I don't even believe in the death penalty!

They make me wanna :puke:

He just didn't tell anyone about what the Red Cross and others had been reporting for months and months - that's all.

Nothing to see here, move along, go purchase expensive consumer products and watch TV, nothing to see here, move along . . .

SPIN going on in this article and by the Senate, etc..

a FEW bad apples? TRY 35 investigations, worse abuse in Camp Bucca..

this is ALSO a Media coverup as they downplay and use their wordsmithing skills to the max..

where did my country go?

and of course SOMEONE cut off Berg's head today (I watched it, don't watch it), the timing is superb is it not?

remember, if they would kill three thousand innocent civilians, 911, then one guy getting his head cut off is a snack to Bush co.

THIS really hammers home how much they enjoy this as bloodsport and spin.

They could hardly contain their grins yesterday while Bush blew Rummy in public, now we know why.

I want to study it.

:eyes:

,...now, did "they".

F*cking, black-hearted, cold-blooded murderers.

"They" had better be CAUGHT and tried for treason!!!

So there is no coverup, huh?

Ok, the explain this. On January 14th Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld informed President Bush of the allegations in general terms.

Two days latter on January 16th L. Paul Bremer III, the US governor heading the coalition's provisional authority in Iraq, was also handed a report by Amnesty International which described prisoner abuse and Geneva violations throughout US-run camps in Iraq last July. As a result, President Bush called defense secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to the White House for briefings on January 16. Donald H. Rumsfeld is said to have told President Bush the extent of the concern over abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The meeting was attended by White House chief of staff Andrew H Card Jnr.

Then on April 28th President Bush, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Gen. Richard Myers say this is the first time they have seen any of the photographs.

But wait, it gets better. again, 2 days latter on April 30th During a briefing with the White House press corps, spokesman Scott McClellan thwarts a reporter's attempts to ascertain when the President first learned of the crimes:
REPORTER: How long has the President been aware of the evidence of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison?
MCCLELLAN: Well, there were allegations that go back quite some time here, Terry. And that's why you already have the military pursuing some criminal charges against some individuals.
REPORTER: Had the President seen these photographs before two nights ago?
MCCLELLAN: I don't know the exact time when he saw the photographs. I mean, they've certainly been in the media the last couple of days.

Then the real kicker. On May 5th President Bush appears on two Arab television channels to address the scandal but does not apologize for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. troops. "The first time I saw or heard about pictures was on TV," he told the U.S. government sponsored Arabic language network Al-Hurra.

Yeah, no cover up here,uh-huh

has vowed to git em--those guys who beheaded the American, Nick Berg

Jesus I am so tired of his bull shit.

I am so sick and tired of it.

Dead or alive?

effective coverup.