Rumsfeld ordered Iraq prisoner hidden

[halcyon_daze]

Let's play hide and seek with the Red Cross gang! They did such a good job of hiding this guy, that they themselves couldn't find him. Evidently Rumsfeld ordered this at Tenet's request.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/17/politics/17abuse.html?hp

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, acting at the request of George J. Tenet, the director of central intelligence, ordered military officials in Iraq last November to hold a man suspected of being a senior Iraqi terrorist at a high-level detention center there but not list him on the prison's rolls, senior Pentagon and intelligence officials said Wednesday.

This prisoner and other "ghost detainees" were hidden largely to prevent the International Committee of the Red Cross from monitoring their treatment, and to avoid disclosing their location to an enemy, officials said.

Seven months later, however, the detainee - a reputed senior officer of Ansar al-Islam, a group the United States has linked to Al Qaeda and blames for some attacks in Iraq - is still languishing at the prison but has only been questioned once while in detention, in what government officials acknowledged was an extraordinary lapse.

...

While acknowledging mistakes in the prisoner's detention, the senior intelligence official said the detainee posed a significant threat to American forces in Iraq and elsewhere. "He also possessed significant information about Ansar al Islam's leadership structure, training and locations," the official said.

But despite that they questioned him only once in 7 months. Sounds to me like this guy was part of that big percentage of Iraqis that estimates say were unjustifiably detained.

Then in a Keystone Kops moment, they lost him.

"Once he was placed in military custody, people lost track of him," a senior intelligence official conceded Wednesday night. "The normal review processes that would keep track of him didn't."

...

A senior intelligence official said late Wednesday that the C.I.A. inquired about the detainee's status in January, but was told that American jailers in Iraq could not find him, perhaps as a result of the chaos and confusion of the November and December spike in insurgent violence.

More likely is that they were too busy having fun beating up, raping, and killing people to be bothered.

Looks like the CIA was lying when they said they had stopped this "ghost detainee" practice.

Before this case surfaced, the C.I.A. has said it had discontinued the ghost detainee practice, but said that the Geneva Conventions allowed a delay in the identification of prisoners to avoid disclosing their whereabouts to an enemy.

What a fun world we live in. :rolleyes:

[Happy Wonderer]

And of course it is all Tenet's fault -- as will everything that involves Iraq or looks the least bit unfavorable to the Bush administration will be.

When in heck does the head of the CIA give orders to the Secy of Defense?

hw

[halcyon_daze]

And of course it is all Tenet's fault -- as will everything that involves Iraq or looks the least bit unfavorable to the Bush administration will be.

When in heck does the head of the CIA give orders to the Secy of Defense?

hw

It was an apparently official request, not an order per se.

[fallingblood]

how many times can the Bush administration screw up before the reelection?

[ohwilleke]

Humans Rights First is reporting that this is just the tip of the iceberg. Apparently, the U.S. has a dozen whole secret prisons, including a CIA interrogation facility in Pakistan where they keep undisclosed prisoners.

[unrealist42]

Since Tenet has jumped ship it is only logical that they blame him. I'm just surprised it took so long. After all he is now one of the "against us" people.

[Loren Pechtel]

how many times can the Bush administration screw up before the reelection?

Up is a slut.

[lunachick]

Up is a slut.
LOL!

[Stephen Maturin]

While rummaging around at THOMAS (http://thomas.loc.gov/) for updated information on the Federal Marriage Amendment, I stumbled across this. It won't go anywhere, of course, but it's nice to know that someone on Capitol Hill actually has a pair.

108th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. RES. 629
Impeaching Donald Rumsfeld , Secretary of Defense.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 6, 2004
Mr. RANGEL submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

RESOLUTION
Impeaching Donald Rumsfeld , Secretary of Defense.


Resolved, That Donald Rumsfeld , Secretary of Defense is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the following articles of impeachment be exhibited to the Senate:

Articles of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of all of the people of the United States of America, against Donald Rumsfeld , Secretary of Defense, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.

Article I

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, urged and oversaw the preemptive invasion and occupation of Iraq under the false premise that the United States was in imminent danger of attack from weapons of mass destruction and that Saddam Hussein was involved with al Qaeda in the September 11, 2001 attack against the United States.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article II

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, directed the expenditure of funds in contradiction to appropriations as enacted by using funds appropriated for the action in Afghanistan to plan and develop plans for the invasion of Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article III

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, ignored the recommendations of uniformed leaders at the Pentagon and sent American troops into war undermanned and under-equipped, thus undermining our military efforts in Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article IV

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, contributed to an atmosphere of lawlessness in the administration of United States military prison facilities in Iraq by rejecting United States compliance with the Geneva Convention.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article V

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, abdicated his role as the head of the United States military by allowing the breakdown of discipline in the administration of military prison facilities in Iraq, and by ignoring warnings by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article VI

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, failed in his responsibility to fully investigate and address the breakdown of discipline and attendant atrocities at those prison facilities.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article VII

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, failed in his responsibility to fully inform the President of atrocities committed by United States troops at military prison facilities in Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article VIII

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, misled the Congress and the American people of those atrocities by seeking to suppress information about the misconduct.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Article IX

Donald Rumsfeld , as Secretary of Defense, through his malfeasance as the leader of United States military forces, is responsible for the atrocities committed by United States troops in Iraq.

In this Donald Rumsfeld acted in manner contrary to his trust as Secretary of Defense and through this malfeasance has offended and embarrassed the American people, undermined United States credibility around the world, and increased the danger to American troops and civilians around the world.

Wherefore, Donald M. Rumsfeld , by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification for any further office of profit or trust under the United States.

Maybe Rangel should consider adding a tenth article that specifically covers this "ghost detainee" chicanery.

[ex-idaho]

Boy, does this fuel speculation of an October surprise!