Thursday, May 06, 2004

The Know Nothing Administration

Since late February, the Pentagon has been in possession of a report produced by Major General Antonio M. Taguba that details the abuse of Iraqis incarcerated in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. Months later, despite knowing of the 53-page report's existence, top administration officials responsible for the military still have not read the document.

White House officials told the Los Angeles Times that "the abuse of Iraqi prisoners sparked so much concern that President Bush was told about an investigation during the winter holidays." But White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tried to insulate the President from criticism by suggesting that the President was surprised by the report's findings. McClellan told reporters yesterday that Bush "only become aware of the photographs and the Pentagon's main internal report about the incidents from news reports last week." Yet President Bush still has not read the report.

Three weeks before the press reported the story of the Abu Ghraib report, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard B. Myers knew enough about it to call Dan Rather and ask him to delay airing the story. Yet, as of this Tuesday, Myers still hadn't read the report. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday that he had merely "seen a summary."
  Daily Mislead article

Obviously there wasn't any concern for the veracity of the reports or extent of the "abuse". I can imagine the one question Doubleface might have asked: "Is there any proof in the hands of the media?"

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

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