Memo Shows US General Aware
Of Iraqis' Jail Abuse

by-Will Dunham
Wednesday Dec. 7, 2005
Reuters

Washington (Reuters)--The top US General in Iraq was aware in June of reports that Iraqi security forces had abused prisoners in their custody, months before US forces in november found a bunker filled with detainees badly beaten by Iraqi personnel, a memo obtained wednesday showed.

"over the past several months, I have received reports of serious physical abuse of detainees by ISF (Iraqi Security Forces)," Army Gen. George Casey, commander of US forces in Iraq, said in a June 22 memo obtained by Reuters.

"I have forwarded those reports to the Iraqi Ministries of Defense and Interior for appropriate action." Casey added. The memo did not state the nature of the abuse.

Casey added that abuse of detainees by the american-trained Iraqi security forces "is a violation of Iraqi law and counterproductive to all our intended efforts here."

During a raid at a secret Baghdad bunker, US forces on november 13 found 173 men and teen-age boys, many of them malnourished, beaten and showing signs of torture.

The United States drew international condemnation last year after photographs were made public showing american forces physically abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.

All Reasonable Action:

In his memo, Casey said he expected US personnel in Iraq to be proactive in encouraging, training and mentoring Iraqi security forces on the respect for human rights in the treatment and interrogation of detainees.

Casey also said it was the responsibility of US personnel in Iraq "to take all reasonable action, in accordance with the rules of engagement, to stop or prevent any observed or suspected instances of physical or mental abuse likely to lead to serious injury or the death of detained persons in Iraqi custody."

The memo stated that US personnel also had the responsibility to "promptly report the details through their chain of command so those acts can be appropriately addressed with Iraqi government officials."

Bryan Whitman, a pentagon spokesman, said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld wants to nail down specifically what Casey meant by saying "all reasonable action."

This comes after Rumsfeld and Marine Corps Gen. Peter Pace, Chairman of the Military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, last week appeared to differ over such rules.

At a pentagon news conference, Pace said, "it is absolutely the responsibility of every US service member, if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene to stop it."

Rumsfeld interjected, "but I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it. It's to report it."

Pace responded, "if they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it."

courtesy of:
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