The only Army general officer recommended for punishment for the failures that led to abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison and other facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan is Brig. Gen. Janis L. Karpinski, who was in charge of U.S. prison facilities in Iraq as commander of the 800th Military Police Brigade in late 2003 and early 2004. Several sources said Karpinski is expected to receive an administrative reprimand for dereliction of duty.
…The investigation essentially found no culpability on the part of Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez and three of his senior deputies, ruling that allegations they failed to prevent or stop abuses were “unsubstantiated.” ” (Washington Post)
This is a whitewash, plain and simple…and with a scapegoat, who doesn’t have access to the ‘Eichmann defense’ that she was only following orders, because her superiors did not have to give orders. The exoneration of Sanchez and others (and, by implication, the real culprits up to and including Rumsfeld and Bush) is on the wrong grounds — while they may not be guilty of failing to prevent or stop abuses (if you even believe that), they created a permissive culture in which specious goals of fighting ‘terrrrrrrism’ justify any barbaric means.
