May 26, 2004
TOP STORIES
Abuse Of Captives More Widespread, Says Army Survey
[New York Times, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
An Army survey reveals there were more prisoner deaths and mistreatment in
Iraq and Afghanistan the previously thought.
General Is Said To Have Urged Use Of Dogs
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller, former commander of the Guantanamo Bay
detention facility who transferred to Iraq, allegedly inspired and promoted
the use of guard dogs to frighten Iraqi prisoners.
Generals At Odds Over Abuse At Prison
[Washington Times, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
Conflicting statements regarding Iraqi prisoner abuse between the top brass
and Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski have been spotlighted by Army investigators
and congressional hearings. Some military advocates complain that Karpinski
received light punishment because she is one of the Army's few female
generals.
U.N. Closes In On Choice To Lead Iraq
U.S. Differs With France, Britain on Power Sharing
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
The U.N. is close to naming a slate for the new Iraqi government, with a
Shiite nuclear scientist who spent years in the infamous Abu Ghraib prison
coming forth as the leading candidate for prime minister. U.S. and U.N.
officials are still working out the "complicated geometry" of dividing power
among Iraq's disparate and religious factions.
U.S. Emphasizes Intent To Transfer Full Power To Iraqis---With Limits
[Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
The White House worked hard to convince skeptics that the U.S. planned to
transfer full sovereignty to Iraqis on June 30, even as the administration
publicly disagreed with London about whether a new Iraqi government could
block U.S. military operations.
Defense Dept. Delays Action On Boeing Jets Till November
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
Secretary Rumsfeld has postponed until November a decision on a $20 billion
contract to lease aerial refuelers from Boeing Co., a move that delays
action until after the presidential elections.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Judge Sees Little Evidence To Support Anthrax Vaccine
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 25]
U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan expressed considerable doubt that the
federal government has sufficient evidence to prove that anthrax vaccine for
military personnel is either safe of effective. The judge will decide in
coming weeks whether to halt DoD's mandatory anthrax inoculations.
Scandal Derailed Plans For Ground Commander In Iraq
Lt. Gen. Sanchez had been due to assume a new post. Now he's the Army's odd
man out.
[Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2004]
The prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq has foiled Pentagon plans to reshuffle a
group of generals this summer, leaving Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez without a
clear-cut assignment.
Timing Of General's Departure Questioned
[USA Today, May 26, 2004, Pg. 5]
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez is likely to be seen as the highest-ranking
casualty of a foundering occupation in Iraq and a corrosive prisoner
scandal, both of which tarnished the year he has been America's top
commander in Iraq.
Military Families Mourn Daughters
20 Female Service Members Have Been Killed In Iraq
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
Twenty female U.S. service members have died in Operation Iraqi
Freedom---the most American military women killed in a combat operation
since World War II. For decades, DoD regulations prohibited women from
engaging in direct action, out of fear that the U.S. public could not accept
dead female soldiers. Opponents of women in combat believe it is just a
matter of time before the public becomes more aware of female deaths and
will demand that a policy drawn up during the Clinton years, to assure equal
opportunity in the military, be dropped.
Terrible Tally: 800 U.S. Deaths In Iraq War
[New York Daily News, May 26, 2004]
The Pentagon's official death toll for the war in Iraq stood at 797 on
Tuesday. A reliable count maintained at a news monitoring Web site puts the
real number at 803. Other coalition members have lost 110 troops to the Iraq
war.
Key Najaf Shrine Damaged In Fighting
U.S. Denies Firing on Imam Ali Mosque During Push Into Center of Holy City
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 20]
The façade of the Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, one of the holiest sites in
Shiite Islam, was damaged when U.S. troops pushed into the city's center.
U.S. officials denied their forces caused the damage and said rebels were
the likely culprits, hoping "to provoke outrage so they could blame it on
American forces."
Baghdad Leaders Press For Authority
[Washington Time, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
Iraq's political leaders cautiously welcomed President Bush's speech on
their country's future, while warning that a U.S.-British proposal at the
U.N. falls short of granting Baghdad's government the degree of authority
needed to win legitimacy among Iraqis.
Coalition Troops ‘Must Quit Iraq In Months, Not Years'
[London Financial Times, May 26, 2004, Pg. 7]
Iraqi's defense minister said he expects the U.S.-led coalition force to
remain in the country for less than a year, as the Governing Council
insisted the next caretaker government should have the right to ask foreign
troops to leave.
U.S., Blair Differ On Military In Iraq
Shiite Nuclear Scientist Is on United Nations List For Prime Minister
[Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2004, Pg 15]
Washington and London---staunch allies in Iraq---seem to be at odds over
whether a new sovereign government formed in Iraq after June 30 should have
veto power over specific military operations by the U.S.-led coalition.
U.K. Think Tank Says U.S. Mismanaging Iraq War
White House rejects finding that anti-terror effort is in jeopardy
[Dallas Morning News, May 26, 2004]
London's International Institute for Strategic Studies sharply criticized
American management of the war in Iraq, warning that broader strategic
objectives, like the war on terrorism and brokering a Middle East peace, are
now in jeopardy.
A Routine Burst Of Chaos Leaves A GI Wounded
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
A homemade missile launcher fired from an apartment window in Baghdad
seriously wounded a young female MP. She might not have been the primary
target, since the missile was fired from a spot directly facing the Green
Zone, the heavily guarded American compound across the Tigris River.
Sarin Confirmed In Bomb, Officials Say
[Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2004]
Comprehensive testing has proved that sarin nerve gas was in the remains of
a roadside bomb discovered in Baghdad. The bomb was made from an artillery
shell designed to disperse the deadly agent on the battlefield. Finding the
shell's origin has become a priority for military officials in Iraq.
IRAQ---ABU GHRAIB
Who Would Try Civilians Of U.S.? No One In Iraq
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
Civilians working for the military at Abu Ghraib prison may have
participated in prisoner abuse, but prosecuting them presents legal
challenges because they are not subject to Iraqi nor military justice.
U.S. Civilian Working At Abu Ghraib Disputes Army's Version Of His Role In
Abuses
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
John B. Israel, one of two civilian contractors implicated in the Abu Ghraib
prison scandal, returned home to California a few weeks ago. Israel, an
employee of SOS Interpreting, denies any knowledge of the abuses that
occurred at the prison.
Iraqis: Why Demolish Prison?
Some Support Idea of Turning Abu Ghraib Into a Museum
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 17]
Some Iraqis wonder why the U.S. would want to destroy Abu Ghraib prison.
There is no groundswell of Iraqi support for demolishing the facility. The
Iraqi Governing Council has even suggested that the prison become a museum.
ARMY
Prison Investigator's Army Experience Questioned
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 18]
Maj. Gen. George R. Fay, who leads the Army's investigation into the role of
military intelligence at detention facilities in Iraq, is an insurance
company executive who has been on active duty for five years. Pentagon
officials, congressmen and others want Fay to help answer a central question
in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal---did the military intelligence soldiers
responsible for questioning detainees direct or encourage MPs to commit
abuse seen in photographs that angered the Arab world and damaged U.S.
credibility. They also want more answers about Fay's ability to conduct such
an investigation.
Four Soldiers In Iraq Face Reprimand
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 19]
Several U.S. soldiers face possible discipline for forcing two Iraqi
detainees to jump off a bridge into the Tigris River earlier this year. No
one was killed in the incident.
Killed In A Country He Tried To Serve
Afghan Rebels Ambushed D.C. Native
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. B2]
CWO Bruce E. Price, a Special Force soldier, was killed May 15 when Afghan
insurgents armed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades ambushed his unit.
He is remembered as someone who always supported those who couldn't defend
themselves.
Army Kept Whistle-Blower In Locked Ward
[UPI.com, May 25, 2004]
The Army kept a soldier whistle-blower in a locked psychiatric ward for two
weeks despite some medical staff concerns that he be released. Army Reserve
Lt. Jullian Goodrum is diagnosed to have post-traumatic stress disorder,
acquired in Iraq. Last summer, he asked for an investigation into the death
in Iraq of a 22-year-old soldier in his 212th Transportation Company. He was
also quoted in a UPI article about poor medical care at Fort Knox, which
helped sparked a congressional investigation.
Franks Is Knighted, To Some Brickbats
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
U.S. Gen. Tommy Franks, who unleashed "shock and awe" on Iraq's military,
has been conferred the title of honorary knight commander of the Order of
the British Empire. Several members of Parliament expressed doubts about
handing out awards when Iraq is still in crisis.
GUANTANAMO
Group Says Chinese Saw Detainees
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 21]
Amnesty International alleged that a Chinese government delegation visited
Guantanamo Bay prison in 2002 and participated in interrogations during
which Chinese detainees were subjected to sleep deprivation, forced sitting
for many hours and intimidation.
Posing As Captive, GI Beaten
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
The Army confirmed that a former MP was injured while posing as an
uncooperative prisoner during a training session at Guantanamo.
TERRORISM
U.S. Warns Of Al Qaeda Threat
Operatives in County Said to Be Planning Summer Attack
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 1]
Federal officials have information that suggests al Qaeda has operatives in
the U.S. making ready to mount a large-scale terrorist attack this summer.
Al Qaeda Is Thriving, Study Says
Osama bin Laden's terrorism network is operating in 60 nations, has about
18,000 members and is likely planning more major attacks, a think tank study
survey found.
[Miami Herald, May 26, 2004]
The International Institute of Strategic Studies says the al Qaeda, despite
the war on terror, is thriving and adding new members.
WHITE HOUSE
White House Memo Criticized
Bush adviser says draft of opinion didn't lead to Iraqi prisoner abuse
[USA Today, May 26, 2004, Pg. 5]
White House counsel Alberto Gonzales disputed critics on Capitol Hill who
say the recent Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal stemmed from a memo he wrote in
2002 that said foreign fighters in Afghanistan were not entitled to Geneva
Convention protections.
Congress Disputes Bush Pledge
Funding Cut Conflicts With Vow to Raze Abu Ghraib Prison
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 16]
President Bush's vow to demolish Abu Ghraib prison left administration
officials working hard to convince Congress to endorse something it
specifically rejected last year. Last fall, the administration requested
$400 million to construct two maximum-security prisons in Iraq, but Congress
cut the request to $100 million, about the cost of one medium-security
prison in the U.S.
CONGRESS
Missing Report Pages Deemed Insignificant
[USA Today, May 26, 2004, Pg. 8]
The Senate Armed Services Committee has determined that the Pentagon
submitted an incomplete copy of an investigative report on the Iraqi prison
scandal but the missing pages were of not great consequence.
ASIA-PACIFIC
Radar Sale To China Stopped
U.S. may buy Czech system
[Washington Times, May 26, 2004, Pg. 8]
Washington blocked the sale of an advanced radar system to China and might
purchase at least one of the stealth aircraft-detecting systems to offset
the loss for a Czech Republic manufacturer.
USFK May Include Peacekeeping Role
General says U.S. firm on deterrence against N. Korea aggression
[Korea Herald, May 26, 2004]
Lt. Gen. Charles C. Campbell, commander of the Eighth U.S. Army, stressed
unwavering commitment to deter North Korean aggression, and raised the
possibility that Korea-U.S. combined forces in the future could perform
peacekeeping and humanitarian mission in Northeast Asia.
AFGHANISTAN
20 Suspected Taliban Killed As U.S. Aids Battle
[Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2004]
U.S. warplanes helped Afghan forces pound Taliban militants in southern
Afghanistan's mountains. About 20 suspected insurgents were killed at a
recently discovered camp.
RUSSIA
A Former Superpower's Hazardous Legacy
Experts Cite Risks of Aging and Unsecured Arms Caches in Ex-Soviet Republics
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 22]
Millions of tons of armaments were left behind by the Russian military when
it largely withdrew from the 14 former Soviet republics that became
independent from Moscow. Black-market traders have done a landslide business
acquiring and selling, to anyone with the cash, many of the weapons left
behind by the Russian. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe say the too often loosely-guarded weapons caches present "huge
risks."
ENERGY DEPARTMENT
Energy Department Plans A Push To Retrieve Nuclear Materials
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
The Energy Dept. will launch a $450 million effort to retrieve nuclear
materials that the U.S. and the Soviet Union originally sent around the
world for research purposes.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Federal Workers Score A Victory
Study Says They Outperform Private Contractors in 89% of Cases
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 25]
The Office of Management and Budget says federal civil servants did their
work better and more cheaply than private contractors nearly 90 percent of
the time in job competitions last year.
BUSINESS
Interior Blocks New CACI Contracts
Arlington Firm's Work in Progress in Iraq Can Continue
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 17]
The Interior Dept. is reviewing contracting procedures that let the Army
hire civilian interrogators in Iraq and has blocked the Army from using the
contract to place a new order with Arlington-based CACI International Inc.
Army Contract Again Disputed
It is awarded to a consortium comprising some of the firms in a group whose
winning bid was canceled amid controversy.
[Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2004]
The Army, for the second time, has given a contract to supply the Iraqi
security forces to a consortium of companies with little arms experience and
whose participants include a friend of Iraq official Ahmad Chalabi.
OPINION
Five Points Of Reality That Bush Overlooked
Jim Hoagland
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 27]
President Bush's speech Monday night lacked the clear recognition of the
ever-widening gap between uplifting visions and the explosive conditions in
Iraq that were caused by a self-defeating U.S. occupation policy.
Iraq May Survive, But The Dream Is Dead
Fouad Ajami
[New York Times, May 26, 2004]
Iraq is not going to be America's showcase in the Arab-Muslim world. No
great American project is being hatched in Iraq and any notion that Iraq
could be a cornerstone for democracy in the Persian Gulf has been killed.
Iraq has historically treated its own people with cruelty. Maybe it was
folly to think strangers could get different treatment.
Mr. Madison's War
George F. Will
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 27]
President Bush's plan is to connect the interests of an Iraqi majority with
genuinely Iraqi institutions of representation. Iraq does need less violence
and more politics. Putting those two needs together could rely on the vision
of James Madison: A government supported by sufficient Iraqi factions must
feel a life-or-death stake in the success of the U.S. war---and such it
shall largely remain---against the insurgents.
Terrorists Have No Geneva Rights
John Yoo
[Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2004, Pg. 16]
For legal reasons, the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism are different.
Those held at Abu Ghraib prison fall under Geneva Convention auspices. Those
detained at Guantanamo Bay do not. Punishing abuse in Iraq should not be
allowed to hamper how America pursues the war on terror.
EDITORIAL
Abuse By Outsourcing
[Washington Post, May 26, 2004, Pg. 26]
A disturbing piece of the Abu Ghraib prison scandal is the role that might
have been played by private contractors conducting interviews with the
detainees. Contractors have an increasing role in the military, never more
so than in the war in Iraq. Given the prison scandal's permutations, perhaps
it is time to reassess whether military privatization has gone too far.
The Chalabi Fiasco
[Wall Street Journal, May 26, 2004, Pg. 16]
The recent Iraqi police raid on Ahmed Chalabi's home and office was a
questionable operation. The mystery of the raid is how it could possibly
serve U.S. interests. Iraqis have now seen how quickly America can turn on a
staunch ally. This won't make them any more eager to join our side.
Witch Hunt?
Government must explain itself in Yee case
[Dallas Morning News, May 26, 2004]
The military needs to come forth with a candid reason for how it treated
Capt. James Yee, the Army Muslim Chaplain who ministered to Guantanamo Bay
detainees.
Source: Defense News
