| Corrections
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
The nation's paper of record admits mistakes were made in a June 8 editorial
regarding the Army's overtaxed combat brigades. The actual number of
active-duty combat brigades in Iraq is 11, not 14, and one in Afghanistan,
not 2. Also, the Army has 34 combat brigades in all, not 33, and is roughly
three brigades short, not seven.
Memo On Interrogation Tactics Is Disavowed
Justice Department Had Said Torture May Be Defensible
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
The Bush administration disavowed an internal Justice Department opinion
that torturing terrorism suspects might be legally defensible, saying
the
opinion had created the bogus impression that the U.S. government claimed
authority to use interrogation techniques forbidden by international law.
White House Says Prisoner Policy Set Humane Tone
[New York Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
President Bush, in a February 2002 directive, ordered that all people
detained as part of the fight on terrorism should be treated humanely
even
if the U.S. considered to not be protected by the Geneva Convention.
Rumsfeld OK'd Harsh Treatment
Interrogation documents made public
[USA Today, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
The Bush administration released 258 pages of internal documents that
portray harsh interrogation techniques---including stripping terror suspects
and threatening them with dogs---as a necessary response to threats from
al
Qaeda terrorists. One "action memo" shows that Secretary Rumsfeld
approved
interrogation methods that included "removal of clothing" and
"inducing
stress by use of detainees' fears (e.g. dogs)."
General Promised Quick Results If Gitmo Plan Used At Abu Ghraib
But Miller asked for extra guards and legal adviser
[USA Today, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who assumed command of Abu Ghraib and other
Iraqi
detention centers last fall, pushed for more aggressive interrogation
techniques, predicting that better intelligence would be the result.
Wolfowitz Testifies Pentagon Misjudged The Strength Of Iraqi Insurgency
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
Paul Wolfowitz said the Pentagon underestimated the violent tenacity of
the
Iraqi insurgency that erupted after Baghdad fell, and agreed that the
U.S.
might have to keep a substantial number of troops in Iraq for several
years.
Under questioning for House Democrats, Wolfowitz stuck to his view the
"enormous progress" has been made in the effort to stabilize
Iraq and turn
over government and security to the Iraqis.
GUANTANAMO
Files Show Rumsfeld Rejected Some Efforts To Toughen Prison Rules
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
Secretary Rumsfeld rejected several proposals for dealing more harshly
with
detainees at Guantanamo Bay, but did okay the removal of prisoners'
clothing.
Spirited Debate Preceded Policies
Pentagon Lawyers Urged Restraint
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 14]
Pentagon documents reveal an internal debate over interrogation methods
for
prisoners at Guantanamo, with Pentagon attorneys warning that the military's
reputation could be damaged because of techniques approved by Secretary
Rumsfeld.
Files Show Bush Team Torn Over POW Rules
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
After six weeks of being implemented, Secretary Rumsfeld rescinded a
directive that let Guantanamo interrogators toughen their tactics and
use
"mild, noninjurious physical conduct" to pry loose more crucial
intelligence. Documents released Tuesday portray an administration
struggling to establish specific rules regarding interrogation methods,
from
the early days of the war on terrorism to the beginning of the Iraq war.
Harsher Methods Fruitful, U.S. Says
Because of the new stance, a terrorist suspect yielded important secrets
about al Qaeda, officials say.
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004]
Harsher interrogation techniques used by Guantanamo Bay interrogators
forced
an al Qaeda supporter to reveal information he had formerly refused to
divulge, including knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Search Began With A Stubborn Detainee
New interrogation methods requested after prisoner resists
[USA Today, June 23, 2004, Pg. 4]
Mohamed al-Khatani, captured in Afghanistan and suspected of being the
"20th
hijacker," sat in a Guantanamo cell and insisted he was only interested
in
falconry, his reason for being in Afghanistan. Interrogators sought
permission to use harsher methods with al-Khatani and, as a result, he
admitted to an affiliation with the Sept. 11 hijackers and having seen
Osama
bin Laden several times.
China Torture Fears Curb Guantanamo Release
[London Financial Times, June 23, 2004]
America has ruled out returning 22 Chinese prisoners held at Guantanamo
Bay
to China because of fears that they could be tortured or executed.
For CNN, A Story That Won't Wash
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. C3]
CNN was forced to repeat at least five times that a story it broadcast
about
Secretary Rumsfeld permitting an interrogation technique called "water
boarding" was dead wrong.
IRAQ---ABU GHRAIB
High Stakes, Harsh Scrutiny As Prison-Abuse Trials Go On
[Christian Science Monitor, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
Legal proceedings for U.S. military personnel charged in the Abu Ghraib
prisoner abuse scandal could answer the question about how far up the
chain
of command responsibility for the abuse might go.
Iraq Trials Expect 'Following Orders' Defense
[Washington Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 9]
Soldiers brought up on charges in the Abu Ghraib abuse case will invoke
the
"just following orders" defense when court-martials begin this
summer and
fall.
Soldier's Trial In Abuse Of Inmates To Proceed
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004]
A military judge rejected a motion that sought a new Article 22
investigation into allegations that Staff Sgt. Ivan L. Frederick II abused
inmates at Abu Ghraib. Approving the motion would have meant the charges
against Frederick could be dropped. He is one of seven soldiers accused
in
the scandal.
Report Of Plea Talks On England 'False'
[Baltimore Sun, June 23, 2004]
Pfc. Lynndie R. England's first public court hearing was postponed for
logistical reasons and not because a plea bargain is in the works.
IRAQ
S. Korean Hostage Beheaded
In Seoul, Officials Say Slaying Will Not Deter Iraq Deployment
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
Terrorists in Iraq followed through on a promise to murder a South Korean
after Seoul refused a demand to withdraw troops from the international
military force in Iraq.
Coalition Allies Standing Firm
[Washington Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 22]
South Korea and Hungary, whose citizens have been killed recently in Iraq,
refused to cancel troop deployments to Iraq. That drew praise from President
Bush who said it is important the Iraqis understand that the "world
stands
with them as a free society emerges."
Army Unit Claims Victory Over Sheik
[Washington Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 7]
The 1st Armored Division claims victory over the marauding militia loyal
to
radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who just a month ago appeared on the verge
of conquering southern Iraq. American firepower and cash paid to informants
led to the victory. Several thousand militiamen were killed by the U.S.
forces.
2 U.S. Soldiers Killed In Ambush
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004]
Two American soldiers were killed and one wounded when their convoy came
under fire in Balad, a town north of Baghdad.
Iraq Ministers Told Only U.S. Can Impose Martial Law
[London Financial Times, June 23, 2004]
Iraq's interim government has been advised by the coalition authority
that
only the U.S.-led coalition can declare martial Iraq, and that rule will
apply even after power is handed over to the Iraqis on June 30.
White House To Take Low-Key Role In Hand-Over
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004]
The Bush administration will assume a low profile when the hand-over of
control to the Iraqi interim government occurs on June 30.
Threat Made To Assassinate Head Of Iraq Interim Govt.
[Wall Street Journal, wsj.com, June 23, 2004]
An Islamic Web site has a tape supposedly made by militant Abu Musab
al-Zarqawi that threatens to kill the head of Iraq's interim government
that
takes over power on June.
Legal, Not Physical, Hussein Transfer Described By Aide
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
Legal custody of Saddam Hussein will be handed over to Iraqi authorities
as
soon as Iraqi courts issue the necessary warrants. But U.S. forces won't
let
go of Saddam, even after Iraq regains sovereignty next week, because there
isn't a prison strong enough to hold him.
Iraq Deal On Airline Is Probed
A U.S. official's plan involved a company suspected of aiding Hussein.
The
case may reflect flaws in reconstruction process.
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
The Coalition Provisional Authority is looking into a case involving plans
to develop an Iraqi national airline, using Alia Transportation of Jordan,
an alleged accomplice in Saddam Hussein's scheme to divert funds from
the
U.N.'s oil-for-food program.
Contractors To Depart Before Turnover
[Washington Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 14]
Many private contractors, anticipating an increase in insurgents' attacks
in
the countdown to June 30, are planning to leave Iraq before the power
transfer and haven't set a date for their return.
Oil Poorly Managed, Agency Says
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004]
The International Advisory and Monitoring Board said the U.S.-led occupation
in Iraq is managing billions of dollars from Iraq's oil sales in a sloppy
manner, while moving at a glacial pace to prevent corruption.
DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Iraq Force May Grown By 25,000
Possible mix of U.S. reservists, regulars would bolster security; 'We
may
need more people,' officer says.
[Baltimore Sun, June 23, 2004]
U.S. Central Command has requested that Army planners provide up to five
more brigades---about 25,000 troops---to augment American forces in Iraq.
ARMY
Army Enlists Sweeping Changes While At War In Iraq
Combat brigades that are more mobile, independent and lethal are part
of the
look of the new Army. The service is changing even more as it fights the
war
in Iraq.
[Miami Herald, June 23, 2004]
The U.S. Army is undergoing the most massive changes undertaken in 50
years,
even as it is involved in the war in Iraq.
On A Hot And Dusty Road, A Young Soldier's Last Battle
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
Army Pfc. Janon N. Lynch was killed in action in Buhriz, a rebellious,
date-growing village about 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.
MARINE CORPS
4 Marines Heroic To Very End
[New York Daily News, June 23, 2004]
Four Marines killed in Ramadi were snipers sent on a dangerous mission
to
pick off terrorists.
AIR FORCE
Pentagon's AFA Probe Clears Dean Of Faculty
Wagie decision differs from congressional panel
[Colorado Springs Gazette, June 22, 2004, Pg. 1]
Pentagon investigators have cleared Brig. Gen. David Wagie, the Air Force
Academy's dean of faculty, in the school's sexual assault scandal. That
finding contradicts a congressional panel's conclusion that blamed Wagie
and
others for the scandal in which women alleged that the academy ignored
sexual assault reports and punished women for reporting them.
CONGRESS
Wolfowitz Says Iraq Stay Could Last Years
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 16]
Paul Wolfowitz told a House panel that the U.S. military could remain
in
Iraq for several years, but should eventually be able to step back into
more
a supporting role for Iraqi security forces.
General Predicts Rise In Violence
Remarks to Congress by Marine commander and Wolfowitz signal U.S. is
revising its assessment of the Iraqi insurgency's strategy and capabilities.
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004]
Marine Gen. Peter Pace said the level of violence in Iraq is likely to
increase after sovereignty is returned to Iraqis next week.
Insurgency Surprised Pentagon
[Washington Times, June 23, 2004]
Paul Wolfowitz said there had been "too great a willingness"
at the Pentagon
to think that Iraqi insurgents would stop assaulting Americans after Saddam
Hussein and his top henchmen were killed or captured.
House Approves Defense Spending
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 4]
The House, on a 403-17 vote, approved a $417 billion defense spending
bill
that gives the Bush administration most of what it wants for the Pentagon
in
2005.
House Passes Pentagon-Budget Bill
[Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2004, Pg. 2]
The House approved a $417 billion defense budget after attaching a
Republican-backed provision that makes it easier to raise the national
debt
without risking an embarrassing vote close to this year's elections.
Pentagon Stays On Track
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. B2]
The House refused to stop the Pentagon from moving ahead with plans for
a
new personnel system aimed at streamlining civil service rules and revamping
union bargaining rights.
NATO
NATO Develops Joint Antiterror Package
[Washington Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 3]
NATO is boosting cooperative efforts to fight terrorism by incorporating
a
new plan aimed at protecting ports from attack, stopping homemade bombs
and
creating new methods of sending commandos into hot spots.
RUSSIA
Russians Hunt Attackers As War Spills Beyond Chechnya
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
Russian troops, on orders from President Putin to "track down and
destroy"
Chechen insurgents who killed at least 57 people in an attack in a Russian
town, ambushed three Chechen towns and are conducting anti-rebel roadblocks
and passport checks in Chechnya and the Russian republic of Dagestan.
ASIA/PACIFIC
Killing Won't Alter Plans For Iraq, Seoul Says
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
The murder of a South Korean by Iraqi terrorists won't change Seoul's
plans
for deploying 3,000 more troops to Iraq. Officials are braced for planned
street protests against the government's decision to go ahead with the
troop
deployment.
NORTH KOREA
U.S. To Offer North Korea Incentives In Nuclear Talks
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
U.S. negotiators will offer North Korea, in talks in Beijing this week,
a
new but highly conditional set of incentives to give up its nuclear weapons
program the way Libya did last year. The proposal would be the first
significant, detailed overture to North Korea since President Bush took
office.
MIDEAST
Iran Hints It May Free 8 Britons Seized On Boats
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
Tehran indicated that eight British sailors and marines arrested Monday
for
entering Iran's territorial waters could be released shortly.
AFGHANISTAN
U.S. Military In Afghanistan Overhauls Prison Procedures
Officers are looking into a flurry of abuse allegations as the military
tightens detention and interrogation regulations.
[Christian Science Monitor, June 23, 2004]
Detainees in Afghan detention facilities have lodged numerous abuse
allegations against U.S. soldiers, prompting new investigations by
commanders and major reforms in detention policies.
U.S. Liability Key Concern In '02 Debate On Prisoners
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 13]
The State Department and the Justice Department, in 2002, had a furious
debate over the type and degree of human rights protections that should
apply to fighters picked up by the hundreds by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
The Justice Department wanted more latitude for using tough interrogation
methods against Taliban fighters who weren't covered by the Geneva
Conventions.
Afghans Behead 4 Taliban
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
Afghan troops beheaded four Taliban fighters to avenge the Taliban beheading
of an Afghan soldier and an Afghan interpreter for U.S.-led forces.
TERRORISM
New 2003 Data: 625 Terrorism Deaths, Not 307
[Washington Post, June 23, 2004, Pg. 1]
New figures released by the Bush administration show that 625 people died
in
terrorist attacks around the world last year. The State Department had
erroneously reported that 307 were killed during that time.
Book By CIA Officer Says U.S. Is Losing Fight Against Terror
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
A book by an anonymous author---"Imperial Hubris"---warns that
America is
losing the war on terrorism and that the invasion of Iraq has only played
into the enemy's hands. The author works at the CIA and the book had to
be
cleared by CIA officials before being published.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT
U.S. Rewords A Resolution On Immunity For Its Troops
[New York Times, June 23, 2004]
The U.S. circulated a revised resolution among Security Council members
to
try and overcome broad opposition to its efforts to get immunity for
American troops against prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
Iraq Prison Abuse Undermines U.S. Hope For War Crimes Waiver
Some nations on U.N. council are balking at extending exemptions for
Americans, forcing Bush officials into a diplomatic scramble.
[Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004]
Key U.S. allies, angered by the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal, oppose an
American resolution that would keep U.S. troops immune from prosecution
by
the International Criminal Court.
OPINION
New Values Debate Over Prisoner Abuse Could Hurt Bush
John Harwood
[Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2004, Pg. 4]
The Iraqi prison abuse scandal threatens to undermine a key political
asset
of President Bush---values. The scandal has deepened pessimism over the
occupation of Iraq, increased doubts about the administration's ability
to
handle the war on terror and dampened attitudes about the resurging economy.
The president is relying too much on legal jargon to explain his way out
of
the prison debacle. He needs to open up to the American people in a way
that
doesn't sound quite so legally Clintonesque.
An Iraqi Minority Report
Nesreen Berwari
[Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2004, Pg. 16]
Ms. Berwari is deeply disappointed by the international community's refusal
to endorse Iraq's Transitional Administrative Law in a recent U.S. Security
Council resolution recognizing Iraq's sovereignty as of June 30. She says
the TAL would guarantee the rights of minorities and women in Iraq, and
lays
the foundation for real democracy and ensures that majority rule will
not
easily transform into majority tyranny.
Source: Defense News
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