Abuse Of Iraqi POWs By GIs Probed CBS News

Lastmonth,theU.S.Armyannounced17soldiersinIraq,includingabrigadiergeneral,
hadbeenremovedfromdutyafterchargesofmistreatingIraqiprisoners.
Butthedetailsofwhathappenedhavebeenkeptsecret,untilnow.
ItturnsoutphotographssurfacedshowingAmericansoldiersabusingandhumiliating
IraqisbeingheldataprisonnearBaghdad.TheArmyinvestigated,andissuedascathing
report.
Now,anArmygeneralandhercommandstaffmayfacetheendoflongmilitarycareers.
AndsixsoldiersarefacingcourtmartialinIraqandpossibleprisontime.
CorrespondentDanRathertalkstooneofthosesoldiers.And,forthefirsttime,60
MinutesIIwillshowsomeofthepicturesthatledtotheArmyinvestigation.
AccordingtotheU.S.Army,oneIraqiprisonerwastoldtostandonaboxwithhishead
covered,wiresattachedtohishands.Hewastoldthatifhefelloffthebox,hewouldbe
electrocuted.
Itwasthispicture,anddozensofothers,thatpromptedaninvestigationbytheU.S.
Army.OnTuesday,60MinutesIIaskedBrig.Gen.MarkKimmitt,deputydirectorof
coalitionoperationsinIraq,whatwentwrong.
"Frankly,Ithinkallofusaredisappointedbytheactionsofthefew,"saysKimmitt.
"Everyday,weloveoursoldiers,butfrankly,somedayswe'renotalwaysproudofour
soldiers."
FordecadesunderSaddamHussein,manyprisonerswhoweretakentotheAbuGhraib
prisonnevercameout.ItwasthecenterpieceofSaddam'sempireoffear,andthose
prisonerswhodidmakeitouttoldnightmarishtalesoftorturebeyondimaginingand
executionswithoutreason.
60MinutesIItalkedabouttheprisonandsharedpicturesofwhatAmericansdidthere
withtwomenwhohaveextensiveinterrogationexperience:FormerMarineLt.Col.Bill
CowanandformerCIABureauChiefBobBaer.
"IvisitedAbuGhraibacoupleofdaysafteritwasliberated.Itwasthemostawfulsight
I'veeverseen.Isaid,'Ifthere'severareasontogetridofSaddamHussein,it'sbecauseof
AbuGhraib,'"saysBaer."Therewerebodiesthatwereeatenbydogs,torture.Youknow,
electrodescomingoutofthewalls.Itwasanawfulplace."
"WewentintoIraqtostopthingslikethisfromhappening,andindeed,heretheyare

happeningunderourtutelage,"saysCowan.
ItwasAmericansoldiersservingasmilitarypoliceatAbuGhraibwhotookthese
pictures.Theinvestigationstartedwhenonesoldiergotthemfromafriend,andgave
themtohiscommanders.60MinutesIIhasadozenofthesepictures,andtherearemany
morepicturesthatshowAmericans,menandwomeninmilitaryuniforms,posingwith
nakedIraqiprisoners.
Thereareshotsoftheprisonersstackedinapyramid,onewithaslurwrittenonhisskin
inEnglish.
Insome,themaleprisonersarepositionedtosimulatesexwitheachother.Andinmost
ofthepictures,theAmericansarelaughing,posing,pointing,orgivingthecameraa
thumbsup.
60MinutesIIwasonlyabletocontactoneofthesoldiersfacingcharges.ButtheArmy
saystheyareallinIraq,awaitingcourtmartial.
"WhatcantheArmysayspecificallytoIraqisandotherswhoaregoingtoseethisand
takeitpersonally,"RatheraskedKimmitt,inaninterviewconductedbysatellitefrom
Baghdad.
"ThefirstthingI'dsayiswe'reappalledaswell.Theseareourfellowsoldiers.Theseare
thepeopleweworkwitheveryday,andtheyrepresentus.Theywearthesameuniform
asus,andtheylettheirfellowsoldiersdown,"saysKimmitt.
"Oursoldierscouldbetakenprisoneraswell.Andweexpectoursoldierstobetreated
wellbytheadversary,bytheenemy.Andifwecan'tholdourselvesupasanexampleof
howtotreatpeoplewithdignityandrespectWecan'taskthatothernationstothatto
oursoldiersaswell."
"SowhatwouldItellthepeopleofIraq?Thisiswrong.Thisisreprehensible.Butthisis
notrepresentativeofthe150,000soldiersthatareoverhere,"addsKimmitt."I'dsaythe
samethingtotheAmericanpeople...Don'tjudgeyourarmybasedontheactionsofa
few.
OneofthesoldiersfacingcourtmartialisArmyReserveStaffSgt.ChipFrederick.
Frederickischargedwithmaltreatmentforallegedlyparticipatinginandsettingupa
photo,andforposinginaphotographbysittingontopofadetainee.Heischargedwith
anindecentactforobservingonescene.Heisalsochargedwithassaultforallegedly
strikingdetaineesandorderingdetaineestostrikeeachother.
60MinutesIItalkedwithhimbyphonefromBaghdad,whereheisawaitingcourt

martial.
Fredericktoldushewillpleadnotguilty,claimingthewaytheArmywasrunningthe
prisonledtotheabuseofprisoners.
"Wehadnosupport,notrainingwhatsoever.AndIkeptaskingmychainofcommandfor
certainthings...likerulesandregulations,"saysFrederick."Anditjustwasn'thappening."
Sixmonthsbeforehefacedacourtmartial,Fredericksenthomeavideodiaryofhistrip
acrossthecountry.Frederick,areservist,saidhewasproudtoserveinIraq.Heseemed
particularlywellsuitedforthejobatAbuGhraib.He'sacorrectionsofficerataVirginia
prison,whosewardendescribedFredericktousas"oneofthebest."
FredericksaysAmericanscameintotheprison:"Wehadmilitaryintelligence,wehadall
kindsofothergovernmentagencies,FBI,CIA...AllthosethatIdidn'tevenknowor
recognize."
Frederick'slettersandemailmessageshomealsooffercluestoproblemsattheprison.He
wrotethathewashelpingtheinterrogators:
"Militaryintelligencehasencouragedandtoldus'Greatjob.'"
"Theyusuallydon'tallowotherstowatchtheminterrogate.ButsincetheylikethewayI
runtheprison,theyhavemadeanexception."
"Wehelpgettingthemtotalkwiththewaywehandlethem....We'vehadaveryhigh
ratewithourstyleofgettingthemtobreak.Theyusuallyendupbreakingwithinhours."
AccordingtotheArmy'sowninvestigation,that'swhatwashappening.TheArmyfound
thatinterrogatorsaskedreservistsworkingintheprisontopreparetheIraqidetainees,
physicallyandmentally,forquestioning.
What,ifanyactions,arebeingtakenagainsttheinterrogators?
"Ihopetheinvestigationisincludingnotonlythepeoplewhocommittedthecrimes,but
someofthepeoplethatmighthaveencouragedthesecrimesaswell,"saysKimmitt.
"Becausetheycertainlysharesomelevelofresponsibilityaswell."
Butsofar,noneoftheinterrogatorsatAbuGhraibarefacingcriminalcharges.Infact,a
numberofthemarecivilians,andmilitarylawdoesn'tapplytothem.
OneofthecivilianinterrogatorsatAbuGhraibwasquestionedbytheArmy,andhetold
investigatorshehad"brokenseveraltablesduringinterrogations,unintentionally,"while
tryingto"fearup"prisoners.Hedeniedhurtinganyone.

Inourphoneconversation,60MinutesIIaskedFrederickwhetherhehadseenany
prisonersbeaten.
"Isawthings.Wehadtouseforcesometimestogettheinmatestocooperate,justlike
ourrulesofengagementsaid,"saysFrederick."WelearnedalittlebitofArabic,basic
commands.Andtheydidn'twanttolisten,sosometimes,youwouldjustgivethema
littlenudgeorsomethinglikethatjusttogetthemtocooperatesowecouldgetthe
missionaccomplished."
AttorneyGaryMyersandajudgeadvocateinIraqaredefendingFrederick.Theysayhe
shouldneverhavebeencharged,becauseofthefailureofhiscommanderstoprovide
propertrainingandstandards.
"Theelixirofpower,theelixirofbelievingthatyou'rehelpingtheCIA,forGod'ssake,
whenyou'refromasmalltowninVirginia,that'sintoxicating,"saysMyers."Andso,
goodguyssometimesdothingsbelievingthattheyarebeingofassistanceandhelpinga
justcause....Andhelpingpeopletheyviewasimportant."
Fredericksayshedidn'tseeacopyoftheGenevaConventionrulesforhandlingprisoners
ofwaruntilafterhewascharged.
TheArmyinvestigationconfirmsthatsoldiersatAbuGhraibwerenottrainedatallin
GenevaConventionrules.Andmostwerereservists,parttimesoldierswhodidn'tgetthe
kindofspecializedprisonerofwartraininggiventoregularArmymembers.
Frederickalsosaystherewerefartoofewsoldiersthereforthenumberofprisoners:
"Therewas,whenIleft,therewasover900.Andtherewasonlyfivesoldiers,plustwo
noncommissionedofficers,inchargeforthose900over900inmates."
RatheraskedKimmittaboutunderstaffing."Thatdoesn'tcondoneindividualactsof
criminalbehaviornomatterhowtiredweare.Nomatterhowstretchedweare,that
doesn'tgiveuslicenseanditdoesn'tgiveustheauthoritytobreakthelaw,"says
Kimmitt.
"Thatmayhavebeenacontributingfactor,butattheendoftheday,thisisprobably
moreaboutleadership,supervision,settingstandards,abidingbytheArmyvaluesand
understandingwhat'sright,andhavingthegutstosaywhat'sright."
Brig.Gen.JanisKarpinskiranAbuGhraibfortheArmy.Shewasalsoinchargeofthree
otherArmyprisonfacilitiesthathousedthousandsofIraqiinmates.
TheArmyinvestigationdeterminedthatherlackofleadershipandclearstandardsledto
problemssystemwide.Karpinskitalkedwith60Minutes'SteveKroftlastOctoberat

AbuGhraib,beforeanyofthiscameout.
"Thisisinternationalstandards,"saidKarpinski."It'sthebestcareavailableinaprison
facility."
ButtheArmyinvestigationfoundseriousproblemsbehindthescenes.TheArmyhas
photographsthatshowadetaineewithwiresattachedtohisgenitals.Anothershowsa
dogattackinganIraqiprisoner.Fredericksaidthatdogswere"usedforintimidation
factors."
PartoftheArmy'sowninvestigationisastatementfromanIraqidetaineewhochargesa
translatorhiredtoworkattheprisonwithrapingamalejuvenileprisoner:"They
coveredallthedoorswithsheets.Iheardthescreaming....andthefemalesoldierwas
takingpictures."
ThereisalsoapictureofanIraqimanwhoappearstobedeadandbadlybeaten.
"It'sreprehensiblethatanybodywouldbetakingapictureofthatsituation,"says
Kimmitt.
Butwhataboutthesituationitself?
"Idon'tknowthefactssurroundingwhatcausedthebruisingandthebleeding,"says
Kimmitt."Ifthatisalsooneofthechargesbeingbroughtagainstthesoldiers,thattoois
absolutelyunacceptableandcompletelyoutsideofwhatweexpectofoursoldiersandour
guardsattheprisons."
Isthereanyindicationthatsimilaractionsmayhavehappenedatotherprisons?"I'dlike
tosithereandsaythatthesearetheonlyprisonerabusecasesthatwe'reawareof,butwe
knowthattherehavebeensomeotheronessincewe'vebeenhereinIraq,"saysKimmitt.
WhenSaddamranAbuGhraibprison,Iraqisweretooafraidtocomeaskforinformation
ontheirfamilymembers.
When60MinutesIIwastherelastmonth,hundredshadgatheredoutsidethegates,
worriedaboutwhatisgoingoninside.
"Wewillbepaidbackforthis.Thesepeopleatsomepointwillbeletout,"saysCowan.
"Theirfamiliesaregonnaknow.Theirfriendsaregonnaknow."
ThisisahardstorytohavetotellwhenAmericansarefightinganddyinginIraq.And
forCowan,it'sapersonalissue.HissonisaninfantrysoldierservinginIraqforthelast
fourmonths.

RatheraskedCowanwhathewouldsayto"thatpersonwhoissittingintheirlivingroom
andsaying,'Iwishtheywouldn'tdothis.It'sunderminingourtroopsandtheyshouldn't
doit.'"
"Ifwedon'ttellthisstory,thesekindsofthingswillcontinue.Andwe'llendupgetting
paidback100or1,000timesover,"saysCowan."Americanswanttobeproudofeach
andeverythingthatourservicemenandwomendoinIraq.Wewannabeproud.We
knowthey'reworkinghard.Noneofus,now,later,beforeorduringthisconflict,should
wannaletincidentslikethisjustpass."
KimmittsaystheArmywillnotletwhathappenedatAbuGhraibjustpass.Whatdoeshe
thinkisthemostimportantthingforAmericanstoknowaboutwhathashappened?
"Ithinktwothings.No.1,thisisasmallminorityofthemilitary,andNo.2,theyneedto
understandthatisnottheArmy,"saysKimmitt."TheArmyisavaluesbased
organization.Welivebyourvalues.Someofoursoldierseverydaydiebyourvalues,
andtheseactsthatyouseeinthesepicturesmayreflecttheactionsofindividuals,butby
God,itdoesn'treflectmyarmy."