corrente

Karpinski (as alert reader sid the fish puts it) is "singing like a canary." And isn't this a beautiful sound:

[Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski], the former head of the U.S. prison system in Iraq, told The Signal this week that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld personally authorized the same types of coercive interrogation methods for detainees at Abu Ghraib that he approved for use on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

The Pentagon denied the assertion Thursday.

[SIGNAL] Are there documents showing Donald Rumsfeld also approved particular interrogation techniques for Abu Ghraib?

[KARPINSKI] I did not see it personally (at the time), but since all of this has come out, I have not only seen, but I've been asked about some of those documents, that he signed and agreed to.

[SIGNAL] About Abu Ghraib?

[KARPINSKI] Yes. About using the same techniques that were successful in Guantanamo Bay, at Abu Ghraib.

[SIGNAL] Those documents have not been released yet?

[KARPINSKI] No.

[SIGNAL] What can you characterize about [documents authorizing special interrogation techniques]?

[KARPINSKI] I know that [Military Intelligence commander] Col. [Thomas M.] Pappas, on three occasions, sent a request to Gen. Sanchez to escalate their interrogations, and that involved using — and he lists them. And in one case he said they wanted to use dogs, and they wanted to increase the length of time that they could be isolated, food deprivation, that kind of — sleep deprivation. And in at least two of those cases, there is a signature of approval from Gen. Sanchez.

[SIGNAL] And you've seen those documents?

[KARPINSKI] Yes I have.

(via, of all places, The Santa Clarita Signal)

Hey, freedom's untidy!

Say, I wonder if Rummy got approval from Bush? And was the approval in writing?