05-12-2004
SFTT Role in Uncovering Abu Ghraib Abuses
The past few weeks we were all very astounded and disgusted by the pictures and tales of abuse coming out of Iraq with regard to our U.S. forces and the treatment of Iraqi prisoners. On Friday, May 7th, the Secretary of Defense and Commander of the Joint Chiefs of Staff were hauled before two congressional committees to answer questions of accountability in this sordid scandal. On Tuesday, May 11th, General Antonio Taguba was testifying before congress regarding his report - the "15-6 Report" - and his findings.
Now for the real bombshell; SFTT's website provided the conduit for the key contact when William Lawson, the uncle of one on the MP's facing charges, and a retired USAF Master Sergeant, contacted Roger Charles who was working as a consultant with 60 Minutes II. Roger had placed a request for information about the involuntary discharge of four Reservists from the 320th MP Battalion on the SFTT web site. An automatic response link went straight to Charles.
Information provided by Lawson and follow-up contacts allowed the CBS production team to develop additional information about the 372nd MP Company, the 320th MP Battalion and the 800th MP Brigade. The subsequent intensive investigation produced the 60 Minutes II program seen on April 28 that exposed the abuses at Abu Ghraib, including the now historical photographs.
more
http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Unlisted%2edb&command=viewone&id=12Also, this link lists the congresscritters who were contacted for help.
Jack Reed (D) RI
Robert Byrd (D) WV
Evan Bayh (D) IN
Edward Kennedy (D) MA
Hillary Clinton (D) NY
Daniel Akaka (D) HI
Paul Sarbanes (D) MD
Gov. Mark Warner (D) VA
Mark Dayton (D) MN
William Nelson (D) FL
Mark Pryor (D) AR
Benjamin Nelson (D) NE
Joseph Lieberman (D) CT
Roscoe Bartlett (R) MD
John "Jay" D. Rockefeller (D) WV
(bummer)