Wednesday, May 12, 2004

WP.  The Berg family is upset about the unjustified detention of their son by authorities in Iraq.  They claim this detention caused him to miss his flight back to the US and therefore embroilled him in the recent escalation in violence (he was killed).  This is unfortunate and there is little that can be done.  However, this claim by the coalition spokesman is just plain wrong. Daniel Senor, a spokesman for the authority, said Berg was arrested in the northern city of Mosul on March 24 by Iraqi police, who apparently believed he might be involved in "suspicious activities." Senor said U.S. authorities were notified of the arrest and that the FBI visited him three times in Iraqi police custody. The FBI "determined that he was not involved with any criminal or terrorist activities," and Berg was released on April 6. But Senor said today it was "incorrect" that Berg was ever held by U.S. authorities. "He was arrested and detained by Iraqi police," Senor said. "He was at no time under the jurisdiction or within the detention of coalition forces." There isn't a government in Iraq.  All Iraqi forces are under the jurisdiction of the US coalition.  Further, the US was directly involved in the detention.  C'mon guys.  Spin like this is truly unprofessional. 4:46:25 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

Question of the day:  will we ever see the equivalent of a NATO for terrorism?? 1:02:03 PM    Comment_ Trackback []

NYT.  200,000 civilian DoD contractors awaiting security clearances.  One thing to do: create a fast track for former clearance holders. Many companies hiring employees for those sorts of jobs in Iraq refuse to take on anyone who does not already have clearance; some companies pay a substantial premium to those applicants who hold one. Still, those clearances must be renewed. A top secret clearance must be renewed every five years, meaning that someone who left a government job up to five years ago would still have a valid clearance. But the former employees have to submit paperwork for a reinvestigation when applying for a sensitive job in Iraq or elsewhere. 8:43:03 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

Everytime I get concerned about offshore outsourcing, I go back and read Marc Andreessen's e-mail to me on America's strengths.  It's a good shot of optimism. 8:27:13 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

Here's the Red Cross report on prisoner abuse. 8:12:40 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

NPR (audio).  Peter Singer on the use of mercenaries in Iraq (and specifically Abu Ghraib).  Worth listening to.  Frankly, this industry needs a large dose of reality.   7:28:06 AM    Comment_ Trackback []

WP.  Brig. Gen. Karpinski drops the bomb on Maj. Gen Miller and Gen Sanchez today in the Post. Karpinski said the decision about transferring control of the prison to military intelligence officials was broached at a September 2003 meeting with Miller, who was then in charge of the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, known colloquially as "Gitmo." Miller had come to Iraq at the insistence of top political officials in the Pentagon, who were frustrated by the meager intelligence coming from prisoners. Two weeks ago, he was appointed to reform the U.S.-run prisons in Iraq. Karpinski recalled that Miller told her he wanted to "Gitmo-ize" the prison -- a concept that critics have said opened the door to the use of aggressive interrogation techniques suited to loosening the tongues of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo, not Iraqis in a common jail. Miller said through a military spokesman yesterday that he does not recall using the word "Gitmo-ize." According to Karpinski's account, the surrender of authority to military intelligence did not go over easily. "This prison is not mine to give you," she said she told Miller. He responded, according to Karpinski's account: "You own the MP's [military police] and you supply them." Karpinski replied that "it belongs to the CPA," or Coalition Provisional Authority. Then, she told investigators, Miller said to her, "We will do this my way or the hard way," and asked that the room be cleared so the two were alone. He then said, according to Karpinski's account: "I have permission to take any facility I want from General Sanchez. We are going to get Military Intelligence procedures in place in that facility because the Military Intelligence isn't getting the information from these detainees that they should. . . . We are going to send MP's in here who know how to handle interrogation." On Lt. Gen. Sanchez she said: She said Sanchez told her in the presence of a military lawyer that "I don't care about the rules of engagement," and went on say, "If the rules of engagement are a problem, then change them." According to her account, a Sanchez deputy attending the meeting told her: "There isn't any difference if they are throwing rocks or MRE's [Meals Ready to Eat]. They are armed. Use lethal force." 7:16:34 AM    Comment_ Trackback []