- WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The
Pentagon on Thursday opposed calls for an independent investigation of
prisoner abuse from human rights groups and a key congressional Democrat,
who said such a probe was the only way to get to the truth.
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- Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch called for
an independent investigation into U.S. prisoner detention and interrogation
operations after two Pentagon reports this week greatly expanded the scope
of culpability in the prisoner abuse scandal.
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- "The investigations either completed or under way
and the rigorous oversight by Congress provide the department and the public
a thorough examination of the facts," said Matt Waxman, deputy assistant
secretary of defense for detainee affairs.
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- Waxman said in a statement existing Pentagon inquiries
"have put detention operations under a microscope."
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- "What's needed now is not another investigation
but time for the justice system to work its will and for the department
to continue its efforts to improve detention operations."
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- Alistair Hodgett, spokesman for Amnesty International
USA, said no investigation conducted since the revelations that U.S. forces
abused and sexually humiliated Iraqis at Abu Ghraib jail had been free
to take a full look at who was responsible for the abuse and what caused
it. Not one of the "patchwork of reports" had examined the CIA's
role, he noted.
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- "We need to have somebody look into all this who's
not appointed by or under the command of the secretary of defense. There
is a multitude of investigations, but they're all within the Pentagon or
a panel that was appointed by the secretary of defense," added Reed
Brody, a lawyer with Human Rights Watch.
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- "To get the full truth, we need an independent investigation
with the power to pick up the trail in Washington and to follow the facts
wherever they lead," said Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, top Democrat
on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
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- The rights groups called for an independent probe to
examine the actions of Pentagon officials, U.S. troops, CIA personnel and
anyone else involved in or responsible for abuse, and they want a review
of criminal liability of senior officials.
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- Amnesty International favors a special counsel. Human
Rights Watch envisions an independent commission akin to the one that examined
the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
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- A report on Tuesday by a panel appointed by Defense Secretary
Donald Rumsfeld and headed by former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger
assigned indirect responsibility for the abuse to top Pentagon civilian
and military officials.
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- An investigative report by Army Maj. Gen. George Fay
and Lt. Gen. Anthony Jones on Wednesday found that many more U.S. soldiers
than previously acknowledged were directly involved in the Abu Ghraib abuse.
Fay said some of the abuse qualified as torture.
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- More Pentagon investigations are ongoing.
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- -- Navy Vice Adm. Tom Church, the Navy's inspector general,
is heading a review of Pentagon interrogation techniques and practices.
It is expected to be completed by mid-September.
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- -- Army Brig. Gen. Richard Formica is looking into allegations
of detainee abuse by elite U.S. special forces in Iraq. A senior Army official
said this report should be out "soon," but was not more specific.
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- -- Army Col. Beverly Ertman, inspector general of the
Army Reserve, is heading a review of training of Army Reserve military
police and military intelligence soldiers in legal issues, detainee treatment,
interrogation techniques, ethics and leadership. Army Reserve spokesman
Steve Stromvall said this review is due to be finished by March 2005.
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