home

Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu Ghraib Abuse Trial

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Thu Jan 12, 2006 at 03:41:44 PM EST
Tags: (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Two Abu Ghraib soldiers accused of using military dogs to threaten and attack prisoners, Sgt. Santos Cardona and Sgt. Michael Smith, are set to go on trial next month. U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, the one-time Guantanamo commander sent by Bush to examine Abu Ghraib, has invoked his 5th Amendment privilege against self-incrimination and refused to testify. Army Col. Thomas Pappas has been granted immunity in exchange for his testimony.

Digby is justifiably outraged.

I'm wondering, what's up with the Pappas immunity? Maybe he is going to rat out Miller? Or someone in the CIA? This 2004 USA Today article from 2004 recaps the details, including a sworn statement it had reviewed from Army Lt. Col. Steven Jordan, the top military intelligence officer at Abu Ghraib who oversaw the interrogations. Here's what he had to say about Pappas, after a ghost detainee had died while being interrogated:

One of these detainees died under questioning, a death that has become subject of an internal CIA investigation. Jordan said Pappas was concerned about such a development and demanded a memorandum of understanding with the agency. Jordan quoted Pappas as saying, "Well, if I go down, I'm not going down alone. The guys from Langley are going with me."

< Sen. Harry Reid's Statement on Alito Hearings | Report: Michael Skakel Conviction Upheld >

  • The Online Magazine with Liberal coverage of crime-related political and injustice news

  • Contribute To TalkLeft


    • Display: Sort:
    Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu Ghraib Abuse Trial | 5 comments (5 topical)
    Re: Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu (none / 0) (#1)
    by mjvpi on Thu Jan 12, 2006 at 06:56:50 PM EST
    It feels strange to be cheering for the prosecution all the time!

    Re: Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu (none / 0) (#2)
    by john horse on Fri Jan 13, 2006 at 04:00:25 AM EST
    Does anyone else find General Miller's invoking his right against self-incrimination to be pretty incriminating? General Miller links Guantanamo to Abu Ghraib. He was brought in to both places because they thought the commanders there were too soft and were not getting enough intelligence. He is the smoking gun that proves that what occurred at Abu Ghraib was not a case of a "few rotten apples" or "they were confused about procedures". If it was something inherent in the character of the particular guards, then why did the abuse in Abu Ghraib only start to occur after Miller arrived.

    Re: Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Jan 13, 2006 at 06:05:28 AM EST
    Did the sergeants bring the dogs over themselves? Did Lynndie England make all of the hoods on her portable Singer?

    Re: Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu (none / 0) (#4)
    by pigwiggle on Fri Jan 13, 2006 at 08:04:35 AM EST
    “Does anyone else find General Miller's invoking his right against self-incrimination to be pretty incriminating?”
    Yes. I also found it very surprising. I’m not sure why, but I just assumed that in the military this sort of thing wasn’t done. You know, you answered for your actions and it went on up until the general (or whomever) that was responsible for the orders took responsibility and was sacked. Well, I guess it’s worked its way up.

    Re: Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu (none / 0) (#5)
    by Johnny on Fri Jan 13, 2006 at 11:25:51 PM EST
    General Miller is invoking immunity from frathouse pranks?

    Miller Takes 5th, Pappas Gets Immunity in Abu Ghraib Abuse Trial | 5 comments (5 topical)