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Rumsfeld apologises to ill-treated prisoners
Bush promises to bring guilty to book
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Bush acknowledges ‘tough times’ for USA Al-Qaida funded Morocco bombings Last year’s deadly bomb attacks in Morocco’s commercial hub Casablanca were carried out by Moroccan members of Al-Qaida who were financed by the extremist group, the head of Morocco’s police force said in an interview published today. 3 students die in firing at
US school Three students were seriously injured yesterday near Baltimore in a random shooting outside Randallstown High School where state legislators were present, media reports said.
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Rumsfeld apologises to ill-treated prisoners
Washington, May 8 “They are human beings, they are in US custody and the United States has an obligation to treat them right. It is this obligation to evaluate what happened and to make sure that those who did wrong are brought to justice, to make the changes needed and to see that this does not happen again,” he said testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee. Mr Rumsfeld’s testimony was interrupted by demonstrators who held up a sign saying “Fire Rumsfeld”. The Defence Secretary’s statements were backed by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Richard Myers, the Deputy Commander of the Central Command, Lieut-Gen Lance Smith, Undersecretary of the Army Les Brownlee and the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen Peter Schoomaker. Under very sharp questioning, especially by Democrats, Mr Rumsfeld promised that all those guilty would be prosecuted. Mr Rumsfeld, service chiefs and several members of the committee stressed that the actions of a guilty few should not reflect on the thousands of servicemen who are doing their job honourably. Mr Warner said the pictures of the mistreatment have been televised day after day
throughout the West Asia and, indeed, the world has the potential to undermine the substantial gains the US has made towards the goal of peace and freedom. Mr Rumsfeld praised the army specialist who brought the tortures to the attention of the authorities and insisted that immediate action was taken to institute an investigation. The conduct of the few responsible, he said, is inconsistent with the teachings of the
military and it was certainly un-American. The Defence Secretary listed several steps being taken to prevent repetition of these incidents. Several senior former officials have been requested to recommend whether additional investigations or studies need to be initiated. Appropriate compensation would be provided to those who suffered such grievous and brutal abuse and cruelty at the hands of a few members of the US armed forces, he said. Meanwhile admitting that it was “possible” his resignation could help undo the damage caused by the prisoner abuse scandal in Iraq, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he will appoint a panel of senior officials to review the ongoing probes into the issue. Rumsfeld, grilled by the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, was asked whether his resignation would help undo the damage done by the abuse of Iraqi prisoners. “I would not resign simply because some people are trying to make a political issue of it,” he said.
— PTI |
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Woman soldier charged with abusing prisoners
Fort Bragg (North England, 21, faces four allegations, a statement from the XVIII Airborne Corps said here yesterday. Six soldiers have already been charged with crimes in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners and seven were reprimanded. In addition to the known abuse cases and at least 25 prisoner deaths already reported, the military is investigating 42 potential cases of misconduct against civilians that occurred outside prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan and nearby countries. England was accused of “assaulting Iraqi detainees on multiple occasions;” conspiring with another soldier, Spc. Charles Graner, to mistreat the prisoners; committing an indecent act. England was also accused of committing acts “that were prejudicial to good order and discipline and were of nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces through her mistreatment of Iraqi detainees.” The charges must be taken up in an investigation before they can be sent to a general court-martial. No lawyer has been appointed yet to represent England, according to Col. Billy Buckner, a spokesman for the division. She may also hire a civilian lawyer, he said.
— AP |
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Bush promises to bring guilty to book Washington, May 8 “In recent days, America and the world have learned of shocking conduct in Iraqi prisons by a small number of American servicemen and women. These individuals had been given the responsibility of overseeing Iraqis in American custody, and doing so in a decent and humane manner, consistent with US law and the Geneva conventions. “Instead we have seen shameful images of prisoners being subjected to abuse and humiliation. Such practices do not reflect our values. They are a stain on our country’s honour and reputation,” Mr Bush said in his weekly radio address. Shortly after reports of abuse became known to the US military, an investigation was launched, Mr Bush said, adding that several formal investigations, led by senior military officials, were underway now and some soldiers had already been charged with crimes. “We will,” said Bush, “learn all the facts and determine the full extent of these abuses. Those involved will be identified; they will answer for their actions. All prison operations in Iraq will be thoroughly reviewed to make certain that similar disgraceful incidents are never repeated.” What took place in that Iraqi prison, declared Mr Bush, was the wrongdoing of a few, and did not reflect the character of more than 200,000 military personnel who had served in Iraq since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “America is a compassionate country that believes in justice and in freedom. Americans believe in the worth and rights and dignity of every person,” he said. This, he said, had been a difficult few weeks. “Yet our forces will stay on the offensive, finding and confronting the killers and terrorists who are trying to undermine the progress of democracy in Iraq. To address the violence in Fallujah, our marines are working with Iraqis to conduct operations in and around the city. In the city of Najaf, said Mr Bush, an illegal militia was attempting to incite violence and seize control. He said the First Armoured Division was steadily and systematically defeating these enemy forces, while seeking to protect the people and the holy sites of that city. Elements of this militia had been ejected from the Najaf governor’s office, which they had been occupying. “Our mission in Iraq will continue on July 1, and beyond. We have no intention of leaving that nation at the mercy of thugs and murderers. We’re determined to help build a free and stable Iraq, a nation at peace with its neighbours and with the world.”
— PTI |
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Bush acknowledges ‘tough times’ for USA
Cairo, May 8 Mr Bush also backed off of the “road map” peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians, saying that keeping the promise of a Palestinian state by 2005 “may be hard.” He did not give a new timetable. The editors of Egypt’s Al-Ahram newspaper who conducted the interview didn’t ask about the future of Defence Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, whom critics have called upon to resign for his handling of the prisoner-abuse scandal. Mr Bush mentioned Rumsfeld only once in the interview, speaking of “our Secretary of Defence, in whom I’ve got confidence and believe in.” He noted Rumsfeld planned to testify yesterday before Congress. The interview was conducted on Thursday, the same day Mr Bush for the first time apologised for the conduct of US troops in Iraq who humiliated prisoners in their charge. The issue has created furore throughout the Middle East, leading Mr Bush to grant interviews to Arab news media in an attempt to repair the damage. Mr Bush didn’t apologise in two television interviews Wednesday, but he made up for it in the Al-Ahram interview, saying the word “sorry” six times. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am to them and their families for the humiliation,” he said. “I’m also sorry because people are then able to say, ‘Look how terrible America is.” Mr Bush conceded that the issue has cost the USA standing in the Middle East. “I think that things in the Middle East for the USA are difficult right now,” Mr Bush said. “I think they’re difficult because people don’t really understand our intentions. ... I’d say right now times are tough for the USA and the Middle East.” The interview was conducted in the Map Room of the White House. Al-Ahram spoke with Mr Bush on Thursday afternoon, but because of the time difference was running the interview in today’s editions.
— AP |
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Al-Qaida funded Morocco bombings
Paris, May 8 General Hamidou Laanigri added Libyan extremist groups also have had a role in the May 13 attacks against foreign, Jewish and business targets which cost 45 lives, including those of 12 suicide bombers. “The (attack) was carried out by Moroccan members of Al-Qaida who met with (Al-Qaida leader) Osama bin Laden, his ideologist Ayman al-Zawahiri and his operational chief Abu Mussab Zarqawi,” he told French daily Le Figaro. “In 2002 Moroccan jihadists asked bin Laden for financial aid. Zarqawi believed in them and pulled some strings. This is how they obtained the funds to organise May 16, 2003 in Casablanca,” he added. King Mohammed VI of Morocco moved Laanigri from his post as domestic intelligence head to the position of national police chief shortly after the Casablanca attacks. The police chief said the majority of extremists operating in Morocco had been detained. “As far as I know, only a dozen dangerous elements are still on the loose. Of course, attacks are always possible,” he said before adding “these small Islamic groups do not have the support of the population”.
— AFP |
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3 students die in firing at
US school Washington, May 8 A fourth victim was less seriously hurt, according to The Baltimore Sun’s online edition. The police said a car with four suspects drove to the school. The driver got out and fired a semi-automatic weapon on a group of persons. He also handed the gun to a passenger who fired more
shots. — DPA |
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Fort Bragg (North Carolina), May 8
