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A Daily Chronicle of Bush Administration Distortion May 5, 2004
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Administration Officials Knew Of Abu Ghraib Report



Since late February, the Pentagon has been in possession of a report produced by Major General Antonio M. Taguba that details the abuse of Iraqis incarcerated in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison 1. Months later, despite knowing of the 53-page report's existence, top administration officials responsible for the military still have not read the document.

White House officials told the Los Angeles Times that "the abuse of Iraqi prisoners sparked so much concern that President Bush was told about an investigation during the winter holidays."2 But White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tried to insulate the President from criticism by suggesting that the President was surprised by the report's findings. McClellan told reporters yesterday that Bush "only become aware of the photographs and the Pentagon's main internal report about the incidents from news reports last week."3 Yet President Bush still has not read the report.

Three weeks before the press reported the story of the Abu Ghraib report, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard B. Myers knew enough about it to call Dan Rather and ask him to delay airing the story.4 Yet, as of this Tuesday, Myers still hadn't read the report. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday that he had merely "seen a summary."

Sources:
  1. "Article 15-6 Investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba".
  2. "Accountability at Issue in Abuse of Prisoners", LA Times, 5/5/04.
  3. "White House and Pentagon Scurry to Draft Responses", New York Times, 5/5/04.
  4. "CBS delayed airing abuse story for two weeks", AP, 5/3/04.



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