[Marxism] Former General Karpinski denounces shoplifting charges

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The headlines were that Brig. General Karpinski was demoted for the  
abuses at Abu Ghraib and shoplifting.

In fact, she was not demoted for responsibility for the Abu Ghraib  
abuses.

Regarding Abu Ghraib, the Army Release says: “Though Brigadier General  
Karpinski’s performance of duty was found to be seriously lacking, the  
investigation determined that no action or lack of action on her part  
contributed specifically to the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib.”

“Performance of duty … seriously lacking.”

“No action or lack of action …  contributed specifically to the abuse  
of detainees at Abu Ghraib.”

Don’t you like that word “specifically”? It is slipped in slyly and if  
to imply that “hint, hint” her failures did play a role. But they don’t  
dare say it openly. It was written by a lawyer (perhaps a team of them)  
to escape any potential attack on her while still undermining her  
stature.

There are no details given regarding her “performance of duty.”

Most interestingly, the original charges made by Maj. Gen. Antonio  
Taguba against Karpinski in his well-publicized report have  
disappeared. Those were that she made “a material representation to an  
investigating team” for misstating the frequency of visits to prisons  
and “failure to obey a lawful order” for disobeying orders for  
disciplining subordinates.

Both of these have been dropped.

What about the shoplifting?

Here is a June 2004 CBS report on this charge. Suspect words or phrases  
are in CAPS by me:
___________________

When CBS News asked her about it, she said it never happened.

When CBS’ Martin asked if Karpinski denied she was ever ARRESTED or  
PICKED UP in the MacDill Air Force Base store for shoplifting, she  
responded, “That’s correct.”

SOURCES say an Air Force report details the shoplifting incident, but  
Pentagon officials REFUSE ALL COMMENT, saying that would violate  
Karpinski’s rights under the Privacy Act.

Karpinski says if such a DOCUMENT exists, it’s a forgery designed to  
discredit her for speaking out.

[See below, there is no document and when Karpinski asks for openness,  
there is no longer any mention of a right to privacy, just  
stonewalling.]

Karpinski was a colonel at the time of the alleged shoplifting, but  
when she showed Defense Secretary Rumsfeld around Abu Ghraib, she was  
wearing the one star of a brigadier general.

The Army is investigating how — despite the shoplifting REPORT — she  
was promoted and placed in command of all the prisons in Iraq.

[Again, there is no REPORT, see below.]

SOURCES SAY Karpinski was able to go into counseling and do community  
service because she was a first-time offender and the dollar amount was  
so small. That apparently kept the incident out of court records and  
her service file.

But Army officers say it still should have surfaced in the course of  
background checks that normally include QUESTIONNAIRES asking if you’ve  
been ARRESTED in the past seven years. Whether that lapse was the  
Army’s fault or Karpinski’s is now under investigation. Her attorney  
promises she will cooperate fully in any investigation.

_________________

But there still should be witnesses and they should be available. The  
incident took place at a particular place and at a particular  
historical moment. In addition, there is no charge that Karpinski  
falsified any report or omitted any material information. So where is  
the offense substantiated?

Today, May 13, 2005, Karpinski replies further in this AP report.  
Again, my emphasis is in CAPS and my comments are in brackets.
____________

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/13/ 
AR2005051300291.html
OR http://makeashorterlink.com/?D5652321B

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- The highest-ranking officer punished in the  
Abu Ghraib prison abuse scandal says she was NEVER CHARGED or even  
ARRESTED for shoplifting and the Army only brought the allegation so it  
could demote her.

[Perhaps Karpinski is technically correct here regarding demotion.  
However, I believe that the main purpose of this is to morally and  
sexually marginalize her, making her into a figure of ridicule.]

Former Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, whose Army Reserve unit was in  
charge of the prison during the abuse of Iraqi inmates, gave details of  
how the allegation arose in an interview published Friday by The Signal  
of Santa Clarita.

Karpinski told the newspaper the basis for the allegation was a  
misunderstanding that occurred in 2002 at an Air Force base store in  
Florida.

A colonel at the time, Karpinski said she removed a bottle of facial  
cream from her purse, then returned it while rummaging for her cell  
phone. A security guard believed the bottle belonged to the shop, but  
store personnel later concluded it was her property and had been  
“clearly partially used.”

A U.S. government official, speaking last week on condition of  
ANONYMITY, said Karpinski was arrested for shoplifting a cosmetic item.  
The official said Karpinski did not report the misdemeanor ARREST on a  
later BACKGROUND CHECK.

[Same as above. What about other witnesses and some detail? An  
anonymous person says that Karpinski did not report the misdemeanor  
arrest. There has to be an arrest report or at least a witness to this  
arrest? And what, when and where is the “background check.” Everything  
in the Army is on an official form and has a date, such as DOD xxx, 00,  
month, year.]

Karpinski was demoted to colonel last week after the Army’s inspector  
general investigated allegations against her of dereliction of duty,  
making a “material misrepresentation” to investigators, failure to obey  
a lawful order and shoplifting.

The Army said only the shoplifting and dereliction of duty allegations  
were substantiated.

“They had nothing about Abu Ghraib to use against me,” she said. “So  
they pull this flaky allegation out and use it to demote me? ... To  
save face? To mislead the American public yet again?”

Army spokeswoman Pamela Hart said Karpinski’s demotion resulted in part  
from an ALLEGATION that she had shoplifted.

[Now at least we have a name, Pamela Hart. But she says nothing of an  
ARREST, just that there was an ALLEGATION. What about Mr. Anonymous  
from last week, who said that there was an ARREST? Again, who made the  
allegation, or is Karpinski correct in saying that the so-called  
allegation was a routine check by a security guard that was then  
cleared up? I guess that that is an “allegation.”

“Her VALIDATED shoplifting was also a factor,” she said without  
elaborating on the details of the allegation. “As a general officer,  
she would have been obligated to report prior offenses on her security  
questionnaire, which I DO NOT BELIEVE was the case.”

[What “security questionnaire” is Hart talking about? It must have a  
name; why isn’t it available for examination so we can see how  
Karpinski failed to report a “prior offense”?]

[Frankly, until there is further information, I “don’t believe” any of  
this shit. What the hell does “validated” mean? Who validates it? Is it  
a stamp? The word VALIDATION is brought in here, along with the word  
SUBSTANTIATED, because they have no arrest and no witnesses that they  
can rely on!!]

[Even the AP reporter slips in the fact that Hart doesn’t elaborate on  
the details. Hart is out there to perform a snow job, or shit spray  
job, on the most serious of these charges, the one of moral turpitude,  
because we all know that there were some failures of supervision.]

[Karpinski’s greatest failure was failing to see that she and her  
subordinates were being submarined by CIA interrogators and higher  
officers.]

Karpinski said repeated requests under the Freedom of Information Act  
to learn the basis for the shoplifting allegation were ignored or did  
not yield any information. Her legal officers were allowed to review  
the Army inspector general’s files for documentation, but “there was  
nothing to substantiate” the allegations.

[Well, now the Army has a chance to reply. It has the files. It should  
have ANONYMITY and Ms. HART cough them up.]

On May 3, the Army announced it had demoted her back to colonel, after  
getting required approval from President Bush. The demotion means her  
career in the military, where officers must rise in rank or leave, is  
effectively over.

Karpinski also received a written reprimand and was formally relieved  
of command of the 800th Military Police Brigade.
-------

From Brian Shannon

_______________________________________________
Marxism mailing list
Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/marxism