[Marxism] Gen Miller, Infamous for Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, Takes the Fifth

[Brian Shannon <Brian_Shannon@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

As a civil libertarian, I of course defend the right of Miller and
Pappas to take the Fifth or its military equivalent. However, as a
hater of fascist officers . . .

Hearing the news, General Janis Karpinsky commented: "Revenge is
sweet." Okay, I made that up, but I bet she "thunk it" as my dad used
to say.

Brian Shannon
____________________

US general dodges questions in detainee abuse case
By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, a
key player in the treatment of detainees in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay,
has invoked his right not to incriminate himself in the cases of two
soldiers charged with abusing Abu Ghraib prisoners with dogs,
officials said on Thursday.

In addition, Army Col. Thomas Pappas, former top military
intelligence officer at the prison on the outskirts of Baghdad, was
granted immunity from prosecution and directed to testify in the
upcoming courts-martial of the Army dog handlers.

Miller headed the prison camp at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, helped shape detention practices at Abu Ghraib and later
oversaw all detention operations in Iraq.

. . . Miller "stands by all of his prior responses and statements"
but has decided "to stop answering these same questions," said Army
Maj. Michelle Crawford, his military lawyer.

With defense lawyers preparing to question Miller, the general
invoked his right under Article 31 of the Uniform Code of Military
Justice barring compulsory self-incrimination. Defense lawyers are
hoping to show that the detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib was ordered by
superiors.

Sgt. Santos Cardona and Sgt. Michael Smith are accused of using
military dogs to harass, threaten and assault prisoners at Abu Ghraib
from November 2003 to January 2004.

. . .
Under military law, rights enshrined in Article 31 for military
personnel are roughly the same as those given by the U.S.
Constitution's Fifth Amendment, which prohibits forcing a person to
be a witness against himself.

Eugene Fidell, president of the National Institute of Military
Justice, said he could not recall another general or admiral invoking
Article 31 rights.

"You're not supposed to invoke it unless you are, in fact, suspected
of an offense," Fidell said, while adding that merely invoking it
does not prove Miller is guilty of wrongdoing.

The Pentagon in summer 2003 sent Miller, at Guantanamo at the time,
to Iraq to improve detention operations there. Janis Karpinski, a
former one-star Army Reserve general in charge of the prison who was
later demoted to colonel, has accused Miller of introducing abusive
techniques at Abu Ghraib.

FULL AT
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N12106752.htm




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