The more articles I read about the brutal treatment of prisoners in US custody, it becomes more and more clear that what upsets the administration and its supporters is that there are photographs, detailing facts some of them have know for almost 4 months. The sadistic treatment, the brutality — none of that is what’s being discussed: it’s the fact that we now know there was documentary evidence of these crimes, an investigation into them, and a report detailing them.
Another facet to this is the incurious nature of the president: he receives facts — that Al Queda is planning attacks in the US, that US troops are violating the Geneva Convention (it’s assumed here that he was told earlier this year) — but doesn’t feel compelled to dig under the problem and lead.
<update> The Red Cross has been aware of all this since last year but has been unable to get the US authorities in Baghdad to address it.
TheIowaChannel.com – News – Bush Apologizes, Defends Rumsfeld Over Prison Abuse:
Red Cross: We Demanded Action On Abuse Before New Allegations
The international Red Cross said it knew what was going on.
The agency says it had repeatedly asked U.S. authorities to take action over alleged prisoner abuse by U.S. soldiers at a prison near the Iraqi capital before the most recent allegations surfaced.
The Red Cross had previously refused to comment on conditions at the prison. A spokeswoman says “We were aware of what was going on.” She says agency officials had been visiting the prison since last year and had talked to prisoners in private.
What did [the president|the sec’y of defense|the sec’y of state] know and when did he know it?