http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/2004/05/050504.html
SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2004, Issue No. 42
May 5, 2004
TORTURE REPORT MAY HAVE BROKEN CLASSIFICATION RULES
ABU GHRAIB AND THE FAILURE OF STRATEGIC INFLUENCE
CONGRESS PERFORMED CLASSIFICATION POLICY REVIEW (OR NOT)
By classifying an explosive report on the torture of Iraqi prisoners
as "Secret," the Pentagon may have violated official secrecy policies,
which prohibit the use of classification to conceal illegal
activities.
The report, authored by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, found that "between
October and December 2003, at the Abu Ghraib Confinement Facility,
numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses
were inflicted on several detainees."
"The allegations of abuse were substantiated by detailed witness
statements and the discovery of extremely graphic photographic
evidence," Gen. Taguba wrote.
These specific observations, and the report as a whole, were
classified "Secret / No Foreign Dissemination."
Why the secrecy?
"There's clearly nothing in there that's inherently secret, such as
intelligence sources and methods or troop movements," an astute
reporter noted at a Pentagon press briefing on May 4.
"Was this kept secret because it would be embarrassing to the world,
particularly the Arab world?"
"I do not know specifically why it was labeled Secret," replied Gen.
Peter Pace.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said he did not know why it was
classified, either.
"You'd have to ask the classifier," he said.
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Not good enough, Rummy.
Harry
.
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