What have the investigations into the prisoner abuse scandal revealed?
The Pentagon says it has conducted 12 official investigations into prison abuse allegations at DoD facilities and abuse has been documented at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and elsewhere in Afghanistan and Iraq. Former Secretary of Defense James Schlesinger’s investigation — considered the most independent of the 12 inquiries — concluded that the abuse was the result of confusing policies coming from the military and civilian leadership concerning the treatment and interrogation of prisoners. Defense Dept. officials continue to insist that the abuse was the result of a few bad apples. As recently as Aug. 26, 2005, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers said, “If it was only the night shift at Abu Ghraib — which it was; it was only a small section of the guards that participated in this — it’s a pretty good clue that it wasn’t a more widespread problem.” But critics argue that the Pentagon investigations have amounted to nothing more than damage control and have called for an
