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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, August 30, 2007

Justice in Abu Ghraib case remains elusive

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For a moment, it really seemed as if the White House and the military were serious about pursuing accountability following the disgraceful Abu Ghraib prison scandal.

Following public outcry, the Army reevaluated its interrogation techniques and detention policies. Military inquiries even prompted Congress to pass laws on the treatment of detainees.

When the 11 low-ranking soldiers pictured in the shameful photos were convicted, the logical next step was to hold their superiors accountable. These soldiers clearly did not operate in a vacuum.

But any hope of reaching a justified end to this embarrassing case was dashed on Tuesday, when a military jury exonerated Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan of mistreating detainees. Jordan was the supervisor of Abu Ghraib who reported to the senior officer in charge of interrogations — he was also the only Army officer who faced a court-martial in the prison scandal.

Yet the only crime Jordan was found guilty of was disobeying an order not to discuss the case. So, yes, there was a criminal conviction against an officer in Abu Ghraib, but it has nothing to do with abuse of detainees.

Talk about missing the point.

The fact is that the scandals at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay highlight a hypocrisy. Ours is a nation that condemns torture by other governments, yet evidence shows our military used abusive interrogation practices.

If Jordan was not responsible, who was? Now we may never know.