Citizendia

Col. Janis Karpinski

United States Army

May 25, 1953 (1953-05-25) (age 55)

US Army Photo
Place of birthRahway, New Jersey
AllegianceFlag of the United States United States of America
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1977-2005
RankColonel,
formerly Brigadier General
Commands heldAbu Ghraib Prison
160th Military Police Battalion
Battles/warsIraq War
Gulf War
AwardsBronze Star
Meritorious Service Medal(3)
Army Commendation Medal(3)
Other workAuthor One Woman's Army

Janis Leigh Karpinski (born May 25, 1953, Rahway, New Jersey[1]) is a central figure in the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rahway (ˈrɔweɪ is a city in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. See also Colonel In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, colonel Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. The Abu Ghraib prison (سجن أبو غريب also Abu Ghurayb is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km (20 mi west of Baghdad. The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration which may be awarded for bravery acts of merit or meritorious service The Meritorious Service Medal is a military award presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguished themselves by outstanding non-combat meritorious Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rahway (ˈrɔweɪ is a city in southern Union County, New Jersey, United States. Beginning in 2004 accounts of Abuse, Torture, Sodomy and Homicide of Prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq

Karpinski is currently a United States Army Colonel in the 800th Military Police Brigade. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. See also Colonel In the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps and the United States Air Force, colonel A brigade is a Military unit Echelon: is She was demoted from Brigadier General in the aftermath of the scandal, for dereliction of duty, making a material misrepresentation to investigators, and failure to obey a lawful order. Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General. [2] She was the commander of three large US- and British-led prisons in Iraq in 2003, eight battalions, and 3400 Army reservists. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. A battalion is a Military unit of around 500-1500 men usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel Karpinski claims that she was made a "scapegoat" in order to protect higher ranking military personnel from the scandal. [3]

In June 2003, during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, Karpinski was given command of the 800 Military Police Brigade, putting her in charge of the fifteen detention facilities in southern and central Iraq run by Coalition forces. June 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - Iraq War|2007 in Iraq|2008 in IraqThe post-invasion period in Iraq Karpinski was also given command of the National Guard and Army reserve units in the Iraqi city of Mosul. For the National Guard of a State and other countries' National Guard see National Guard. For the village in Azerbaijan see Mosul Azerbaijan. Mosul (الموصل Al Mūṣul, Kurdish: Mosul/Ninawa, Musul In January 2004, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez formally suspended Karpinski and sixteen other soldiers with undisclosed reprimands. Lieutenant General Ricardo S Sanchez (born 1951 is a retired United States Army general who served as the V Corps commander of coalition forces An investigation was started into the abuse, and Karpinski left Iraq for reasons that were explained at the time as part of "routine troop rotations. "

On April 8, 2005 Karpinski was formally relieved of command of the 800th Military Police Brigade, and on May 5, 2005, President Bush approved Karpinski's demotion to colonel from the rank of brigadier general. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Her demotion was not officially related to the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The Abu Ghraib prison (سجن أبو غريب also Abu Ghurayb is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km (20 mi west of Baghdad.

In October 2005 she published an account of her experiences, One Woman's Army, in which she claims that the abuses were perpetrated by contract employees trained in Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay and sent under orders from Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and that her demotion was political retribution. PortalCurrent events News collections and sources See WikipediaNews collections and sources. Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, The Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp is a controversial United States Detention center operated by Joint Task Force Guantanamo since 2002 in Guantanamo Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President

Contents

Early career

Karpinski was commissioned into the Army as a second lieutenant in 1977 and has served primarily in intelligence and military police assignments, including tours supporting the Special Forces and in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi She moved from the regular Army to the Reserves in 1987. She also became a consultant who ran military-styled training programs for executives. She is married to George Karpinski, a lieutenant colonel at the Oman US embassy. Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman ( Arabic: سلطنة عُمان) is an Arab Country in Southwest Asia on the southeast A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in She was awarded a Bronze Star. The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration which may be awarded for bravery acts of merit or meritorious service

Iraq service

In June 2003, during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, Karpinski was given command of the 800 Military Police Brigade. June 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - Iraq War|2007 in Iraq|2008 in IraqThe post-invasion period in Iraq This put her in charge of the fifteen detention facilities in southern and central Iraq run by Coalition forces. She had no experience running correctional facilities. Karpinski was also given command of the National Guard and Army reserve units in the Iraqi city of Mosul, most of whom, like her, had no training in handling prisoners. For the National Guard of a State and other countries' National Guard see National Guard. For the village in Azerbaijan see Mosul Azerbaijan. Mosul (الموصل Al Mūṣul, Kurdish: Mosul/Ninawa, Musul But at least two of the guardsmen who were convicted of prisoner abuse had lengthy civilian experience as prison guards. Psychological abuse; White noise: The endless playing of random static (similar to that of unused TV frequencies with no pattern this can cause insanity and mental

In September 2003, Karpinski led US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on a tour of the Abu Ghraib prison to demonstrate the way it had been used by Saddam Hussein to torture his enemies. September 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti ( Arabic: ar صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي --> April 28 1937 &ndash December 30 Rumsfeld used the tour to point out how the country had improved since Hussein was overthrown.

Allegations, suspension and investigation

In October 2003, allegations of torture in the new Iraqi prisons began to surface. October 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - Karpinski insisted that prisoners under her watch were treated "humanely and fairly". In an interview with the St. Petersburg Times in December 2003, Karpinski said conditions in the prison were even better than many Iraqi homes, and joked that the prisoners were treated so well that she was "concerned they wouldn't want to leave. December 2003: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - "[1] In January 2004, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez formally suspended Karpinski and sixteen other soldiers with undisclosed reprimands. Lieutenant General Ricardo S Sanchez (born 1951 is a retired United States Army general who served as the V Corps commander of coalition forces An investigation was started into the abuse, and Karpinski left Iraq for reasons that were explained at the time as part of "routine troop rotations. "

On April 8, 2005 Karpinski was formally relieved of command of the 800th Military Police Brigade. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On May 5, 2005, President Bush approved Karpinski's demotion to colonel from the rank of brigadier general. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Her demotion was not officially related to the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison. The Abu Ghraib prison (سجن أبو غريب also Abu Ghurayb is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km (20 mi west of Baghdad. The allegations against her were for dereliction of duty, making a material misrepresentation to investigators, failure to obey a lawful order and shoplifting. Karpinski had failed to inform the Army as required when filling out an official document about an 2002 arrest on MacDill Air Force Base in the US on a misdemeanour charge of stealing less than US$50 worth of cosmetics from a military store. MacDill Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the claimancy of the Air Mobility Command ( AMC) [4][5]

Taguba Report

In his final report, Major General Antonio Taguba blamed Karpinski for the abuse by not paying attention to the daily operations of the prison. Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries Antonio Mario Taguba (born October 31 1950 is a retired major general in the United States Army. According to Taguba, Karpinski rarely visited the prisons during her tenure, and she reviewed and signed reports about claims of abuse without following up to make sure her orders were carried out. As a consequence, the abuse was allowed to continue and her subordinates developed a lax attitude towards protocol. Brigadier General Karpinski was cited throughout the Taguba Report for repeated violations of Army procedure, good management and exercising her command as directed by Army regulations. During interviews it was reported within the Taguba report that Brigadier General Karpinski was disconnected from the reality of the situation in her area of command.

"14. (U) During the course of this investigation I conducted a lengthy interview with BG Karpinski that lasted over four hours, and is included verbatim in the investigation Annexes. BG Karpinski was extremely emotional during much of her testimony. What I found particularly disturbing in her testimony was her complete unwillingness to either understand or accept that many of the problems inherent in the 800th MP Brigade were caused or exacerbated by poor leadership and the refusal of her command to both establish and enforce basic standards and principles among its soldiers. (ANNEX 45 and the Personal Observations of the Interview Team)

General Karpinski was issued a Memorandum of Admonishment by LTG Sanchez, Commander, CJTF-7, on 17 January 2004. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

In April 2004, CBS 60 Minutes II broadcast photographs of Iraqi prisoners being tortured and humiliated at Abu Ghraib. 2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September Not to be confused with the BBC news magazine program Sixty Minutes (TV series. Following the broadcast, Karpinski was suspended of her duties and replaced by Major General Geoffrey Miller, the former commander of the detention camp known as Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay. Geoffrey D Miller (born c 1949 is a retired United States Army Major General who commanded the US detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Camp X-Ray was a temporary detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp of Joint Task Force Guantanamo on the U

Karpinski's defense

Karpinski insisted she had no knowledge of the abuse and claims the particular wing of the prison was under the control of military intelligence "twenty-four hours a day. " She claims Army intelligence officers encouraged guards to torture prisoners as an aid to interrogation, and that she was a scapegoat. scapegoat was a Goat that was driven off into the wilderness as part of the ceremonies of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in Judaism during the times

A June 2004 BBC article said, "Gen Karpinski believes the soldiers had not taken the pictures of their own accord. " It quotes her as saying:

"I know that the MP unit that these soldiers belonged to hadn't been in Abu Ghraib long enough to be so confident that one night or early morning they were going to take detainees out of their cells, pile them up and photograph themselves in various positions with these detainees. Military police ( MPs) are normally the Police of a Military Organization. "[6]

Since her suspension, Karpinski has made controversial accusations against her superiors in a series of interviews. In an interview with BBC Radio, Karpinski claimed that Major General Geoffrey Miller, who was sent from Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay to improve interrogations at the Iraqi prison, told her to treat prisoners "like dogs" in the sense that "if you allow them to believe at any point that they are more than a dog then you've lost control of them". Geoffrey D Miller (born c 1949 is a retired United States Army Major General who commanded the US detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Camp X-Ray was a temporary detention facility at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp of Joint Task Force Guantanamo on the U [7] Major General Miller denies that he ever made the remarks.

In November 2006, Karpinski told Spain's El Pais newspaper she had seen a letter apparently signed by Rumsfeld that allowed civilian contractors to use techniques such as sleep deprivation during interrogation. Sleep deprivation is a general lack of the necessary amount of Sleep. She stated, "The methods consisted of making prisoners stand for long periods, sleep deprivation . . . playing music at full volume, having to sit in uncomfortably . . . Rumsfeld authorised these specific techniques. " According to Karpinski, Rumsfeld's handwritten signature was above his printed name and in the same handwriting in the margin was written: "Make sure this is accomplished. "

There have been no comments from either the Pentagon or US army spokespeople in Iraq on Karpinski's accusations. The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. [8][9][10]

On March 8, 2006, Karpinski gave an interview to Dateline,[11] on the Australian SBS network. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS is one of two government-funded Australian Public broadcasting radio and television networks, the other being the When asked who was ultimately responsible for the actions of torture and humiliaton depicted in the photographs, Karpinski stated

"you have to go back to the memorandum that was authored by our now-Attorney-General, Alberto Gonzalez, and John Yoo, from out in California, who was with the current administration at the time, and they did a memorandum, authorising departures from the Geneva Convention. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. The Geneva Conventions consist of four Treaties formulated in Geneva, Switzerland, that set the standards for International law for humanitarian "

"The memorandum, which was certainly discussed at length with the Secretary of Defense and the Vice-President, according to sworn statements by people who were there when those conversations took place, that authorised the initial departure [from the Geneva Convention]. Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney (born January 30 1941 is the forty-sixth and current Vice President of the United States. And yes, there was a memorandum that was posted at Abu Ghraib prison, that I only became aware of, after I heard of this ongoing investigation out at Abu Ghraib, and it was signed by the Secretary of Defense. "

". . . the signature on the memorandum was over the signature block of the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and the ink that was used to sign appeared to be the same ink used for this handwritten note in the margin, "make sure this happens", and it was a list of interrogation techniques that were approved, so he obviously had knowledge of those [interrogation] techniques. "

"When the Secretary of Defense, when General Miller, when General Sanchez, when General Taguba, when they testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, they were very careful to say, in response to a question about the photographs, that they knew nothing about the photographs. Geoffrey D Miller (born c 1949 is a retired United States Army Major General who commanded the US detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Lieutenant General Ricardo S Sanchez (born 1951 is a retired United States Army general who served as the V Corps commander of coalition forces Antonio Mario Taguba (born October 31 1950 is a retired major general in the United States Army. The Committee on Armed Services is a Committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the However, nobody on the Senate Armed Services Committee asked them "Did you know anything about the actions depicted in those photographs?" Because they would have had to give a truthful answer and the answer would have been yes, in fact they authorised the actions depicted in those photographs. The Secretary of Defense authorised it, in conversations with General Miller, his Under-Secretary for Intelligence not only authorised those actions but was staying on top of the progress of those actions and those activities. "

When questioned on the findings of the Taguba Report, which stated she had shown a lack of leadership throughout the period of events, and therefore was partly responsible for what happened, Karpinski stated

. . . "when they do an investigation with that kind of potential, the rules are very clear, you have to identify an impartial person to do the investigation and General Taguba did not serve one day in Iraq, he spent his deployment time in the safety of Kuwait. And he was, as it came out afterwards, a good friend of General Sanchez. So if General Sanchez gave the investigating officer specific instructions on what he wanted to see in the conclusions, General Taguba was able and determined to provide and conclude what General Sanchez wanted to see. And he did exactly that. The findings in the report have been largely discredited because he was not an impartial party and because so much more information has come out.

. . . [General Taguba] was not charged with discovering what caused the photographs, General Taguba's instructions were to investigate the 800th Military Police Brigade and discover what was wrong with General Karpinski.

In an interview for the Santa Clarita, California newspaper, The Signal, Karpinski claimed to have seen unreleased documents from Rumsfeld that authorized the use of dogs, food and sleep deprivation, and isolation for Iraqi prisoners that were also signed by General Sanchez. Santa Clarita is the fourth largest city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Both have denied authorizing such tactics. [12] In a May 2004 military investigation of the Abu Ghraib abuses made public by an ACLU Freedom of Information Act request, Karpinski said she witnessed children as young as twelve years of age incarcerated at Abu Ghraib. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses [13]

Plans to testify in German war crimes lawsuit

On November 10, 2006 Time magazine reported that civil rights activists were intending to file legal documents with a German prosecutor with the hope that charges would be brought against senior U. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and S. political and military officials. The legal documents will detail the alleged roles of the officials in abuses committed at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison and at the U. The city of Abu Ghraib ( Arabic: أبو غريب Abū Ghurayb S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay. Among those including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, and former CIA Director George Tenet. Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9 1932 is a United States Businessman, Politician, the 13th Secretary of Defense under President Alberto R Gonzales (born August 4 1955) was the 80th Attorney General of the United States. George John Tenet (born January 5, 1953) was the Director of Central Intelligence for the United States Central Intelligence Agency According to the article lawyers claim that Karpinski will be testifying on behalf of the plaintiffs. With the legal filings a written statement will be included from Karpinski saying, "It was clear the knowledge and responsibility for what happened at Abu Ghraib goes all the way to the top of the chain of command to the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. " The U.S. Department of Defense has not replied, because the documents have not been filed yet. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government On November 14, 2006 the Attorneys with the Center for Constitutional Rights had officially filed a war crimes lawsuit in Germany against outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and other high-ranking U. Events 1533 - Conquistadors from Spain under the leadership of Francisco Pizarro arrive in Cajamarca, Inca Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. S. officials, for their role in the torture of prisoners in Iraq and Guantanamo. Janis Karpinski confirmed that she will be testifying. [14][15]

Watch

Newsmaker of the Week: Janis Karpinski (30-min. interview, free)

Bibliography

Films

References

  1. ^ Copeland, Libby. "Prison Revolt: Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski Says the Abu Ghraib Investigation Is About Scapegoating, but She's Having None of It", The Washington Post, May 10, 2004. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Accessed December 20, 2007. Events 69 - Vespasian, formerly a general under Nero, enters Rome to claim the title of Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. "As a child growing up in Rahway, N. J. , Janis Beam once tried to jump from her second-story window because it didn't seem that far down. "
  2. ^ Colonel Karpinski had failed to inform the Army as required when filling out an official document about an earlier arrest on an Air Force base in the US on a misdemeanour charge.
  3. ^ Karpinski Raises Doubts About Military Sex Assault
  4. ^ FOXNews.com - Ex-Abu Ghraib General Denies Shoplifting - U.S. & World
  5. ^ Shoplifting Charge Dogs Iraq Gen. , Military Sources: Gen. Karpinski Caught Stealing Perfume In 2002 - CBS News
  6. ^ BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Iraq abuse 'ordered from the top'
  7. ^ BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Iraq abuse 'ordered from the top'
  8. ^ "Rumsfeld okayed Abu Ghraib abuses according to former US general" - CBS News
  9. ^ "Rumsfeld okayed abuses says former U.S. general" - ABC News
  10. ^ "Rumsfeld okayed abuses says former US army general" Reuters News
  11. ^ Special Broadcasting Service :: Dateline - presented by George Negus
  12. ^ Leon Worden. SCV NEWSMAKER OF THE WEEK: Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski. Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society. Retrieved on 2004-07-04. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Events 836 - Pactum Sicardi, peace between the Principality of Benevento and the Duchy of Naples
  13. ^ BBC NEWS | Americas | US held youngsters at Abu Ghraib
  14. ^ Democracy Now! | War Crimes Suit Filed in Germany Against Rumsfeld, Other Top U.S. Officials Over Prisoner Torture
  15. ^ [http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1557842,00.html Adam Zagorin, "Exclusive: Charges Sought Against Rumsfeld Over Prison Abuse", Time. com, accessed November 10, 2006

See also

References

Preceded by
New Position		Deputy Commanding General (Detainee Operations) / Commanding General Task Force 134
2003-2004		Succeeded by
MG Geoffrey Miller
Geoffrey D Miller (born c 1949 is a retired United States Army Major General who commanded the US detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
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