Monday, October 16, 2006

General testifies that officer at Abu Ghraib prison allowed detainee abuse and lied

FORT MEADE, Maryland - The highest-ranking officer charged with crimes at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq allowed detainee abuses and then lied about it, a general who investigated the scandal testified.

Maj. Gen. George Fay, who wrote a report on mistreatment of detainees at the prison, testified at a hearing Monday to determine whether the director of the prison's interrogation center should be court-martialed.

Fay said his investigation found that Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan was in charge of the center, despite Jordan's insistence to Fay that he was just a liaison between the center and superior officers.

Fay said Jordan knew about some of the abuses and did not stop them. He said Jordan "told us a story that was deceptive and it was misleading, and he tried to avoid responsibility for his role at Abu Ghraib."

Jordan, 50, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, is charged with 12 offenses, including one count of cruelty and maltreatment for allegedly subjecting detainees to forced nudity and intimidation by dogs. He faces a maximum of 42 years in prison if convicted of all counts.

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