[Vision2020] ABC Reports Cover Up

Wed, 19 May 2004 04:06:31 EDT

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'Definitely a Cover-Up'
Former Abu Ghraib Intel Staffer Says Army Involved in Scandal

By Brian Ross and Alexandra Salomon, ABCNews.com

(May 18) -- Dozens of soldiers =E2=80=94 other than the seven military polic=
e=20
reservists who have been charged =E2=80=94 were involved in the abuse at Ira=
q's Abu Ghraib=20
prison, and there is an effort under way in the Army to hide it, a key witne=
ss=20
in the investigation told ABCNEWS=20
   =20

Former Abu Ghraib Intel Staffer Sgt. Sam Provance (ABC News)

"There's definitely a cover-up," the witness, Sgt. Samuel Provance, said.=20
"People are either telling themselves or being told to be quiet."

Provance, 30, was part of the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion statione=
d=20
at Abu Ghraib last September. He spoke to ABCNEWS despite orders from his=20
commanders not to.

"What I was surprised at was the silence," said Provance. "The collective=20
silence by so many people that had to be involved, that had to have seen=20
something or heard something."

Provance, now stationed in Germany, ran the top secret computer network used=
=20
by military intelligence at the prison.

He said that while he did not see the actual abuse take place, the=20
interrogators with whom he worked freely admitted they directed the MPs' rou=
gh treatment=20
of prisoners.

"Anything [the MPs] were to do legally or otherwise, they were to take those=
=20
commands from the interrogators," he said.

Top military officials have claimed the abuse seen in the photos at Abu=20
Ghraib was limited to a few MPs, but Provance says the sexual humiliation of=
=20
prisoners began as a technique ordered by the interrogators from military=20
intelligence.

"One interrogator told me about how commonly the detainees were stripped=20
naked, and in some occasions, wearing women's underwear," Provance said. "If=
 it's=20
your job to strip people naked, yell at them, scream at them, humiliate them=
,=20
it's not going to be too hard to move from that to another level."

According to Provance, some of the physical abuse that took place at Abu=20
Ghraib included U.S. soldiers "striking [prisoners] on the neck area somewhe=
re and=20
the person being knocked out. Then [the soldier] would go to the next=20
detainee, who would be very fearful and voicing their fear, and the MP would=
 calm him=20
down and say, 'We're not going to do that. It's OK. Everything's fine,' and=20
then do the exact same thing to him."

Provance also described an incident when two drunken interrogators took a=20
female Iraqi prisoner from her cell in the middle of the night and stripped=20=
her=20
naked to the waist. The men were later restrained by another MP.

Pentagon Sanctions Investigation

Maj. Gen. George Fay, the Army's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, was=
=20
assigned by the Pentagon to investigate the role of military intelligence in=
=20
the abuse at the Iraq prison.

"I would say many people are probably hiding and wishing to God that this=20
storm passes without them having to be investigated ..."
-Sgt. Samuel Provance=20

Fay started his probe on April 23, but Provance said when Fay interviewed=20
him, the general seemed interested only in the military police, not the=20
interrogators, and seemed to discourage him from testifying.

Provance said Fay threatened to take action against him for failing to repor=
t=20
what he saw sooner, and the sergeant fears he will be ostracized for speakin=
g=20
out.

"I feel like I'm being punished for being honest," Provance told ABCNEWS.=20
"You know, it was almost as if I actually felt if all my statements were shr=
edded=20
and I said, like most everybody else, 'I didn't hear anything, I didn't see=20
anything. I don't know what you're talking about,' then my life would be jus=
t=20
fine right now."

In response, Army officials said it is "routine procedure to advise military=
=20
personnel under investigative review" not to comment.

The officials said, however, that Fay and the military were committed to an=20
honest, in-depth investigation of what happened at the prison.

But Provance believes many involved may not be as forthcoming with=20
information.

"I would say many people are probably hiding and wishing to God that this=20
storm passes without them having to be investigated [or] personally looked a=
t."

05-18-04 20:36 EDT

   =20

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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT  SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">'Definitely a Cover-Up'<BR>
Former Abu Ghraib Intel Staffer Says Army Involved in Scandal<BR>
<IMG  SRC=3D"http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_providers/42_article_logo" WIDT=
H=3D"102" HEIGHT=3D"24" BORDER=3D"0" DATASIZE=3D"1008"><BR>
By Brian Ross and Alexandra Salomon, ABCNews.com<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
(May 18) -- Dozens of soldiers =E2=80=94 other than the seven military polic=
e reservists who have been charged =E2=80=94 were involved in the abuse at I=
raq's Abu Ghraib prison, and there is an effort under way in the Army to hid=
e it, a key witness in the investigation told ABCNEWS <BR>
    <BR>
<P ALIGN=3DCENTER><IMG  SRC=3D"http://cdn.news.aol.com/aolnews_photos/03/07/=
20040518214509990004" WIDTH=3D"375" HEIGHT=3D"219" BORDER=3D"0" DATASIZE=3D"=
4340"><BR>
<BR>
<P ALIGN=3DLEFT>Former Abu Ghraib Intel Staffer Sgt. Sam Provance (ABC News)=
<BR>
<BR>
"There's definitely a cover-up," the witness, Sgt. Samuel Provance, said. "P=
eople are either telling themselves or being told to be quiet."<BR>
<BR>
Provance, 30, was part of the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion statione=
d at Abu Ghraib last September. He spoke to ABCNEWS despite orders from his=20=
commanders not to.<BR>
<BR>
"What I was surprised at was the silence," said Provance. "The collective si=
lence by so many people that had to be involved, that had to have seen somet=
hing or heard something."<BR>
<BR>
Provance, now stationed in Germany, ran the top secret computer network used=
 by military intelligence at the prison.<BR>
<BR>
He said that while he did not see the actual abuse take place, the interroga=
tors with whom he worked freely admitted they directed the MPs' rough treatm=
ent of prisoners.<BR>
<BR>
"Anything [the MPs] were to do legally or otherwise, they were to take those=
 commands from the interrogators," he said.<BR>
<BR>
Top military officials have claimed the abuse seen in the photos at Abu Ghra=
ib was limited to a few MPs, but Provance says the sexual humiliation of pri=
soners began as a technique ordered by the interrogators from military intel=
ligence.<BR>
<BR>
"One interrogator told me about how commonly the detainees were stripped nak=
ed, and in some occasions, wearing women's underwear," Provance said. "If it=
's your job to strip people naked, yell at them, scream at them, humiliate t=
hem, it's not going to be too hard to move from that to another level."<BR>
<BR>
According to Provance, some of the physical abuse that took place at Abu Ghr=
aib included U.S. soldiers "striking [prisoners] on the neck area somewhere=20=
and the person being knocked out. Then [the soldier] would go to the next de=
tainee, who would be very fearful and voicing their fear, and the MP would c=
alm him down and say, 'We're not going to do that. It's OK. Everything's fin=
e,' and then do the exact same thing to him."<BR>
<BR>
Provance also described an incident when two drunken interrogators took a fe=
male Iraqi prisoner from her cell in the middle of the night and stripped he=
r naked to the waist. The men were later restrained by another MP.<BR>
<BR>
<B>Pentagon Sanctions Investigation</B><BR>
<BR>
Maj. Gen. George Fay, the Army's deputy chief of staff for intelligence, was=
 assigned by the Pentagon to investigate the role of military intelligence i=
n the abuse at the Iraq prison.<BR>
<BR>
"I would say many people are probably hiding and wishing to God that this st=
orm passes without them having to be investigated ..."<BR>
-Sgt. Samuel Provance <BR>
<BR>
Fay started his probe on April 23, but Provance said when Fay interviewed hi=
m, the general seemed interested only in the military police, not the interr=
ogators, and seemed to discourage him from testifying.<BR>
<BR>
Provance said Fay threatened to take action against him for failing to repor=
t what he saw sooner, and the sergeant fears he will be ostracized for speak=
ing out.<BR>
<BR>
"I feel like I'm being punished for being honest," Provance told ABCNEWS. "Y=
ou know, it was almost as if I actually felt if all my statements were shred=
ded and I said, like most everybody else, 'I didn't hear anything, I didn't=20=
see anything. I don't know what you're talking about,' then my life would be=
 just fine right now."<BR>
<BR>
In response, Army officials said it is "routine procedure to advise military=
 personnel under investigative review" not to comment.<BR>
<BR>
The officials said, however, that Fay and the military were committed to an=20=
honest, in-depth investigation of what happened at the prison.<BR>
<BR>
But Provance believes many involved may not be as forthcoming with informati=
on.<BR>
<BR>
"I would say many people are probably hiding and wishing to God that this st=
orm passes without them having to be investigated [or] personally looked at.=
"<BR>
<BR>
05-18-04 20:36 EDT<BR>
<BR>
Copyright 2004 ABC News. All rights reserved. This material may not be publi=
shed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<BR>
<BR>
    <BR>
<BR>
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