Australian military knew of Iraqi abuse

CANBERRA – An Australian military officer in Baghdad knew last November about reports of Iraqi prisoner abuse, but documents on the mistreatment by US military police took six months to reach the Australian government.

The government has come under fire for its handling of prisoner abuse reports after prime minister John Howard misled parliament in May when he said no Australian knew of the reports before graphic photographs were published. Australia is a staunch ally of the United States and sent troops to Iraq as part of the US-led invasion.Defence Minister Robert Hill told parliament yesterday that Major George O’Kane had access in November to working papers by the Red Cross after its October 2003 inspection of Abu Ghraib prison where US military police abused prisoners.But the documents were not examined closely by defence officials until after the abuse scandal became public in April.O’Kane, a lawyer who assisted prison boss US Brigadier-general Janis Karpinski in Baghdad, made several visits to Abu Ghraib and returned to Australia in February with the Red Cross papers.He submitted the documents on his return.”When the documents were discovered and examined, it was clear that they included allegations we would characterise more seriously in that they referred to allegations of mistreatment,” Hill told parliament in tabling the results of a defence investigation into when Australia knew of Iraqi prisoner abuse.”I regret that incorrect information was provided to me and through me to the prime minister,” said Hill.Australia’s conservative government is neck-and-neck with Labour ahead of an election expected within months and Iraq will be a major issue at the poll after the country sent 2 000 personnel to Iraq and still has 850 in and around that country.Its troops have captured about 120 Iraqis and handed them to the US military.The United States has started court martial proceedings against some of the soldiers involved in humiliating Iraqi prisoners and sexually abusing detainees.Karpinski, the one-star general responsible for the military police who ran prisons in Iraq when photos were taken showing prisoners being abused, has been suspended from her post but not charged with any crime.Australia’s Labour opposition demanded Hill resign over the abuse reports, claiming the government should have known of the reports delivered to the defence department and had a responsibility towards the Iraqis its troops had captured.No reason was given in parliament for the delay in examining the documents.”The government here stands condemned for a massive dereliction of duty,” Labour senator John Faulkner told parliament.”The government has also failed to take its legal and moral responsibilities to Iraqi detainees seriously.It has both legal and moral responsibilities as an occupying power and as a member of the coalition — these responsibilities include respect for the Geneva Convention.”Hill said none of Australia’s troops serving in Iraq had been involved in prisoner abuse.”Australia did not interrogate prisoners, Australia was not involved in guarding prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison or any other Iraqi prison,” he said.- Nampa-ReutersAustralia is a staunch ally of the United States and sent troops to Iraq as part of the US-led invasion.Defence Minister Robert Hill told parliament yesterday that Major George O’Kane had access in November to working papers by the Red Cross after its October 2003 inspection of Abu Ghraib prison where US military police abused prisoners.But the documents were not examined closely by defence officials until after the abuse scandal became public in April.O’Kane, a lawyer who assisted prison boss US Brigadier-general Janis Karpinski in Baghdad, made several visits to Abu Ghraib and returned to Australia in February with the Red Cross papers.He submitted the documents on his return.”When the documents were discovered and examined, it was clear that they included allegations we would characterise more seriously in that they referred to allegations of mistreatment,” Hill told parliament in tabling the results of a defence investigation into when Australia knew of Iraqi prisoner abuse.”I regret that incorrect information was provided to me and through me to the prime minister,” said Hill.Australia’s conservative government is neck-and-neck with Labour ahead of an election expected within months and Iraq will be a major issue at the poll after the country sent 2 000 personnel to Iraq and still has 850 in and around that country.Its troops have captured about 120 Iraqis and handed them to the US military.The United States has started court martial proceedings against some of the soldiers involved in humiliating Iraqi prisoners and sexually abusing detainees.Karpinski, the one-star general responsible for the military police who ran prisons in Iraq when photos were taken showing prisoners being abused, has been suspended from her post but not charged with any crime.Australia’s Labour opposition demanded Hill resign over the abuse reports, claiming the government should have known of the reports delivered to the defence department and had a responsibility towards the Iraqis its troops had captured.No reason was given in parliament for the delay in examining the documents.”The government here stands condemned for a massive dereliction of duty,” Labour senator John Faulkner told parliament.”The government has also failed to take its legal and moral responsibilities to Iraqi detainees seriously.It has both legal and moral responsibilities as an occupying power and as a member of the coalition — these responsibilities include respect for the Geneva Convention.”Hill said none of Australia’s troops serving in Iraq had been involved in prisoner abuse.”Australia did not interrogate prisoners, Australia was not involved in guarding prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison or any other Iraqi prison,” he said.- Nampa-Reuters