First military intelligence soldier to speak openly about abuses at Abu Ghraib (WashPost)

Intelligence officers tied to abuses in Iraq
Soldier recounts guidance given to military police

Josh White, Scott Higham, Washington Post

Washington -- Military intelligence officers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq directed military police to take clothes from prisoners, leave detainees naked in their cells and make them wear women's underwear, part of a series of alleged abuses that were openly discussed at the facility, according to a military intelligence soldier who worked at the prison last fall.

Sgt. Samuel Provance said intelligence interrogators told military police to strip down prisoners and embarrass them as a way to help "break" them. The same interrogators and intelligence analysts would talk about the abuse with Provance and flippantly dismiss it because the Iraqis were considered the enemy, he said.

The first military intelligence soldier to speak openly about alleged abuses at Abu Ghraib, Provance said in a telephone interview from Germany on Wednesday that the highest-ranking military intelligence officers at the prison were involved and that the Army appears to be trying to deflect attention away from military intelligence's role.

Since the abuses at Abu Ghraib became public, senior Pentagon officials have characterized the interrogation techniques as the willful actions of a small group of soldiers and a failure of leadership by their commander. But the comments of Provance challenge that view and add to the contentions of several others who allege that the techniques were directed by military intelligence officials.

Gary Myers, a civilian attorney representing one of seven MPs charged in the abuse, Staff Sgt. Ivan Frederick, said his client doesn't claim he was ordered to abuse detainees, just that military intelligence outlined what should be done, and then left it up to the MPs.

"My guy is simply saying that these activities were encouraged by MI," Myers said Wednesday. "The story is not necessarily that there was a direct order. Everybody is far too subtle and smart for that. ... Realistically, there is a description of an activity, a suggestion that it may be helpful and encouragement that this is exactly what we needed."

Provance administered a secret computer network at Abu Ghraib for about six months and said he did not witness much abuse firsthand. But he said he had numerous discussions with members of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade about their tactics. He also maintains he voiced his disapproval as early as October.

"Military intelligence was in control," Provance said. "Setting the conditions for interrogations was strictly dictated by military intelligence. They weren't the ones carrying it out, but they were the ones telling the MPs to wake the detainees up every hour on the hour" or to limit their food.

The 205th Military Intelligence Brigade's top officers have declined to comment publicly, not answering repeated phone calls and e-mail messages.