- News>
- World
Commander says there no active plan to close Abu Ghraib
Baghdad, May 08: The Commander of US detention facilities in Iraq today the US military will continue to operate the notorious Abu Ghraib prison despite calls from some US lawmakers to close it because of the scandal over abuse of Iraqi detainees.
Baghdad, May 08: The Commander of US detention facilities in Iraq today the US military will continue to operate the notorious Abu Ghraib prison despite calls from some US lawmakers to close it because of the scandal over abuse of Iraqi detainees.
``Currently we will continue to operate at the Abu Ghraib facility,'' Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller told reporters.
Miller said the United States plans to reduce the prison population but ``we will continue to conduct interrogation missions at the Abu Ghraib facility.''
He said that if orders are received to close Abu Ghraib, the military would probably shift the mission to another facility, Camp Bucca, located south of Basra.
Miller insisted that Iraqis were now being held in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and that the abuses recorded in photos distributed around the world were due to the acts of a few individuals.
``The alleged abuses and abuses we have discovered from the investigations appear to be due to leaders and soldiers not following the authorized policy and lack of leadership and supervision,'' Miller told reporters.''
``We will ensure that we follow our procedures,'' he added. ``It is a matter of honor. We were ashamed and embarrassed by the conduct of a very, very small number of our soldiers...On my honor I will ensure that it will not happen again.''
Miller, the former commander of the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said that he led a 30-member team to Iraq in August and September to make recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of Abu Ghraib.
Bureau Report
Miller said the United States plans to reduce the prison population but ``we will continue to conduct interrogation missions at the Abu Ghraib facility.''
He said that if orders are received to close Abu Ghraib, the military would probably shift the mission to another facility, Camp Bucca, located south of Basra.
Miller insisted that Iraqis were now being held in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and that the abuses recorded in photos distributed around the world were due to the acts of a few individuals.
``The alleged abuses and abuses we have discovered from the investigations appear to be due to leaders and soldiers not following the authorized policy and lack of leadership and supervision,'' Miller told reporters.''
``We will ensure that we follow our procedures,'' he added. ``It is a matter of honor. We were ashamed and embarrassed by the conduct of a very, very small number of our soldiers...On my honor I will ensure that it will not happen again.''
Miller, the former commander of the detention centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, said that he led a 30-member team to Iraq in August and September to make recommendations on how to improve the efficiency of Abu Ghraib.
Bureau Report