In the continuing Bush administration tradition of rewarding those who have brought misery and horror into the world, yesterday saw the retirement of Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller. For those who don't know, Gen. Miller not only oversaw the creation and implementation of Guantanamo procedures, but Bush liked what he had done so much that he was sent to Iraq to advise our prisons there on his 'innovative' interrogation techniques. Two weeks later, we had this occurring:
But yesterday, Gen. Miller was allowed to not only retire without penalty, but he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. This is the Bush administration meritocracy in action, and this is a smack in the face to those who have made sacrifices to earn our nation's top honors.
From the
LA Times:
Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller, whose oversight of detainee operations at Guantanamo Bay and in Iraq put him under intense scrutiny, was allowed to retire from the Army on Monday, a signal that he will face no disciplinary action in connection with Abu Ghraib abuse scandal.
Miller could be recalled to active duty to face a court-martial if military prosecutors decide to charge him in the abuse of terrorism suspects. But a senior Pentagon official said such a move was unlikely.
"I don't anticipate that at all," said the official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the abuse cases. "Everything I've seen, and everything [the Army's] general counsel and inspector general and [the Pentagon's] inspector general, everything surrounding Guantanamo and detainee operations has been looked at pretty extensively."
Miller, 56, had sought to retire in February, but Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey denied his request because of the investigations and courts-martial then underway.
After invoking his right against self-incrimination earlier this year in two of the abuse trials, Miller agreed to testify at a junior officer's court-martial in May. In his appearance, he denied accusations that he had been the one to suggest that Abu Ghraib guards use military dogs to intimidate detainees.
The senior Pentagon official said the decision to allow Miller to retire was largely based on the fact that the two abuse trials at which he was to testify were finished.
"Had we retired him earlier, people would have always asked questions," said the senior Pentagon official. "I think everything has been out there, everything's been looked at."
We still have questions.
For example, all doubt has not exactly been removed that Gen. Miller wasn't responsible for the decision to bring in dogs as part of the interrogations. In fact, outside of his own denial, there has been only evidence supporting he was the one who recommended this:
Miller led a team from Guantánamo to Iraq in September 2003 to advise on detention operations at Abu Ghraib just weeks before U.S. soldiers there abused Iraqi detainees, using dogs and sexual humiliation.
Dog teams were sent to Abu Ghraib in November 2003 on Miller's recommendation. He has said he recommended that dogs be used for detainee custody and control but not for interrogations. Lower-level soldiers, however, have asserted that Miller told them dogs had been useful at Guantánamo in setting the atmosphere for interrogations.
Furthermore, how is it that the recommendations for his punishment were wholly ignored?
The now-infamous abuses of detainees in Iraq, captured in photographs, began occurring just weeks after Miller's mission recommended changes to Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, who at the time was commander of U.S. forces in Iraq.
A separate Pentagon investigation into interrogation techniques at Guantanamo recommended that Miller be reprimanded for the degrading and abusive interrogation techniques used on Mohammed al-Qahtani, a "high-value" prisoner who U.S. officials believe was the intended 20th hijacker in the Sept. 11 attacks. Qahtani was refused entry to the United States by immigration officials a month before the attacks and was later captured in Afghanistan.
Despite the reprimand recommendation, the general responsible for administering punishment decided not to issue a rebuke, finding that no laws or policies had been violated.
And it isn't as if the Army was willing to let General Miller slink off with little fanfare. No, they sent out the second highest ranked general in the Army to make certain he was recognized as a role model for our armed forces:
Human rights groups have singled out Miller as one of the senior Army commanders who should be held accountable for the abuses. John Sifton, author of a recent Human Rights Watch report on detainee abuse at Abu Ghraib, said he was stunned to learn that the Army had awarded Miller the Distinguished Service Medal.
''This is outrageous,'' Sifton said, adding that Miller should be forced to answer more questions about his role before being allowed to retire as a two-star general.
At his retirement ceremony in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes, the No. 2 Army general lauded Miller as an exemplary leader.
''The thread that runs through his experiences -- in his service as a trainer, teacher, action officer, director, commander, father and husband is clear: He is a role model, innovator and a leader,'' said Gen. Richard Cody, the vice chief of staff.
''In recent years our Army asked Geoff Miller to tackle two of the toughest jobs in the global war on terror,'' Cody added. ``He responded to each of these challenges with determination and conviction.''
Welcome to Bush's America, where you are not only allowed to get away with murder, you are rewarded for it. And remember, Gen. Miller has joined the ranks of other brave men and women who have served their country with honor.
This all just makes me sick, and we haven't even gotten to the Presidential pardon season that we know is coming. I'm fucking tired of the Bush cronies simply being allowed to walk away from their messes and be celebrated as heroes in Bush's failed initiatives.
This is about honoring those who deserve to be honored, and the Bush administration has made it clear they have no problem pissing on the reputation of those who have fought four our nation in the past. I realize that Bush never served in combat and thus doesn't understand the sacrifices some have made for our country, but his complete disregard of right and wrong, and his willingness to blindly reward those who stick with him, indicate just another facet of his inability to competently lead our armed forces.
May mercy find us all.
(Originally posted at Deny My Freedom and cross posted at My Left Wing)