Torture prison commander: Acts were 'despicable'

Brigadier General Janis Karpinski, the commander of the prison in which photographs were taken of the torture and humiliation of Iraqi prisoners, told US television network ABC today that she did not know about the prisoner abuse.

“They were despicable acts,” Karpinski said. ”Had I known anything about it, I certainly would have reacted very quickly.”

She said she was in charge of several prisons across Iraq and was not based at Abu Ghraib. She also said she suspected military intelligence officials who were not under her command had condoned the abuse.

But Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt, chief military spokesman in Iraq, said that he was not sure army military intelligence “had anything to do with the individual acts of criminal behaviour.”

“Those were clearly the acts of individuals,” Kimmitt said. “They made the choice to do those. And now they seem to be a little concerned they’ve been caught and being prosecuted for that.”

Kimmitt added, however, that the investigation is reviewing “concerns expressed about the military intelligence.”

Asked whether more people are under investigation, Kimmitt said it’s possible but he didn’t want to “pry into” an ongoing probe.

“Something’s going on here that’s wrong and we need to get to the bottom of this. There’s been determination to open up every door and find out what’s going on,” Kimmitt said.

As for the seven reprimanded officers, the military official said he believed investigations of the officers were complete and they would not face further action or court martial. However, the reprimands could spell the end of their careers.