Abuse Inquiry Gets New Leader
By Leon Worden Saturday, June 26, 2004
Signal City Editor
Approving Gen. Paul J. Kern's
recommedation Friday, acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee named Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones (shown) to take over where Maj. Gen. George R. Fay
left off with the investigation of questionable intelligence practices at Abu Ghraib prison. US Army photo
three-star general is taking over the Army's investigation of questionable intelligence practices last fall at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.
A
The Army announced Friday that Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones, deputy commander of the Army Training and Doctrine Command at Ft. Monroe, Va., will head the investigation that was launched March 31 by two-star Maj. Gen. George R. Fay.
A 34-year Army veteran with an infantry background, Jones holds a master's degree in systems management from the University of Southern California.
His investigation takes aim at the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, which was given control of detention operations at Abu Ghraib at a time when the Pentagon was focused on finding Saddam Hussein and quelling insurgent attacks.
Four members of the 205th — two officers and two civilian contractors including John B. Israel, an Iraqi-American translator from Canyon Country — were identified by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba as "responsible" for the prisoner abuse. Taguba recommended further inquiry to determine the extent of their culpability.
The switch from Fay to Jones is meant to quell concerns that Fay lacked sufficient seniority to question Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the three-star general who put the intelligence officers in operational control of the prison in November.
While Sanchez has denied authorizing interrogation techniques that included the use of military dogs, sleep deprivation and hooding, intelligence officers have testified that he knew about the special tactics.
Both Jones and Sanchez have three stars on their epaulets, but Jones has superiority by virtue of his longer tenure, an Army spokeswoman said.
"That was the intent," said Lt. Col. Pamela Hart, when asked whether the Army purposefully sought to replace Fay with someone senior to Sanchez. Fay will stay on the investigation team.
Apparently distancing itself from Sanchez — who was reportedly in line for a fourth star in recent months — the Pentagon named Gen. George Casey, the Army's vice chief of staff, to take over coalition troop command from Sanchez following Wednesday's transfer of power to the new Iraqi government.
The Senate confirmed Casey's appointment Friday. Lt. Gen. Richard Cody takes Casey's place as the Army vice chief of staff.
Sanchez is expected to transfer to Germany where he will remain in charge of the Army's 5th Corps.
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