Pappas To Sanchez To Cambone To Rumsfeld To...

This morning the Washington Post reports that the Military Intelligence officer in charge of Abu Ghraib has told investigators that the use of unmuzzled dogs to terrorize detainees was approved by Col. Thomas Pappas, head of military intelligence at Abu Ghraib. Pappas has informed investigators that the use of the dogs as approved by a two-star general. Two dog handlers have testified in sworn statements that military intelligence requested use the dogs in interrogations on multiple occasions. One of these statements is dated January 23, 2004, months before the Pentagon and White House claimed that the abuses were limited to "a few American troops."

The Washington Post report follows yesterday's report by the Wall Street Journal that a Pentagon memorandum corroborates that Rumsfeld personally authorized abusive interrogation tactics at Guantanamo in December 2002, tactics very similar to those subsequently employed at Abu Ghraib, and that after only one month certain of these tactics were banned following complaints from military officers regarding the severity of the tactics.

When did the Deserter become aware that the highest echelons of the military command at Abu Ghraib had been implicated? Was he aware of it prior to May 24, 2004 when he referred, in a speech to the nation, to "disgraceful conduct by a few American troops"? Didn't the President have an obligation to learn of the potential extent of the military's involvement in the Abu Ghraib abuses before falsely assuring the American people that no more than a "few American troops" were involved? Who advised the Deserter that he could make this claim in his speech? Was that person aware the investigations had already implicated the top military command at Abu Ghraib?

Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Feith and Cambone must resign today. And then the entire nation will take care of Bush and Cheney on November 2, 2004.