When I was a young army reserve 2lt. being trained by WWII officers on the code of conduct, it was drilled into me that I was responsible for everything my troops did and failed to do. I learned that back in 1968. Subsequently, I did, over my 27 year military career heed those words.

Yet, it seems today, our military is being torn apart by legalesse that commanders are "responsible" for their troops action, yet not "culpable." I cannot fathom that the military is allowing lower enlisted ranks take the fall for Abu Ghraib while the O-6's and above get to retire with all the embellishments of rank and not any "culpability" for misleading orders, confusion and dereliction of duty. These rank worse, in my opinion, than VietNam. At least they nailed Calley(1lt) and Medina(cpt). I hope this torture and sadism thing goes up a little higher than present. Reading the pdf's of the reports is demoralizing and makes me ashamed to be a vet of the Army of the United States (Reserve, retired)

What a blot on the fine military lower ranks we have and shame, shame on the higher ups, from O6 to O10.

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Isn't there a full colonel who is implicated and charged? But why is the general not charged?

Before (or as...) the upper echelons are charged you need to zap every step along the chain. If not, why have a chain of responsibility if some are exempt?

Lots of questions.

Few answers.

Yet.

Patience.

B

It ain't over till it's over. There's an Intelligence Committe report due on the CIA's involvement, particularly what they and their contractors were telling the guards to do and the practice of keeping prisoners "off the books." Without reading the two reports, the summaries seem to say that the "buck stops" at Gen. Sanchez, who was busy running a war. Neither of the two reports this week go higher than anyone in a combat uniform, which is interesting since both cite lack of planning, shortage of personnel and inadequate training.

MTI, that is the diff between 'culpable' and 'responsible'. people often confuse the two because often they reside in the same person, expecially in civilian life.

As Commander in Chief, Bush is ultimately responsible for every man and woman in the military. As leader of gov he is responsible for every GS, SES or technical gov employee. The problem of blame comes with culpability.

If a drunk USAF pilot creams a busload or retarded kids, the President is responsible, but probably not culpable (unless he ordered the pilot to ram the bus).

Sanchez is certainly responsible (as are Sec Army, Sec Def, and President). But their various degrees of culpability have yet to be determined. That is, by people with open minds.

B

I could not agree with you more. I read an article the other day in which a colonel who would not reveal his identity for obvious reasons said that the report is a whitewash and the real responsiblity goes right to the top, because the planning for the occupation did not provide for enough troops and did not provide for the right kind of troops, and the constant changing of long-standing Army policy towards the handling of prisoners by Rumsfeld himself lead to an atmosphere of confusion and grey areas that never existed before. The war planned and executed by military officers was brillant, the occupation totally planned and executived by Rumsfeld and his civilian deputies, especially Feith, Cambone and Wolfowitz, aided by a compliant Gen. Sanchez was totally botched and Abu Garib is just part of the total abortion they have made of Iraq. They are all going to avoid culpability by blaming it on the common soldiers caught up in this mess. Vets ought to be thinking about that, happening in the present, instead Bush wants you to be distracted about how many pieces of shrapnel Kerry did or did not pick out of his ass 35 years ago.

Somebody told me that John Kerry was responsible. My informant couldn't reveal his name for obvious reasons, but he is in a position to know.

Easter Bunny

Way back when I was a super trooper, the first line superviser got the same punishment that the soldier got for failing to train his soldier. Needless to say my troops rarely screwed up because spare time was the only thing I really valued and I didn't want to spend it mowing the Generals lawn because my troop wanted to sleep in.

I personally think the General is getting off the hook because she's a women, but I bet they will charge her after the election.

I ain't taking that bet.