Army Inspector's Abuse Report Met by Criticism

NPR | By Jackie Northam

Published July 22, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

A long-awaited Army report on prison abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan is released to accusations that it downplays problems in military detention facilities.

In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Inspector General Lt. Gen. Paul T. Mikolashek said there were more cases of abuse than had been previously acknowledged.

The inspector general's report states that there are no systemic problems that led to prisoner abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some members of the Armed Services Committee accused the report of glossing over that possibility. NPR's Jackie Northam reports.

Jackie Northam

Jackie Northam is NPR's International Affairs Correspondent. She is a veteran journalist who has spent three decades reporting on conflict, geopolitics, and life across the globe - from the mountains of Afghanistan and the desert sands of Saudi Arabia, to the gritty prison camp at Guantanamo Bay and the pristine beauty of the Arctic.

See stories by Jackie Northam

SUSTAIN what matters. BUILD what’s next.

With federal funding eliminated, WKAR relies more than ever on community support to sustain essential services that remain freely available to everyone in mid-Michigan. Your support helps shape what comes next for public media in our region. The best way to support WKAR is by becoming a sustaining member today or by upgrading your current gift. Support WKAR TV Here | Support WKAR Radio Here.