34 Republican scandals worthy of further attention

[Guest guest]

M

 

This is in no way a comprehensive list. It could have been much longer.

 

 

 

Wed, 26 Jan 2005 07:54:25 -0500

34 Republican scandals worthy of further attention

 

 

The scandal sheet

Print it out, send it to Harry Reid, or just read it and weep. Here

are 34 scandals from the first four years of George W. Bush's

presidency -- every one of them worse than Whitewater.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - -

By Peter Dizikes

 

an. 18, 2005 |

 

Jan. 18, 2005 | Once upon a time -- about five years ago --

conservative pundits often talked about " scandal fatigue. " Remember

scandal fatigue? It was an affliction supposedly either turning voters

against Democrats or, alternatively, a weariness in the body politic

preventing Republicans from pursuing even more grievances against Bill

Clinton. By any objective measure, however, after four years of George

W. Bush's presidency, the entire nation should be suffering from utter

scandal exhaustion.

 

Consider the raw materials of scandal that this administration has

produced: False claims about Iraq's supposed weapons of mass

destruction. Torture in Abu Ghraib. The virtually treasonous exposure

of a CIA agent by White House officials. And those are just the

best-known examples.

 

After all, how many citizens can name all the ongoing investigations

of Halliburton, Vice President Dick Cheney's old firm? Who remembers

that the administration illicitly diverted $700 million from

Afghanistan to Iraq? Or that, on Capitol Hill, Senate Republicans

stole strategy memos from Democrats, while a House Republican said he

was offered a bribe during a crucial vote? Even a conscientious

citizen cannot be expected to keep score, so Salon has compiled a list

 

If the next four years of Bush and the GOP running the federal

government are anything like the previous four, however, potential

scandals will lead to few political consequences for the Republicans.

Bush opponents will likely be disappointed if they are waiting for a

renewal of the supposed " second-term scandal jinx " dogging Richard

Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Clinton.

 

After all, Washington Republicans are insulated by a rabidly partisan

Congress with no interest in investigating the executive branch (and

little taste for disciplining itself). By contrast, presidents Nixon,

Reagan and Clinton each faced an adversarial Congress. As the late

Senate Watergate Committee counsel Sam Dash noted in 2003 about

congressional oversight: " Although it worked then, it doesn't mean it

would work now. "

 

Moreover, Congress allowed the independent-counsel statute, the law

that brought us Ken Starr, to expire as Bush assumed office. And the

right-wing media -- cable news, talk radio, several newspapers -- are

not about to replicate the drumbeat of scandal they pounded out while

Clinton held office. Thus scandals are not a defining part of the

GOP's current identity.

 

The Democrats, terminally cautious even in the minority, seem unlikely

to change this dynamic -- although Harry Reid, the Democrats' new

Senate leader, has announced his party will hold monthly oversight

hearings, beginning this January, on " unasked and unanswered

questions " about the Bush administration. Reid's project, however, is

an uphill battle. The Democrats cannot compel anyone to testify,

unlike standard congressional committees, and memorable rhetoric is

not a party strength. " This is about honesty and accountability and

reforming our federal government, " Reid said in the prepared statement

the Democratic Policy Committee released about its oversight plans.

 

Just think: Someone prepared that quote. To put it more bluntly than

Reid did: This is about the dozens of scandals occurring while the

Republican Party has enjoyed almost complete control over the federal

government. This is about the GOP's utter disrespect for the laws of

the United States. This is about stopping greed, bribery and

influence-peddling.

 

Indeed, here are 34 Republican scandals worthy of further attention,

gathered into one place. The list focuses on scandals involving

apparently illegal activity or violations of ethics codes. Not

everything that is politically, legally or ethically scandalous

constitutes a scandal. It is scandalous, for instance, that House

Republicans have further weakened their own ethics committee. But that

is not, properly speaking, a political scandal. It is just

contemptible governance.

 

This list is also limited to events of the past four years, or those

coming to light in that time. It covers both the executive branch and

the Congress, since the latter, especially the Senate, is increasingly

a mere adjunct to the White House. However, the items are not arranged

in terms of moral or historical gravity. Abu Ghraib might create years

of anti-American hatred abroad, but it and some other

headline-generating events appear near the end of the list, to help

familiarize readers first with lesser-known or now-overlooked

scandals. Recall how John Ashcroft broke the law? Know why Dick Cheney

wants to keep those energy task force documents secret? Read on. You

too, Harry Reid.

 

 

1. Memogate: The Senate Computer Theft

 

The scandal: From 2001 to 2003, Republican staffers on the Senate

Judiciary Committee illicitly accessed nearly 5,000 computer files

containing confidential Democratic strategy memos about President

Bush's judicial nominees. The GOP used the memos to shape their own

plans and leaked some to the media.

 

The problem: The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act states it is illegal to

obtain confidential information from a government computer.

 

The outcome: Unresolved. The Justice Department has assigned a

prosecutor to the case. The staff member at the heart of the matter,

Manuel Miranda, has attempted to brazen it out, filing suit in

September 2004 against the DOJ to end the investigation. " A grand jury

will indict a ham sandwich, " Miranda complained. Some jokes just write

themselves.

 

2. Doctor Detroit: The DOJ's Bungled Terrorism Case

 

The scandal: The Department of Justice completely botched the nation's

first post-9/11 terrorism trial, as seen when the convictions of three

Detroit men allegedly linked to al-Qaida were overturned in September

2004. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft had claimed their June

2003 sentencing sent " a clear message " that the government would

" detect, disrupt and dismantle the activities of terrorist cells. "

 

The problem: The DOJ's lead prosecutor in the case, Richard

Convertino, withheld key information from the defense and distorted

supposed pieces of evidence -- like a Las Vegas vacation video

purported to be a surveillance tape. But that's not the half of it.

Convertino says he was unfairly scapegoated because he testified

before the Senate, against DOJ wishes, about terrorist financing.

Justice's reconsideration of the case began soon thereafter.

Convertino has since sued the DOJ, which has also placed him under

investigation.

 

The outcome: Let's see: Overturned convictions, lawsuits and feuding

about a Kafkaesque case. Nobody looks good here.

 

3. Dark Matter: The Energy Task Force

 

The scandal: A lawsuit has claimed it is illegal for Dick Cheney to

keep the composition of his 2001 energy-policy task force secret.

What's the big deal? The New Yorker's Jane Mayer has suggested an

explosive aspect of the story, citing a National Security Council memo

from February 2001, which " directed the N.S.C. staff to cooperate

fully with the Energy Task Force as it considered the 'melding' of ...

'operational policies towards rogue states,' such as Iraq, and

'actions regarding the capture of new and existing oil and gas

fields.' " In short, the task force's activities could shed light on

the administration's pre-9/11 Iraq aims.

 

 

The problem: The Federal Advisory Committee Act says the government

must disclose the work of groups that include non-federal employees;

the suit claims energy industry executives were effectively task force

members. Oh, and the Bush administration has portrayed the Iraq war as

a response to 9/11, not something it was already considering.

 

The outcome: Unresolved. In June 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court sent the

case back to an appellate court.

 

4. The Indian Gaming Scandal

 

The scandal: Potential influence peddling to the tune of $82 million,

for starters. Jack Abramoff, a GOP lobbyist and major Bush fundraiser,

and Michael Scanlon, a former aide to Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas),

received that amount from several Indian tribes, while offering access

to lawmakers. For instance, Texas' Tigua tribe, which wanted its

closed El Paso casino reopened, gave millions to the pair and $33,000

to Rep. Robert Ney (R-Ohio) in hopes of favorable legislation (Ney

came up empty). And get this: The Tiguas were unaware that Abramoff,

Scanlon and conservative activist Ralph Reed had earned millions

lobbying to have the same casino shut in 2002.

 

The problem: Federal officials want to know if Abramoff and Scanlon

provided real services for the $82 million, and if they broke laws

while backing candidates in numerous Indian tribe elections.

 

The outcome: Everybody into the cesspool! The Senate Indian Affairs

Committee and five federal agencies, including the FBI, IRS, and

Justice Department, are investigating.

 

5. Halliburton's No-Bid Bonanza

 

The scandal: In February 2003, Halliburton received a five-year, $7

billion no-bid contract for services in Iraq.

 

The problem: The Army Corps of Engineers' top contracting officer,

Bunnatine Greenhouse, objected to the deal, saying the contract should

be the standard one-year length, and that a Halliburton official

should not have been present during the discussions.

 

The outcome: The FBI is investigating. The $7 billion contract was

halved and Halliburton won one of the parts in a public bid. For her

troubles, Greenhouse has been forced into whistle-blower protection.

 

6. Halliburton: Pumping Up Prices

 

The scandal: In 2003, Halliburton overcharged the army for fuel in

Iraq. Specifically, Halliburton's subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root

hired a Kuwaiti company, Altanmia, to supply fuel at about twice the

going rate, then added a markup, for an overcharge of at least $61

million, according to a December 2003 Pentagon audit.

 

The problem: That's not the government's $61 million, it's our $61

million.

 

The outcome: The FBI is investigating.

 

7. Halliburton's Vanishing Iraq Money

 

The scandal: In mid-2004, Pentagon auditors determined that $1.8

billion of Halliburton's charges to the government, about 40 percent

of the total, had not been adequately documented.

 

The problem: That's not the government's $1.8 billion, it's our $1.8

billion.

 

The outcome: The Defense Contract Audit Agency has " strongly " asked

the Army to withhold about $60 million a month from its Halliburton

payments until the documentation is provided.

 

8. The Halliburton Bribe-apalooza

 

The scandal: This may not surprise you, but an international

consortium of companies, including Halliburton, is alleged to have

paid more than $100 million in bribes to Nigerian officials, from 1995

to 2002, to facilitate a natural-gas-plant deal. (Cheney was

Halliburton's CEO from 1995 to 2000.)

 

The problem: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act prohibits U.S.

companies from bribing foreign officials.

 

The outcome: A veritable coalition of the willing is investigating the

deal, including the Justice Department, the SEC, the Nigerian

government and a French magistrate. In June, Halliburton fired two

implicated executives.

 

9. Halliburton: One Fine Company

 

The scandal: In 1998 and 1999, Halliburton counted money recovered

from project overruns as revenue, before settling the charges with

clients.

 

The problem: Doing so made the company's income appear larger, but

Halliburton did not explain this to investors. The SEC ruled this

accounting practice was " materially misleading. "

 

The outcome: In August 2004, Halliburton agreed to pay a $7.5 million

fine to settle SEC charges. One Halliburton executive has paid a fine

and another is settling civil charges. Now imagine the right-wing

rhetoric if, say, Al Gore had once headed a firm fined for fudging

income statements.

 

10. Halliburton's Iran End Run

 

The scandal: Halliburton may have been doing business with Iran while

Cheney was CEO.

 

The problem: Federal sanctions have banned U.S. companies from dealing

directly with Iran. To operate in Iran legally, U.S. companies have

been required to set up independent subsidiaries registered abroad.

Halliburton thus set up a new entity, Halliburton Products and

Services Ltd., to do business in Iran, but while the subsidiary was

registered in the Cayman Islands, it may not have had operations

totally independent of the parent company.

 

The outcome: Unresolved. The Treasury Department has referred the case

to the U.S. attorney in Houston, who convened a grand jury in July 2004.

 

11. Money Order: Afghanistan's Missing $700 Million Turns Up in Iraq

 

The scandal: According to Bob Woodward's " Plan of Attack, " the Bush

administration diverted $700 million in funds from the war in

Afghanistan, among other places, to prepare for the Iraq invasion.

 

The problem: Article I, Section 8, Clause 12 of the U.S. Constitution

specifically gives Congress the power " to raise and support armies. "

And the emergency spending bill passed after Sept. 11, 2001, requires

the administration to notify Congress before changing war spending

plans. That did not happen.

 

The outcome: Congress declined to investigate. The administration's

main justification for its decision has been to claim the funds were

still used for, one might say, Middle East anti-tyrant-related program

activities.

 

12. Iraq: More Loose Change

 

The scandal: The inspector general of the Coalition Provisional

Authority in Iraq released a series of reports in July 2004 finding

that a significant portion of CPA assets had gone missing -- 34

percent of the materiel controlled by Kellogg, Brown & Root -- and

that the CPA's method of disbursing $600 million in Iraq

reconstruction funds " did not establish effective controls and left

accountability open to fraud, waste and abuse. "

 

The problem: As much as $50 million of that money was disbursed

without proper receipts.

 

The outcome: The CPA has disbanded, but individual government

investigations into the handling of Iraq's reconstruction continue.

 

13. The Pentagon-Israel Spy Case

 

The scandal: A Pentagon official, Larry Franklin, may have passed

classified United States documents about Iran to Israel, possibly via

the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a Washington lobbying group.

 

The problem: To do so could be espionage or could constitute the

mishandling of classified documents.

 

The outcome: A grand jury is investigating. In December 2004, the FBI

searched AIPAC's offices. A Senate committee has also been

investigating the apparently unauthorized activities of the Near East

and South Asia Affairs group in the Pentagon, where Franklin works.

 

14. Gone to Taiwan

 

The scandal: Missed this one? A high-ranking State Department

official, Donald Keyser, was arrested and charged in September with

making a secret trip to Taiwan and was observed by the FBI passing

documents to Taiwanese intelligence agents in Washington-area meetings.

 

The problem: Such unauthorized trips are illegal. And we don't have

diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

 

The outcome: The case is in the courts.

 

15. Wiretapping the United Nations

 

The scandal: Before the United Nations' vote on the Iraq war, the

United States and Great Britain developed an eavesdropping operation

targeting diplomats from several countries.

 

The problem: U.N. officials say the practice is illegal and undermines

honest diplomacy, although some observers claim it is business as

usual on East 42nd Street.

 

The outcome: Little fuss here, but a major British scandal erupted

after U.K. intelligence translator Katherine Gun leaked a U.S.

National Security Agency memo requesting British help in the spying

scheme, in early 2003. Initially charged under Britain's Official

Secrets Act for leaking classified information, Gun was cleared in

2004 -- seemingly to avoid hearings questioning the legality of

Britain's war participation.

 

16. The Boeing Boondoggle

 

The scandal: In 2003, the Air Force contracted with Boeing to lease a

fleet of refueling tanker planes at an inflated price: $23 billion.

 

The problem: The deal was put together by a government procurement

official, Darleen Druyun, who promptly joined Boeing. Beats using a

headhunter.

 

The outcome: In November 2003, Boeing fired both Druyun and CFO

Michael Sears. In April 2004, Druyun pled guilty to a conspiracy

charge in the case. In November 2004, Sears copped to a

conflict-of-interest charge, and company CEO Phil Condit resigned. The

government is reviewing its need for the tankers.

 

17. The Medicare Bribe Scandal

 

The scandal: According to former Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.), on Nov.

21, 2003, with the vote on the administration's Medicare bill hanging

in the balance, someone offered to contribute $100,000 to his son's

forthcoming congressional campaign, if Smith would support the bill.

 

The problem: Federal law prohibits the bribery of elected officials.

 

The outcome: In September 2004, the House Ethics Committee concluded

an inquiry by fingering House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas),

saying he deserved " public admonishment " for offering to endorse

Smith's son in return for Smith's vote. DeLay has claimed Smith

initiated talks about a quid pro quo. The matter of the $100,000 is

unresolved; soon after his original allegations, Smith suddenly

claimed he had not been offered any money. Smith's son Brad lost his

GOP primary in August 2004.

 

18. Tom DeLay's PAC Problems

 

The scandal: One of DeLay's political action committees, Texans for a

Republican Majority, apparently reaped illegal corporate contributions

for the campaigns of Republicans running for the Texas Legislature in

2002. Given a Republican majority, the Legislature then re-drew Texas'

U.S. congressional districts to help the GOP.

 

The problem: Texas law bans the use of corporate money for political

purposes.

 

The outcome: Unresolved. Three DeLay aides and associates -- Jim

Ellis, John Colyandro and Warren RoBold -- were charged in September

2004 with crimes including money laundering and unlawful acceptance of

corporate contributions.

 

19. Tom DeLay's FAA: Following Americans Anywhere

 

The scandal: In May 2003, DeLay's office persuaded the Federal

Aviation Administration to find the plane carrying a Texas Democratic

legislator, who was leaving the state in an attempt to thwart the

GOP's nearly unprecedented congressional redistricting plan.

 

The problem: According to the House Ethics Committee, the " invocation

of federal executive branch resources in a partisan dispute before a

state legislative body " is wrong.

 

The outcome: In October 2004, the committee rebuked DeLay for his actions.

 

20. In the Rough: Tom DeLay's Golf Fundraiser

 

The scandal: DeLay appeared at a golf fundraiser that Westar Energy

held for one of his political action committees, Americans for a

Republican Majority, while energy legislation was pending in the House.

 

The problem: It's one of these " appearance of impropriety " situations.

 

The outcome: The House Ethics Committee tossed the matter into its

Oct. 6 rebuke. " Take a lap, Tom. "

 

21. Busy, Busy, Busy in New Hampshire

 

The scandal: In 2002, with a tight Senate race in New Hampshire,

Republican Party officials paid a Virginia-based firm, GOP

Marketplace, to enact an Election Day scheme meant to depress

Democratic turnout by " jamming " the Democratic Party phone bank with

continuous calls for 90 minutes.

 

The problem: Federal law prohibits the use of telephones to " annoy or

harass " anyone.

 

The outcome: Chuck McGee, the former executive director of the New

Hampshire GOP, pleaded guilty in July 2004 to a felony charge, while

Allen Raymond, former head of GOP Marketplace, pleaded guilty to a

similar charge in June. In December, James Tobin, former New England

campaign chairman of Bush-Cheney '04, was indicted for conspiracy in

the case.

 

22. The Medicare Money Scandal

 

The scandal: Thomas Scully, Medicare's former administrator,

supposedly threatened to fire chief Medicare actuary Richard Foster to

prevent him from disclosing the true cost of the 2003 Medicare bill.

 

The problem: Congress voted on the bill believing it would cost $400

billion over 10 years. The program is more likely to cost $550 billion.

 

The outcome: Scully denies threatening to fire Foster, as Foster has

charged, but admits telling Foster to withhold the higher estimate

from Congress. In September 2004, the Government Accountability Office

recommended Scully return half his salary from 2003. Inevitably,

Scully is now a lobbyist for drug companies helped by the bill.

 

23. The Bogus Medicare " Video News Release "

 

The scandal: To promote its Medicare bill, the Bush administration

produced imitation news-report videos touting the legislation. About

40 television stations aired the videos. More recently, similar videos

promoting the administration's education policy have come to light.

 

The problem: The administration broke two laws: One forbidding the use

of federal money for propaganda, and another forbidding the

unauthorized use of federal funds.

 

The outcome: In May 2004, the GAO concluded the administration acted

illegally, but the agency lacks enforcement power.

 

24. Pundits on the Payroll: The Armstrong Williams Case

 

The scandal: The Department of Education paid conservative commentator

Armstrong Williams $240,000 to promote its educational law, No Child

Left Behind.

 

The problem: Williams did not disclose that his support was government

funded until the deal was exposed in January 2005.

 

The outcome: The House and FCC are considering inquiries, while

Williams' syndicated newspaper column has been terminated.

 

25. Ground Zero's Unsafe Air

 

The scandal: Government officials publicly minimized the health risks

stemming from the World Trade Center attack. In September 2001, for

example, Environmental Protection Agency head Christine Todd Whitman

said New York's " air is safe to breathe and [the] water is safe to drink. "

 

The problem: Research showed serious dangers or was incomplete. The

EPA used outdated techniques that failed to detect tiny asbestos

particles. EPA data also showed high levels of lead and benzene, which

causes cancer. A Sierra Club report claims the government ignored

alarming data. A GAO report says no adequate study of 9/11's health

effects has been organized.

 

The outcome: The long-term health effects of the disaster will likely

not be apparent for years or decades and may never be definitively

known. Already, hundreds of 9/11 rescue workers have quit their jobs

because of acute illnesses.

 

26. John Ashcroft's Illegal Campaign Contributions

 

The scandal: Ashcroft's exploratory committee for his short-lived 2000

presidential bid transferred $110,000 to his unsuccessful 2000

reelection campaign for the Senate.

 

The problem: The maximum for such a transfer is $10,000.

 

The outcome: The Federal Election Commission fined Ashcroft's campaign

treasurer, Garrett Lott, $37,000 for the transgression.

 

27. Intel Inside ... The White House

 

The scandal: In early 2001, chief White House political strategist

Karl Rove held meetings with numerous companies while maintaining

six-figure holdings of their stock -- including Intel, whose

executives were seeking government approval of a merger. " Washington

hadn't seen a clearer example of a conflict of interest in years, "

wrote Paul Glastris in the Washington Monthly.

 

The problem: The Code of Federal Regulations says government employees

should not participate in matters in which they have a personal

financial interest.

 

The outcome: Then White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, spurning

precedent, did not refer the case to the Justice Department.

 

28. Duck! Antonin Scalia's Legal Conflicts

 

The scandal: Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia refused to recuse

himself from the Cheney energy task force case, despite taking a

duck-hunting trip with the vice president after the court agreed to

weigh the matter.

 

The problem: Federal law requires a justice to " disqualify himself

from any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be

questioned. "

 

The outcome: Scalia stayed on, arguing no conflict existed because

Cheney was party to the case in a professional, not personal,

capacity. Nothing new for Scalia, who in 2002 was part of a

Mississippi redistricting ruling favorable to GOP Rep. Chip Pickering

-- son of Judge Charles Pickering, a Scalia turkey-hunting pal. In

2001, Scalia went pheasant hunting with Kansas Gov. Bill Graves when

that state had cases pending before the Supreme Court.

 

29. AWOL

 

The scandal: George W. Bush, self-described " war president, " did not

fulfill his National Guard duty, and Bush and his aides have made

misleading statements about it. Salon's Eric Boehlert wrote the best

recent summary of the issue.

 

The problem: Military absenteeism is a punishable offense, although

Bush received an honorable discharge.

 

The outcome: No longer a campaign issue. But what was Bush doing in 1972?

 

30. Iraq: The Case for War

 

The scandal: Bush and many officials in his administration made false

statements about Iraq's military capabilities, in the months before

the United States' March 2003 invasion of the country.

 

The problem: For one thing, it is a crime to lie to Congress, although

Bush backers claim the president did not knowingly make false assertions.

 

The outcome: A war spun out of control with unknowable long-term

consequences. The Iraq Survey Group has stopped looking for weapons of

mass destruction in Iraq.

 

31. Niger Forgeries: Whodunit?

 

The scandal: In his January 2003 State of the Union address, Bush

said, " The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently

sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa. "

 

The problem: The statement was untrue. By March 2003, the

International Atomic Energy Agency showed the claim, that Iraq sought

materials from Niger, was based on easily discernible forgeries.

 

The outcome: The identity of the forger(s) remains under wraps.

Journalist Josh Marshall has implied the FBI is oddly uninterested in

interviewing Rocco Martino, the former Italian intelligence agent who

apparently first shopped the documents in intelligence and

journalistic circles and would presumably be able to shed light on

their origin.

 

32. In Plame Sight

 

The scandal: In July 2003, administration officials disclosed the

identity of Valerie Plame, a CIA operative working on counterterrorism

efforts, to multiple journalists, and columnist Robert Novak made

Plame's identity public. Plame's husband, former Ambassador Joseph

Wilson, had just written a New York Times opinion piece stating he had

investigated the Niger uranium-production allegations, at the CIA's

behest, and reported them to be untrue, before Bush's 2003 State of

the Union address.

 

The problem: Under the Intelligence Identities Protection Act it is

illegal to disclose, knowingly, the name of an undercover agent.

 

The outcome: Unresolved. The Justice Department appointed special

prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to the case in December 2003. While this

might seem a simple matter, Fitzgerald could be unable to prove the

leakers knew Plame was a covert agent.

 

33. Abu Ghraib

 

The scandal: American soldiers physically tortured prisoners in Iraq

and kept undocumented " ghost detainees " in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

 

The problem: The United States is party to the Geneva Conventions,

which state that " No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of

coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them

information of any kind whatever. "

 

The outcome: Unresolved. A Pentagon internal inquiry found a lack of

oversight at Abu Ghraib, while independent inquiries have linked the

events to the administration's desire to use aggressive interrogation

methods globally. Notoriously, Gonzales has advocated an approach

which " renders obsolete Geneva's strict limitations on questioning of

enemy prisoners and renders quaint some of its provisions. " More

recently, Gonzales issued qualified support for the Geneva Conventions

in January 2005 Senate testimony after being nominated for attorney

general. Army reservist Charles Graner was convicted in January 2005

for abusing prisoners, while a few other soldiers await trial.

 

34. Guantánamo Bay Torture?

 

The scandal: The U.S. military is also alleged to have abused

prisoners at the U.S. Navy's base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. FBI agents

witnessing interrogations there have reported use of growling dogs to

frighten prisoners and the chaining of prisoners in the fetal position

while depriving them of food or water for extended periods.

 

The problem: More potential violations of the Geneva Conventions.

 

The outcome: An internal military investigation was launched in

January 2005.