A senior US general rejected a call by military investigators who wanted the former prison commander at Guantanamo Bay reprimanded over the treatment of a terror suspect, according to a congressional aide.
Looking into FBI reports of abuse, the investigators found multiple instances at the prison, including the use of duct tape on at least one prisoner's face, a threat to kill another prisoner's family, and inappropriate touching by female interrogators.
However, Pentagon investigators decided interrogators' behavior did not reach the level of torture or inhumane treatment, said the aide, who discussed the findings on condition of anonymity because the Defence Department has not released them.
Investigators determined that interrogators violated the Geneva Conventions and Army regulations three times. It was unclear from the aide's description what those instances were.
They also recommended that Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller be reprimanded for failing to oversee the interrogation of a high-value detainee, which was found to have been abusive, the aide said.
But Gen. Bantz J. Craddock, commander of US Southern Command, instead referred the matter to the Army's inspector general, said the aide. Craddock concluded that Miller did not violate any US laws or policies, according to the aide.
The military investigation was conducted by Air Force Lt. Gen. Randall M. Schmidt and Army Brig. Gen. John T. Furlow after the FBI agents' reports of abuse at Guantanamo surfaced last year. Craddock and the two investigators were to testify about their findings at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing today.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Michael Shavers declined to comment, saying he had not seen the report.
Previous investigations of prisoner abuse in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo have hurt US standing worldwide.
No officer of Miller's rank or higher has been officially admonished in connection with any of the abuse scandals.
Former Brig. Gen. Janice Karpinski, who was in charge of Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, is the highest-ranking officer to face punishment, despite calls from human rights groups to hold more senior leaders accountable.
AP