Who will be teaching whom?

Iraqis arriving for training in interrogation techniques

Local military affairs reporter for the Sierra Vista Herald (Sierra Vista, Arizona), Bill Hess, reports that Major General Barbara Fast, the senior Army officer responsible for setting up military intelligence interrogations in Iraq--and presently commander of Fort Huachuca (pronounced "wha-CHU-kah") in southeast Arizona, where Army interrogators are trained--has arranged for the visit of several Iraqi military officers to her military interrogations school.

As I noted in this blog (October 24, 2005), it's curious that General Fast--the Pentagon's darling with respect to interrogation policies--not only emerged unscathed from Army investigations over the abuse scandals that broke into the news in early 2004, but was rewarded by being placed in charge of the school that trains military interrogators.

Reformed or revived interrogation techniques?

In light of recent international news reports about severe maltreatment of prisoners discovered in Iraqi military prisons, one wonders whether the visiting Iraqi officers will be receiving information about the latest American interrogation techniques or whether the Iraqis will be instructing General Fast's school on the latest Iraqi techniques. After all, Iraqi prison and military officers under Saddam Hussein developed expert methods of torture and interrogation techniques during his 30-year reign.

Whatever General Fast's plan for the Iraqi officers' visit, at least it's good to note that this is her first public appearance of any kind since she took over command of Fort Huachuca last Spring. Since then, she has been maintaining a very low profile--to the extent that she's not even listed, in any capacity on the fort's public website. This announcement is one of her rare public interchanges in almost a year.

It would be edifying if General Fast would explain her role in the Abu Grahib scandal as related to the overarching theme for which she was responsible: Military intelligence interrogations in Iraq. Her co-commander in this effort, Brigadier General (now Colonel) Janis Karpinski--the only senior officer to be charged in the affair--would also be grateful if General Fast would explain her role and how she has managed to emerge from the mess with "clean hands."