Karpinski claims conspiracy kept her in dark over prison abuses

MICHAEL McDONOUGH, Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, August 3, 2004


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(08-03) 06:59 PDT LONDON (AP) --

The general who headed the U.S. military prison at Abu Ghraib said in
an interview broadcast Tuesday that there had been a conspiracy to
prevent her knowing about prisoner abuse at the jail.

Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, who was suspended by the Pentagon in May,
has denied knowing about any mistreatment prisoners until photographs
surfaced at the end of April. U.S. investigators have not implicated
Karpinski directly in any of the abuses.

Karpinski told British Broadcasting Corp. radio that she had
information suggesting officials took action to keep her in the dark
about the mistreatment.

"I have been told there's a reliable witness who's made a statement
.... indicating that not only was I not included in any of the meetings
discussing interrogation operations, but specific measures were taken
to ensure I would not have access to those facilities, that
information or any of the details of interrogations at Abu Ghraib or
anywhere else," Karpinski said. She didn't identify the witness.

"Correct," Karpinski responded when asked if she thought there was a
conspiracy at senior level to stop her knowing what was going on.

"From what I understand ... it was people that had full knowledge of
what was going on out at Abu Ghraib who knew that they had to keep
Janis Karpinski from discovering any of those activities," she added.

Asked whether she thought the conspiracy reached up to the Pentagon or
the White House, she said: "The indication is that it may have."