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Military Punishes Abu Ghraib Key Witness
(Brian Ross and Alexandra Salomon, ABC News, May 21, 2004)
A witness who told ABCNEWS he believed the military was covering up the extent of abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison was today stripped of his security clearance and told he may face prosecution because his comments were "not in the national interest." . . . Provance said he was told he will face administrative action for failing to report what he knew at the time and for failing to take steps to stop the abuse. . . . "I see it as an effort to intimidate Sgt. Provance and any other soldier whose conscience is bothering him, and who wants to come forward and tell what really happened at Abu Ghraib," said his attorney Scott Horton. . . . A key witness in the military investigation into prisoner mistreatment at Abu Ghraib, Provance told ABCNEWS earlier this week that dozens of soldiers -- in addition to the seven military police reservists who have been charged -- were involved in the abuse at the prison, and he said there is an effort under way in the Army to hide it. . . . "There's definitely a cover-up," Provance said. "People are either telling themselves or being told to be quiet." . . . Provance, 30, was part of the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion stationed at Abu Ghraib last September. He spoke to ABCNEWS despite orders from his commanders not to. . . . "What I was surprised at was the silence," said Provance. "The collective silence by so many people that had to be involved, that had to have seen something or heard something." . . . He said that while he did not see the actual abuse take place, the interrogators with whom he worked freely admitted they directed the MPs' rough treatment of prisoners. . . . Provance says the sexual humiliation of prisoners began as a technique ordered by the interrogators from military intelligence. . . . Fay started his probe on April 23, but Provance said when Fay interviewed him, the general seemed interested only in the military police, not the interrogators, and seemed to discourage him from testifying. . . . Provance said Fay threatened to take action against him for failing to report what he saw sooner, and the sergeant said he feared he would be ostracized for speaking out. . . . "I feel like I'm being punished for being honest," Provance told ABCNEWS on Tuesday. "You know, it was almost as if I actually felt if all my statements were shredded and I said, like most everybody else, 'I didn't hear anything, I didn't see anything. I don't know what you're talking about,' then my life would be just fine right now." . . . "I would say many people are probably hiding and wishing to God that this storm passes without them having to be investigated [or] personally looked at," he said.

posted by LoZo 7:40 PM