Pentagon still investigating prison abuses-Schmitz

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http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2005-09-01T171745Z_01_SCH162186_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-IRAQ-USA-PRISON-DC.XML

Pentagon still investigating prison abuses-Schmitz

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon's chief internal watchdog said on Thursday his agency continues to investigate the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, although he declined to give details.

Defense Department Inspector General Joseph Schmitz, who leaves his job next week to join a private defense contractor, said his comments last year about the prison abuses having been caused by a few "bad eggs" were taken out of context.

Schmitz made the comment after returning from a trip to Iraq in June 2004, when he also said, "I'm not aware of any illegal orders that came from any leaders."

Asked if he still stood by that assessment, Schmitz told Reuters in a telephone interview that the matter of accountability was still under investigation.