Lawmakers Told of POW Abuse Months Ago

[No2W2004]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=1&u=/ap/20040517/ap_on_go_co/prisoner_abuse

HAGERSTOWN, Md. - Two months before pictures of Iraqi prisoner abuse became public, the family of one accused soldier wrote to 14 members of Congress that "something went wrong" involving "mistreatment of POWs" at Abu Ghraib prison.

Iraq (news - web sites) wrote to Republican Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania that he was being unfairly punished after "pictures of naked prisoners" were discovered. He sent the letter six weeks before the CBS program "60 Minutes II" first broadcast photographs of the prisoners on April 28.

The strongest reply any of them got was a note saying what they already knew — that the Army was investigating, according to documents released last week by Specter's office and the family of Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Ivan L. "Chip" Frederick.

It goes on to say his family sent emails to 11 Democrats on the Senate Armed Services Committiee seeking information on Frederick's status.

A Feb. 23 letter from Lawson to Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia said Frederick was relieved of prison-guard duty without explanation Jan. 14, two days before the Army publicly announced a criminal investigation of alleged prisoner mistreatment.

"At some point, something went wrong at the prison related to mistreatment of POWs," Lawson wrote.

Rockefeller responded on March 2 that the Army could not act on the request unless it came from Frederick's wife or mother.