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‘US general linked to use of dogs at prison’

WASHINGTON: The US Army general sent by the Pentagon to bolster the collection of intelligence from prisoners at Abu Ghraib is said to have urged the use of guard dogs to frighten Iraqis detainees, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing sworn testimony by the top US intelligence officer at the prison. Col Thomas Pappas testified that the idea came from Maj Gen Geoffrey Miller, then commander of the US detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and was implemented under a policy approved by Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez, the top US military officer in Iraq, the newspaper reported. Senior defense officials said on Tuesday that Sanchez was being replaced as the US commander in Iraq. But they argued the change was not triggered by the Abu Ghraib Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal. According to a transcript obtained by The Washington Post, Pappas told the Army investigator, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba: “It was a technique I had personally discussed with General Miller, when he was here” visiting the prison. “He said that they used military working dogs at Gitmo [the nickname for Guantanamo Bay], and that they were effective in setting the atmosphere for which, you know, you could get information” from the prisoners, Pappas said in the testimony. afp

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