IT TAKES A THIEF

Ex-Brigadier General Janis Karpinski is getting even with Donald Rumsfeld. She's now saying that Rummy personally authorized the illegal treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison while she was in command of the facility.

Karpinski says she read a memo from Rumsfeld detailing the methods (Newsmax):

Karpinski, who ran the prison until early 2004, said she saw a memorandum signed by Rumsfeld detailing the use of harsh interrogation methods.

"The handwritten signature was above his printed name and in the same handwriting in the margin was written: "Make sure this is accomplished"," she told Saturday's El Pais.

From my reading of the article it doesn't appear that Karpinski actually has the memo in her possession.

Karpinski is upset over being held responsible for the acts at Abu Ghraib prison, but, it appears that she was going to lose that rank anyway. Apparently, while completing paperwork for her promotion to general, she forgot to include an arrest she had in Florida for SHOPLIFTING (WaPo) (CTV):

"The shoplifting charge stemmed from a misdemeanor incident in which Karpinski allegedly stole cosmetics in Florida before she was promoted to one-star general. Her failure to disclose the arrest was against Army regulations."

It just slipped her mind, I guess. A full-bird colonel arrested for shoplifting? I watch a lot of news and I've never heard about this arrest on tv. The two articles linked above are from early last year and it's the only place I've seen it mentioned, and then it was only mentioned deep into the article.

Karpinski's cred with me is limited, at best. Maybe the folks in Florida know more about this arrest.