Red Cross Says Iraq Report Confidential

The Associated Press

By ALEXANDER G. HIGGINS Associated Press Writer

GENEVA

The International Red Cross report on prison abuse that was given to the top American administrators in Iraq is a confidential document and was not intended to be given to the U.S. Congress, the organization’s chief spokeswoman said Friday.

"The report is strictly confidential and intended only for the authorities to which it is presented," Antonella Notari, chief spokeswoman of the International Committee of the Red Cross, told The Associated Press.

However, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday that he was willing to let its members see the ICRC report, which details complaints of mistreatment by U.S. forces.

"If we’re not asked, then of course we won’t have anything to say," said Notari. "If Mr. Rumsfeld were to ask the ICRC, ’Can I give this to Congress?’ - at this stage I am in no position to give you an answer.

"We haven’t been asked (by Rumsfeld) and that’s a decision that needs to be discussed and taken at a higher level here at the ICRC. And I don’t have an answer at this stage."

The Red Cross report was presented to the Coalition Provisional Authority, headed by L. Paul Bremer, and top U.S. military commanders in Baghdad who report to the Defense Department.

The report bears a warning that "it may not be published in full or in part without the consent of the International Committee of the Red Cross," Notari noted.

Rumsfeld spoke after the Wall Street Journal on Friday published excerpts from the report. The ICRC said it regretted the publication.

Pierre Kraehenbuehl, director of operations for the ICRC, said the confidentiality "is valued first and foremost by the people whom we visit."

"It is important that someone comes into these places of detention and tries to work concretely on improving their situation and not leaving them to face such a situation alone and without any form of intervention whatsoever," Kraehenbuehl said.

Even though he confirmed that the Journal’s extracts were accurate, he refused to release the full report.

Sen. Robert C. Byrd on Friday asked Rumsfeld to get ICRC approval to make public its reports on U.S. military-run prison facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo and elsewhere in case there is a larger problem than just Iraq.

"We will be happy to give you our reports on a confidential basis that is respectful of the International Committee of the Red Cross’s stipulation," said Rumsfeld.

"Allowing one of their reports to be made public is an issue for them, because they worry that they will not be told the truth when they go into countries where there are dictatorships and where people are systematically punished and tortured," he added. "And people do not want to talk to them if the ICRC gets a reputation for making their reports public."