Geoffrey Miller

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Major General Geoffrey D. Miller was appointed in April 2004 to run the Enemy Prisoner of War Camps in Iraq, "replacing Gen. Janis Karpinski [who] was suspended amid investigations into the allegations that U.S. soldiers abused Iraqi inmates at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison."

The Army Times reports on May 17, 2004:

"House and Senate members are also focusing on the role of Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who was so effective at eliciting useful information from terrorism suspects at the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that he was named last month to run U.S. prisons in Iraq. It was Miller who recommended last September that military intelligence officials have command over prisons and prison guards to improve the intelligence gleaned from interrogations."

See Center for American Progress's "Who is Geoffrey Miller? Is the Man from Guantánamo the Right Man for Iraq?" by Peter Ogden, May 17, 2004.

Abu Ghraib "Assessment" September 2003

On September 9, 2003, Major General Miller submitted an "Assessment of DOD Counter-Terrorism Interrogation and Detention Operations in Iraq," which provided information for the Article 15-6 investigation of the 800th Military Police Brigade by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba:

IO COMMENTS ON MG MILLER'S ASSESSMENT
1. (S/NF) MG Miller's team recognized that they were using JTF-GTMO operational procedures and interrogation authorities as baselines for its observations and recommendations. There is a strong argument that the intelligence value of detainees held at JTF-Guantanamo (GTMO) is different than that of the detainees/internees held at Abu Ghraib (BCCF) and other detention facilities in Iraq. Currently, there are a large number of Iraqi criminals held at Abu Ghraib (BCCF). These are not believed to be international terrorists or members of Al Qaida, Anser Al Islam, Taliban, and other international terrorist organizations. (ANNEX 20)
2. (S/NF) The recommendations of MG Miller's team that the "guard force" be actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees would appear to be in conflict with the recommendations of MG Ryder's Team and AR 190-8 that military police "do not participate in military intelligence supervised interrogation sessions." The Ryder Report concluded that the OEF template whereby military police actively set the favorable conditions for subsequent interviews runs counter to the smooth operation of a detention facility. (ANNEX 20)

Roger Galligan comments on May 5, 2004:

"Who is Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller? He's the guy running Guantanamo who visited Iraq early in September [2003] as the head of a delegation advising military officers on how to extract intelligence from Iraqi detainees. Miller's team concluded that it was "essential that the guard force be actively engaged in setting the conditions for successful exploitation of the internees." Its report also said that U.S. interrogation operations in Iraq were hampered by a lack of "active control" of prisoners. Doesn't sound like the kind of guy interested in introducing systemic constraints on prison guards from abuse of prisoners."
  • "Prison Commander Came from Cuba Post," National Public Radio, May 5, 2004: "Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who commands the U.S.-run prisons in Iraq, apologizes for abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody. Before heading the Iraqi detention effort, Miller visited Iraq in 2003, when he made recommendations on how to get the information from prisoners. Miller previously commanded the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."
"The Army major general appointed to run Iraq's prisons in fallout of a major scandal weathered controversy in his last assignment overseeing the detainment center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller spent more than a year at Guantanamo Bay, boasting that detainees there had become much more cooperative during his time there. But he was in charge during a time when one interrogator was accused of espionage and human rights groups leveled their most scathing criticism at the camp."
  • Army Maj. Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller is being assigned as commander, Joint Task Force - Guantanamo, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Miller is currently serving as assistant chief of staff, C-3 and J-3, United Nations Command and Combined Forces Command, U.S. Forces Korea and deputy commanding general, Eighth U.S. Army, Korea. Department of Defense, September 20, 2002.

Biography

Major General Geoffrey D. Miller. U.S. Southern Command Biography (cache file):

  • Geoffrey D. Miller, Major General, United States Army, Commander, Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO)
  • Commissioned: ROTC
  • Military Schools Attended: Field Artillery Officer Basic Course, Armor Officer Advanced Course, United States Army Command and General Staff College, National War College
  • Educational Degrees: Ohio State University - BS Degree - History; University of Southern California - MS Degree - Education Administration
  • Attended the 2000 National Security Leadership Course [1] at National Security Studies [2] at Syracuse University [3]. The course is billed as "an intensive examination of the interplay of national strategy and individual leadership."
  • Foreign Languages: None noted.

SourceWatch Resources

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