Customer Reviews

One Woman's Army: The Commanding General of Abu Ghraib Tells Her Story

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

You probably won't see this book on Fox News but this book is explosive. You'll have to stop every few pages and to absorb it all.

From news reports I initially thought that General Karpinski had to be the incompetent military officer in history for letting all that go on in the prison and claims to know nothing about it. But something just didn't feel right about the whole thing. Missing pieces of the puzzle made the whole thing stink to high heaven.

Now get the real story. Make no mistake - this IS the real story.

General Karpinski was not permitted by her boss to even enter the area of the prison where the torture took place. She even was ordered not to release prisoners proven to be innocent. When she tried to break the whole wide open she was sacrified. Thay is only the tip of the iceberg of this story.

Karpinski was thrown to wolves as a scapegoat while the real criminals patted themselves on the back.

This is a story of a government out of control. Professional military officers were shut out and not allowed to do their jobs under the law.

The story of Abu Ghraib told by General Karpinski is amazing and credible. She tells of mercenaries used by military intelligence, and instances where prison guards fired by departments of corrections for brutality were recruited for use in Iraq.

You will read this with your jaw dropped. I couldn't believe what I was reading. But the information checks out. The general is very credible and her story does shed new light on elements of this story that never made any sense to me. Now it is all clear. It finally makes sense and the missing pieces to the puzzle are finally all together.

This is a story of a cancer in the US hierarchy. This book will blow your mind. Karpinski exposes the lies. All good patriotic Americans need to read this book.

The story is not a new one, it's actually familiar. It has happened before. After you read this book you'll know what I'm talking about.

This book needs to get out. Everyone needs to read this story of corruption, lying and Rove's "reality". People belong in prison over this and I am not talking about Karpinski.

I would say that this is the most important book of the year without doubt. Read the real story, not the Fox News propaganda written by Bush's Ministry of Truth.

Karpinski has a lot of guts to tell it as it was in Iraq. She is forthright about her own shortcomings but paints a detailed and vivid picture of the situation on the ground after the American invasion. The incompetence and cockiness of the Bush administration is laid bare--by someone who should have been one of their biggest supporters. The sexist culture of the military at every level is the second line of this story, but Karpinski never whines--and, until she was stabbed in the back by her own people, she never let her stop going after the career she wanted. A must read, if you want a balanced view.

Colonel Karpinski earned the highest raiting for her autobiography because it spurred me to write to my congressman, senators, the President...and this review. Before the revelations in this book I had visions of Karpinski sitting back, watching her MPs play "pick up sticks" with their piles of prisoners. Now I realize she truly had no knowledge of abuse and understand how this ignorance was possible. I did not know her mission in Iraq was to construct from scratch and run 17 prisons. That Iraq's prison system had been destroyed by Saddam and she had to make these prisons available not only to our POWs, (later "detainees,") but also for the common Iraqi criminal element. The 800th MP Brigade, a patchwork quilt of various Reserve Companies, was woefully understaffed and under supplied; and as Reservists rather than regular Army, their needs were not a priority. As units were sent home they were not replaced, so Karpinski was faced with the challenge of guarding an ever burgeoning prison population with fewer and fewer troops. She had to play chess with the companies guarding her various prisons and move them around to procure maximum efficiency with minimum coverage. At Abu Ghraib there was the additional challenge of operating in a combat zone under almost daily motar attacks with threats of suicide bombings and ground assaults without the backing nor protection of combat troops. This was how the untrained soldiers from the 372nd MP Co came to Abu Ghraib and unbeknownst to Karpinski were pressed by civilian interrogators into "softening up" prisoners before interrogations. The MPs' job is to transport, care for and guard prisoners, not interrogate; but after Rumsfeld's order to extract "actionable intelligence," incredible pressure was exerted to obtain information, and the table was set for disaster. Ironically, the Army is not angry about the abusive interrogation techniques taught by Maj Gen Miller from Guantanamo Bay and used at Abu Ghraib, but that the MPs were foolish enough to share the pictures. Before those photos became public, Karpinski wanted to go to the Arabic and Western press to expose the abuse, apologize and start investigations, but was silenced by her superiors. They were busy covering their own asses and setting up Karpinski as the scapgoat. It is infuriating that now they are all blithely continuing their careers, most of them with promotions.

One reason Karpinski wrote this book was to point out her career should not be defined by Abu Ghraib. Her rise from school teacher to General is a more satisfying story than her fall. Her struggles to fit into our macho military yet keep her femininity, her decisions to join the military police and also earn a set of parachute wings in jump school, her experiences in the Middle East including being awarded a Bronze Star in the 1st Iraqi war and helping the United Arab Emirates train and integrate women into their military...these are some of the milestones that should define a proud and productive career. Her move from the Army to the Reserves and the subsequent respect she developed for these soldiers and those of the National Guard, despite their 2nd class status in the military is fascinating, as well as stories of the prejudice and machismo she endured. One weakness of the book: I wish she had given more detail about her marriage to the incredibly supportive George who joined the special forces when Karpinski joined the Army, lured by the married couple program of joint military careers. Of course they were never stationed in the same place at the same time so the pressures on the marriage must have been huge, but they persevered and have been married over 30 years.

Karpinski states that in the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib scandal, one of her greatest disappointments was how docilely the public and media accepted the administration's spin that the abuse was solely her fault perpetrated by 7 "bad apple" soldiers, despite the evidence of one photo clearly showing 16 pairs of boots surrounding the pyramid of naked men. Where was the outrage and the demands for an in-depth investigation? I was surprised by the compassion Karpinski expressed towards the notorious Lynndie England, noting her immaturity and desperate need for acceptence made her ripe for manipulation, thus condemning her to forever being the poster child for the atrocities at Abu Gharib. In any case, Karpinski conducted herself with grace, courage and class under the most horrific circumstances. She accepts responsibility, unlike her superiors or our civilian leaders, and she even recounts how she would have done things differently. I admire this woman, and if my daughter or my sons grow up to be like her, I would be extremely proud.

The title of this book should have been "The Perfect Storm". I'll get to that later.

Now, dear Amazon.com buyer, I recommend this book. Why? It does give some good reasons, not excuses, for the prisoner abuse that took place in Iraq. Why did I give the book three stars? First, there is no appendix nor is there a glossary. I think it's a little unfair that a person, who may have never been in the army, has to keep looking up Jump TOC and various other acronyms in previous pages. That cost a star. Second, the book is thin. While the General talks quite a bit about the business in Iraq she could give a really tell readers about the Army Reserve system. So while the book looks like quite a few pages if you just changed the margin spacing and the font of the type then I doubt the book would have been 150 pages. A thin book about a fairly large historical event cost another star.

If you're a "blue" American you'll like the way this book attacks some of the policies of the Bush administration. If you're a "red" American your blood will boil over the passing of the great American combat leader. Lieutenant General Sanchez and Brigadier Karpinski are not George Patton or Norman Schwartzkopf.

Personally, I wish Robert Kaplan, author of "Imperial Grunts" and "Balkan Ghosts", had teemed up with General Karpinski and made this book. The book would have had twice the pages, an index, lots of maps, and a glossary.

Now, as this review is being written there should be a coda section added to the book. Lieutenant General Sanchez was passed over for further promotion. He will be getting out of the Army in 2006. The Army Reserve and National Guard will all be reorganised more for combat support, like maintenance or truck driver units, and no longer have anything to do with direct combat support. (ref AP articles Feb. 2006). It would appear the days of great support of the active duty by either reserve or guard units will pass fairly quickly. Expect the Army Reserve to be deactivated by 2010 and the National Guard to lose all their combat assets, like tanks and artillery, by the same period. The root cause of that was the debacles at Abu Ghraib and in Iraq.

Now to the book.

I said the book should have been called "The Perfect Storm" because a newly promoted General is put in charge of most of the prisons in Iraq with a supervisor she can't stand. Now, does this reviewer blame General Karpinski's actions? Not really. Lieutenant General Sanchez's most valuable member of his staff was his lawyer, not his G-3 (operations). When you have a commander who cares more about legal issues than operations then you know the whole mission will be nothing but cluster **** (a military term for a poor operation).

General Karpinski first starts the book off how the whole situation blows up over Abu Ghraib. When that chapter finishes she then begins with her joining the military, she becomes an officer, goes through jump school, and spends the 1980s in the Reagan military. Yes, she has some problems with males. What the reader isn't told are female soldiers were a new item in the regular Army during the late 70s and early 80s. Yes, mistakes were make. However, the Army does back up Karpinski in a sexual assault charge and it costs a colonel his career and marriage. While the Army isn't perfect it does back up General Karpinski when a true wrong was done to her. Should corporate America do as well.

Some of what General Karpinski does is very impressive. She goes through jump school. That was back when getting a parachutist badge was almost an exclusive honor of both the infantry and men. Karpinski proves she is just as good as any of the men. Amazon.com readrs, you were cheated when she didn't tell you about the "gig pits" at airbone school. That would have added to her book and credibility.

Now, lets get to the subject of "The Perfect Storm".

After General Karpinski's service in Desert Storm she gets out of the Army and goes into the Individual Ready Reserve. To make ends meet (actually get semi-rich) she and her husband invent a civilian version of an officers report for annual performance reviews on employees (at your next annual performance review you now know who to curse). She sells the forms to various sub contractors for Haliburton in the Arab Gulf region. The irony is so thick you can cut it with a knife.

Now, this following part is critical. Ms. Karpinski goes into the Individual Ready Reserve of the Army. Basically, all she does is attend an annual class or two per year and she stays in the promotion pool. The reason why General Karpinski is promoted in the early 2000s is she has "dotted all the 'i's and crossed all the 't's". General Karpinski had not commanded a troop unit since the early 1990s, a gap of almost ten years. She leaves that little detail out of her book.

Things rapidly go down hill after she is assigned to command her units. General Karpinski is in charge of MPs in a combat environment. The whole command tries to deal with a situation that they have little training nor temperament for. Example, MP's don't have "organic" heavy weapons assigned to them. Now, in the past a normal unit would have got the weapons by hook or crook. If worse goes to worse you use former enemy stuff. What does Karpinski's unit do? They beg an M-2 fifty caliber machine gun from some sympathetic Marines.

Karpinski hates Sanchez and vice versa. I don't blame her for a dislike of him. However, their mutual dislike hurts the mission.

Do I blame General Karpinski for the mess at Abu Ghrai? No. She was the wrong person in charge of the wrong unit and was supported by a wretched upper command. This reader blames the Army for promoting her with little brigade or division troop time. Also, Lieutenant General Sanchez should get a great deal of the blame for not supporting General Karpinski. It costs Sanchez his career, Karpinski her rank, and more than a few simple soldiers a few years in prison.

Yep, this book is worth it. "Red" American will learn some very scary things about the Army Reserve System provided they don't get too mad when reading about the obvious leadership problems. "Blue" American can get first hand exposure to the problems in Iraq.

Now, if you want a plain better book then read Kaplan's "Imperial Grunts". Our soldiers end up looking fantastic. You'll want to fire everybody and anybody in Washington D.C.

By the way, this reviewer worked for over eight years as a DoD civilian, a reservist and active duty for twenty years. General Karpinski told the truth about the Army. She could have done a better job telling the tale. However, she did tell the truth about the Army Reserve system.

Three stars.

My original expectations were not met - only because I didn't realize when I picked up the book that it was more an autobiography than an expose of the events at Abu Ghraib's "torture chamber". However, as I read the book, my expectations changed and I can now recommend it on its own terms.

I can see how General Karpinski, a Bronze Star recipient due to her work in the First Gulf War, could rise in the ranks, first as an officer in the regular Army and then the Army Reserves. The fact that she was in the Regular Army for 10 years seems to be overlooked - it is much easier to blame someone if you make them appear incompetent first. She was not a fresh faced "weekend warrior" who was given a command, but a professional soldier.

Although some information was imparted about the sequence of events that led to the "torture" photos and subsequent investigation, it left more questions than had answers - which, I assume, was the point. I have no doubt that General Karpinski wants many more questions asked of those higher in the chain of command, and some accountability from those who threw her and her dedicated brigade to the wolves. Don't get me wrong - there is enough information to make the book worth reading, but it could have made up more of the content of the book.

What I liked most was her commitment to her soldiers, and how she was very firm that among the 3,400 soldiers she commanded, the vast majority of them were heroic, dedicated, caring individuals trying to do their best for their country and the prisoners they were guarding. The conditions at Abu Ghraib, which was supposed to be a short term holding facility, sound deplorable and inhumane for all involved. The ins and outs of daily life were very informative, and make me hope that many questions are asked about what we are putting our Reservists and National Guard through. Every American should know of their sacrifice, these soldiers who really didn't sign up for such extended tours of duty that they in some cases rank with the Regular Military on time served.

What I liked least was the almost constant reiteration of her attempts of maintaining her femininity as a solder, while retaining her professionalism, but after all of the jokes I've heard about women joining the Army, I can't say as that I blame her. It just got to the point that it was just a bit of chaff amidst the wheat...

This book gives General Karpinski's side of the story. It's excellent, and I think it's honest. She says three times at least that she takes responsibility for what she did wrong, and on two occasions lists mistakes she made. Everyone agrees that she did not condone or generate the torture that occurred at Abu Ghraib (otherwise her punishment would have been much more severe than mere demotion) but instead was entirely blindsided by it, in part because of a mixed up chain of command. That is not in dispute; her book merely gives the details, from her point of view. It's one of the best ghost-written biographies I've ever read, about an important current issue and, given that it is a piece of advocacy, frank and complete. Reviewers who say she does not accept her share of the blame have not read the book.

For some reason I can't give the book the four stars I meant to. I just tried to edit my review to change the star rating, and failed. I rate it four stars.

Was this woman's career sacrificed to protect the chain of command leading from Abu Ghraib to Gitmo to SecDef Rumsfeld? Her demotion, paired with the convictions of Grainer and England, conveniently avoid the fact that Defense Intelligence Agency took control of Abu Ghraib from her prior to the torture photos. Also conveniently omitted from the official story was the role of the private intelligence contractors who, of course, were not bound by military rules but operated independently in facilities ostensibly operated under Karpinski's command but clearly out of her control. Get the real story from the inside, spin-free.

I started this book with very low expectations. I suspected this would be little more than a sob story. Its more than that. Still, I found it lacking.

The biggest problem I had was COL Karpinski doesnt satisfactorily prove up her case of why she got punished for the Abu Ghraib scandal. Her premise is that, despite an excellent record of accomplishments in challenging assignments, she was finally brought down by the "macho warriors". This is a vast conspiracy of men threatened by successful women in the military. Also, she was an easy target because she was a reservist. Both arguments fall apart in the end. Karpinski proffers no evidence her downfall came from being a reservist. She gives us some evidence of sexual discrimination and harassment but the most recent solid example she gives is almost 20 years in the past! After 1986, Karpinkski's claims come down to vague (and perhaps paranoid) assumptions she makes that any male that crosses her tracks is out to get her because they hate women in uniform. Another problem I have with this train of thought is that the officers directly involved with her on the Abu Ghraib investigation are mostly minorities. Youd think at least one of them would come to the rescue if this was just the old boy network keeping a good woman down!

Despite this flaw, Karpinski is fairly even handed. Even when it comes to those evil "macho warriors", she will note they had good sides too. Also, the book is loaded with lots of information. Enough to piece together your own theory if you wish.

Here's mine. I think the publicity/political frenzy called for a senior officer to pay the price. Given that the first general in the chain of command over the Abu Ghraib prison was Karpinski and she failed to properly train her soldiers, she got to be the sacrificial lamb. I would also imagine her apparently poor relationship with her immediate superior Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez didnt help matters much either.

Karpinski's autobiography does not satisfactorily explain what happeded in the Abu Ghraib scandal. But it gives us an important piece of the puzzle. It also gives us a great look at one of the major players.

General Karpinski was the commander of Abu Ghraib prison just outside of Baghdad and was largely blamed for the notorious torture photos and scandal. In her book, she concludes that OGA (CIA, FBI, NSA) personnel taught her MPs torture methods and encouraged torture as a means of gathering intelligence from prisoners. She says she was not in command because her superiors assigned command to Military Intelligence (Colonel Pappas). It is interesting to see her side of the story after reading all of the news articles and TV reports. She shines a light on how she believes her MPs were transformed into miscreants. I believe she has good points and there is probably some truth in her conclusions. I wish she wouldn't fuss so much about being a woman and therefore discriminated against - after all, she did make it to Brigadier General. Also, she shouldn't make such a fuss about being a Master Parachutist...I would think strong academics and mental abilities are a greater asset than jumping out of an airplane (which many people have done). Overall, it is a good book because it helped me understand the Abu Ghraib scandal on a much deeper level.

She gives a believable insight to the nonchalant attitude of the higher military leaders that continue to this day. Many of us have fell victim to leader's incompetence and quest for promotion and the details she gives are accurate.

Her background is impressive and that alone should have been enough to get her through this deployment without incident. She knew what had to be done but could not get the male commanders to care about the situation. She broke testosterone barriers throughout her career but still took the hit when the male officers bailed after everything hit the fan.

Her book explains her elaborate and extensive background without gloating. Any commander in her position would have a difficult time and she describes in detail the walls and curtains put before her while she maintained her unit the best she could.

Beautiful insight to military leadership during an American occupation.