Geoffrey D. Miller (born c. 1949) is a retired United States Army major general who commanded the US detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Iraq. Detention facilities in Iraq under his command included Abu Ghraib prison, Camp Cropper, and Camp Bucca. He is noted for having trained soldiers in using torture, or "enhanced interrogation techniques" in US euphemism,[1] and for carrying out the "First Special Interrogation Plan," signed by the Secretary of Defense, against a Guantanamo detainee.[2]
Miller joined the US Army in 1972 and was trained in field artillery and army command. He spent time in Germany before being stationed in Korea in 1980. There, he rose to become assistant chief of staff for operations in Korea. Miller later returned to the United States to become the deputy chief of staff for personnel and installation management for the U.S. Army.
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
In November 2002, Miller was given command of Joint Task Force Guantanamo (JTF-GTMO), where he served into late 2004. He ran the US detention facilities known as Camp X-Ray, Camp Delta, and Camp Echo in the US Naval Base at Guantanamo, Cuba. In 2002 Miller claimed that two-thirds of the 600 prisoners had confessed to being involved in terrorism and were giving "actionable intelligence."[citation needed]
The U.S. Secretary of DefenseDonald Rumsfeld on December 2, 2002, authorized in writing the "First Special Interrogation Plan," listing 17 techniques to be used on the detainee Mohammed al-Qahtani. These were developed in consultation with Miller, who carried them out.[2] It was later revealed that such techniques were used more widely against other prisoners as well. Miller advocated the use of extreme torture.[3] At the time, the Red Cross was denied access to detainees.[4]
On September 22, 2003, Miller ordered the arrest of James Yee, an Army captain who served as a chaplain for the Muslim prisoners at Guantanamo.[5]
Miller accused Yee of stealing classified documents and smuggling them out of the prison, but those charges were later dropped. Captain Yee was honorably discharged on January 7, 2004.[6] It is believed that no evidence of espionage was found, but records on the case have been sealed.[7]
In August 2003, Miller was sent to Iraq by the Department of Defense to advise on "more productive" interrogations of Iraqi prisoners. In September, Miller submitted a report that recommended "GTMO-ising" their approach – combining the detention and interrogation units at Abu Ghraib prison into the Theater Joint Interrogation and Detention Center. Specifically, Miller suggested that prison guards be used to "soften up" prisoners for interrogations.
In his final report on the prison abuse at Abu Ghraib the following year, General Antonio Taguba blamed Miller's recommendations for the abuse. He said that using military police or guards for interrogation was a breach of official policy. Miller denies that he specifically ordered guards to torture prisoners to get information.
After the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse story broke in April 2004, Brigadier GeneralJanis Karpinski was suspended. Miller was appointed as the deputy commanding general for detainee operations for Multinational Forces in Iraq. In this role, Miller reported directly to Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez. Miller vowed to reduce the number of prisoners in Abu Ghraib, adhere to military laws as well as the Geneva Convention, investigate allegations of abuse, and reform the Iraqi prison system. He banned the use of hoods on prisoners during transport and set up a new system to allow prisoners to have visitors.
Since the investigation of abuses at Abu Ghraib, some have suggested that Miller had earlier encouraged abusive tactics. In an interview with BBC Radio, Janis Karpinski, the former prison commander, claimed that Miller had told her to treat prisoners "like dogs," saying, "if you allow them to believe at any point that they are more than a dog then you've lost control of them".[10] Major General Miller denies the statement.
ColonelThomas Pappas, head of the military intelligence brigade at Abu Ghraib, has claimed that it was Miller's idea to use attack dogs to intimidate prisoners.[11] He said the same tactics were being used at Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo. Several of the photos taken at Abu Ghraib show dogs surrounding (and in at least one case biting) screaming, naked detainees.
In November 2004, Miller was replaced as deputy commanding general for detainee operations by Major General William H. Brandenburg.[12]
Exercised Fifth Amendment right
In 2006, Miller exercised his use of the Fifth Amendment in refusing to answer certain questions while testifying in courts martial cases related to Abu Ghraib.[13] He also used his right during a hearing before the US Senate in 2006. According to The New York Times: "He changed his position when the US SenateArmed Services Committee delayed his retirement until he was more forthcoming."[13]
In May 2006, Miller testified at the courts martial of the Abu Ghraib dog handlers that his instructions on the use of dogs had been misunderstood.[14] Miller testified that he instructed that dogs should be used "only for custody and control of detainees". The next day Miller's testimony was directly contradicted by Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Phillabaum, the commander of Abu Ghraib's Military Police detachment.[14]
On November 14, 2006, the German attorney Wolfgang Kaleck filed the complaint with the Public Prosecutor General (Generalbundesanwalt) against Miller for his complicity in torture and other crimes against humanity at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Kaleck was acting on behalf of 11 victims of torture and other human rights abuses, as well as about 30 human rights activists and organizations who are co-plaintiffs.
On April 2, 2015, the Court of Appeal of Paris ordered a first hearing of Miller to be conducted before a French magistrate prior to potential prosecutions. A subpoena will be addressed to Miller. On February 19, 2016, General Miller was summoned to a hearing regarding allegation of torture by two French citizens.[17] Miller faced one allegation of illegal detention and torture of two detainees Mourad Benchelli and Nizar Sassi. Benchelli and Sassi were detained at Guantánamo Bay from 2002 and 2004 on terrorism related charges. After being transferred to French custody, both were convicted of charges in 2009 but not sent to prison.[18] In April 2016, the French Court of Appeal approved Benchelli and Sassi's request and demanded Miller appear at a hearing for questioning but Miller ignored the summons.[19]
Congressional testimony
In July 2005, discrepancies emerged between Miller's May 2004 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, and sworn statements he made three months later.[20][21]
On May 19, 2004, Miller had testified to the committee that he had only filed a report on his visit to Abu Ghraib, and didn't talk to Secretary Rumsfield or any of his top aides. Miller stated, that he "submitted the report up to SOUTHCOM (U.S. Southern Command, where Miller was attached in 2003)," and "had no direct discussions with Secretary Cambone." Three months later, Miller said he and Undersecretary Stephen Cambone had discussed "how we could improve the flow of intelligence from Iraq through and in interrogations." Also, he released a statement to defense lawyers for guards being accused of prisoner abuse stating he gave an outbrief to both Deputy Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Secretary Miller said in the Aug. 21, 2004, statement to lawyers for guards accused of prisoner abuse, a transcript of which was obtained by the Chicago Tribune.
Retirement
Miller retired from the Army on July 31, 2006.[22]The Washington Post reports that Miller had wanted to retire in February, forgoing trying for promotion to lieutenant general, because his reputation had been damaged by alleged links between his policies at the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp and at Abu Ghraib, and the abuse of prisoners. The Washington Post reported that Congress delayed his retirement because senators were not confident he told the truth when he testified before them. The Washington Post reports that he was allowed to retire only when he promised, in writing, to appear before Congress, and testify truthfully.
Murat Kurnaz, German resident held without sufficient cause at Guantanamo detention camps for five years and abused under interrogation
Lakhdar Boumediene, Bosnian citizen imprisoned seven years in Guantanamo detention camps; the Supreme Court ruled the US had insufficient evidence to hold him
Military offices
Preceded byBG Janis Karpinski
Deputy Commanding General (Detainee Operations) / Commanding General Task Force 134 2004
Succeeded byMG William H. Brandenburg
