One woman's army : the Commanding General of Abu Ghraib tells her story /

The charge to find intelligence for use against terrorists with no clear rules as to how to do it led inevitably to abuses at Abu Ghraib, asserts Karpinski, the commanding general in charge of military police at the prison made infamous by Saddam Hussein and even more so by American troops. In a bid not to be defined by Abu Ghraib, Karpinski tells the story of her life in the military leading to her command of the Iraqi prison, including her stint with the reserves and her deployment to the first Gulf War, where she earned a Bronze Star. When she was assigned to oversee MPs at Abu Ghraib, Karpinski found herself doubly resented, as a reservist and as a woman. She details the conflicts with military culture and an old-boy network, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. She describes little support from the regular army and no clear chain of command as military intelligence stepped up harsh treatment of prisoners in search of actionable intelligence. Karpinski accepts her own shortcomings but maintains that she was made a scapegoat in the shameful events for which, other than herself, only lower-level servicemen have been punished. This is a completely fascinating look at a troubling event from the perspective of a woman who has been on the frontline. --Ray Olson Copyright 2005 Booklist

Karpinski, who was in charge of the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq when the prisoner abuse occurred, tells the story of her struggle to rebuild Saddam's cruel prison system. She describes the horrendous conditions in the prison that soldiers and inmates alike endured and the lack of support she received from her superiors. In the end, she was made the scapegoat and released from her command. Most fascinating here is Karpinski's life story: she and her husband joined the army to see the world together, but that promise was not fulfilled. All through her service, the "old boy" network, almost all officers, discriminated against her. She served in Desert Storm and spent six years in the United Arab Emirates training a female army. Her description of women's lives in Saudi Arabia and other Arab fundamentalist-ruled countries is absorbing. Bernadette Dunne does a wonderful job; we can hear the no-nonsense yet feminine tone in her voice. Highly recommended for biography sections of public and academic libraries.-Ilka Gordon, Park Synagogue Lib., Pepper Pike, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Karpinski, who was in charge of the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq when the prisoner abuse occurred, tells the story of her struggle to rebuild Saddam's cruel prison system. She describes the horrendous conditions in the prison that soldiers and inmates alike endured and the lack of support she received from her superiors. In the end, she was made the scapegoat and released from her command. Most fascinating here is Karpinski's life story: she and her husband joined the army to see the world together, but that promise was not fulfilled. All through her service, the old boy network, almost all officers, discriminated against her. She served in Desert Storm and spent six years in the United Arab Emirates training a female army. Her description of women's lives in Saudi Arabia and other Arab fundamentalist-ruled countries is absorbing. Bernadette Dunne does a wonderful job; we can hear the no-nonsense yet feminine tone in her voice. Highly recommended for biography sections of public and academic libraries.--Ilka Gordon, Park Synagogue Lib., Pepper Pike, OH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.