WASHINGTON, May 25: The United States is replacing Lt-Gen Ricardo Sanchez, its top military official in Iraq, at the end of next month, Pentagon officials said on Tuesday.
The US army also suspended Brig-Gen Janis Karpinski from her command of the 800th Military Police Brigade, more than four months after abuses of detainees were discovered at the Abu Ghraib prison under her command. US officials said the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal was not a factor in the transfer of Gen Sanchez.
Ricardo Sanchez, who became the top US general in Iraq last June, would be replaced on the same date, July 1, the United States plans to transfer power to an interim Iraqi government.
Gen George Casey, the army's vice chief of staff, is likely to replace Gen Sanchez. US defence officials told reporters they wanted to have a four-star general in command of the multinational force Iraq. Gen Casey, who already has four stars, would not have to face Senate confirmation hearings.
Military officials said the move was being planned for some time and was not a result of the scandal over the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners. Latest media reports in the United States have suggested that Gen Sanchez was not only aware of the abuses but might also have approved some of the interrogation methods used on Iraqi prisoners most of whom have now been released.
The International Red Cross has said that 90 per cent of those prisoners were innocent civilians arrested by US soldiers during raids on their homes. Gen Karpinski was indefinitely relieved of her command pending the outcome of investigations into the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib.
Gen Karpinski was in charge of all 16 US detention facilities in Iraq when the abuses occurred last fall. She insists she did not know about the abuses because a military intelligence brigade ran the section of the prison where detainees were humiliated and tortured.
