by TChris

President Bush reportedly chastised Donald Rumsfeld for not giving him a full briefing on the extent to which U.S. soldiers abused Iraqi prisoners. But Rumsfeld isn't the only person who knew about the scandal. Doesn't Paul Bremer also deserve a scolding for burying his head in the sand?

Interesting questions were posed today during a briefing in Iraq.

Q Yeah, Dan (last name inaudible), The Washington Post. For Dan. You said, if I understood you correctly, that in January Ambassador Bremer heard about the Abu Ghraib issue when it was made public. I'm not aware that it was made public then, and it certainly wasn't made public here in Iraq. Could you tell me why, between January and now, or the last week or so, neither you nor Ambassador Bremer stood up at this podium to expose this issue to the Iraqi public with whom you're working so closely with?

MR. SENOR: Well, first of all, it was. A press statement was issued in January on this particular issue -- General Kimmitt can speak to the details -- and has been public since then. And to your second point, Ambassador Bremer on multiple occasions in meetings with Iraqi people, including public events, he has expressed his outrage about this particular issue. In fact, even as recently as yesterday, Ambassador Bremer appeared on Al-Iraqiyah, in which he had an interview with several Iraqi journalists, and about half the program was dedicated to this subject, and he addressed many of the issues you raise.

Q ...When did Ambassador Bremer see those photos?

MR. SENOR: I do not know when he saw the photos. I just know that he was made aware of the issue in January of 2004.

Does everyone who should be talking to the President follow the same rule? "Don't tell him anything that might upset him."