Billmon: Rummy's Blackmail Ring

Has Rummy been using drummed up charges of sexual misconduct to silence his military critics? Scott Horton at Balkinization examines the evidence -- beginning with the railroad job

done on Guantanamo whisteblower John Yee, and continuing with the cases of three generals who, in one way or another, questioned Rumsfeld's official actions and ended up publicly disgraced and/or chased into retirement for allegedly engaging in consensual sexual relationships:

• Maj Gen Thomas J Fiscus, Judge Advocate General of the Air Force – known to have criticized rules on treatment of detainees – accused of sexual misconduct.

• Lt Gen John Riggs – questioned the level of troop commitments to the Iraq campaign – accused of sexual misconduct and technical contract infractions.

• Gen Kevin Byrnes – responsible for incorporating changes in doctrine on interrogation and treatment of detainees, rumored to have had reservations about changes hammered through by Rumsfeld – accused of sexual misconduct.

A big hat tip to Scott for picking up on this story (and to Atrios for linking to it.) I started looking it myself a few months ago, after Byrnes bit the dust, but was distracted by other things. The pattern wasn't as clear to me then as it appears now -- I remembered what had happened to Fiscus, but overlooked Riggs and Yee.