Myers denies systemic abuse, then admits hasn't even read the report

Rather troubling news today from Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Appearing on ABC's THIS WEEK today, Myers told Stephanopoulos that "categorically" there's been no systemic abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US authorities, then he admits to Stephanopoulos that he hasn't even read a 53-page internal report detailing, reportedly, "sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuse" of Iraqi prisoners. When asked why he hadn't read the report yet, Myers said, according to Reuters, "It's just working its way up the chain."

WTF?

1. So we had reports going back two months that this was going on and no one in the Pentagon did a damn thing about it until CBS spilled the beans? Nor did they report these abuses to the higher ups - or did they? Myers says he hasn't yet read the report, but when did he find out about its existence?

2. After the president is forced to say how shocked he is on national TV on Friday in an effort to stop the destruction of whatever goodwill we had left in the Arab world, our top general still hasn't read the report on the abuses? Why not? Because it hadn't worked it's way up the chain? Well, bucko, once the boss has to go on TV to talk about what has become an international scandal, you make it your business to read the damn report.

3. How could Myers tell Stephanopoulos that "categorically" there was no systemic abuse when he hadn't even read the report yet (a question Stephanopoulos asked, twice, and didn't get an answer to)? On CBS' Face the Nation, Myers said he couldn't be sure if there had been systemic abuses, but then to Stephanopoulos the same morning he says: "I would say that categorically. There is no, no evidence of systematic abuse in this system at all."

What is it with this administration? They remind me of the old man in the "old country" who you ask for directions and he gives you a very detailed answer. The man has no clue where the place is you want to go, but damn he can give you an extremely detailed, real-sounding, answer - even though he's lying out his ass.