[JURIST] The US military has appointed a three-star general to take over the investigation into alleged abuse of detainees at Guantanamo Bay [JURIST Hot Topic] and extended the deadline for completion until March 31. Air Force Lt. Gen. Randall "Mark" Schmidt will take over the investigation. The appointment of a higher-ranking officer to lead the probe allows higher-ranking officials to be questioned, including Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, who was in charge of the Guantanamo prisons for 18 months until being transferred to Iraq in April 2004. The US Southern Command [official website], which oversees the Guantanamo Bay military base, did not indicate what other officers would be questioned by investigators. Military rules require that any investigating officer outrank those being interviewed. The inquiry was opened in January after FBI documents were publicly released detailing abuses by interrogators. Reuters has more.