Five years ago, 20 shackled and blindfolded detainees were sent to the notorious Guantanamo prison camps. Since then, 773 prisoners have passed through the detention center, which is on the U.S. Naval base in southeastern Cuba. A total of 395 men are currently being held there because of alleged links to Al Qaeda and the Taliban, including 85 who have been cleared for release. None of the detainees have been tried and none have any prospects of a fair hearing. Only 10 of the prisoners have been charged by the "Guantanamo process."
The prisoners at Guantanamo are repeatedly beaten, raped, forced to maintain very stressful positions, and subjected to prolonged sleep deprivation, months of isolation, extreme temperatures, and mock executions. Reading about torture is one thing; seeing it is another experience altogether. To see what the Bush administration is doing to innocent men from around the world, watch "The Road to Guantanamo," a deeply disturbing film about three young British men who were tortured and abused at Guantanamo Bay for more than two years. They were eventually released without charge.
Prisoners are held in small mesh-sided cells, and lights are kept on day and night. Detainees have rations similar to those of U.S. forces, with consideration for Muslim dietary needs. However on occasion many of the detainees have been denied access to the Quran for daily prayer, due to claimed "high security measures" and as a form of preparation for interrogation. Detainees are kept in isolation most of the day, are blindfolded when moving within the camp and are forbidden to talk in groups of more than three. United States doctrine in dealing with prisoners of war states that isolation and silence are effective means in breaking down the will to resist interrogation. Red Cross inspectors and released detainees have alleged acts of torture (a pdf file), including sleep deprivation, the use of so-called truth drugs, beatings and locking in confined and cold cells. Human rights groups argue that indefinite detention constitutes torture.
On November 30, 2004, The New York Times published excerpts from an internal memo leaked from the U.S. administration, referring to a report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC reports of several activities which, it said, were "tantamount to torture": exposure to loud noise or music, prolonged extreme temperatures, or beatings.
The camp has been criticized around the world for its detainment of prisoners without trial. The U.S. administration said the prisoners were not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions, but on June 19, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against that claim.
In May 2007, Martin Scheinin, a United Nations rapporteur on rights in countering terrorism, released a preliminary report for the United Nations Human Rights Council. The report stated the United States violated international law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, that the Bush Administration could not try such prisoners as enemy combatants in a military tribunal and could not deny them access to the evidence used against them. "Judge Says Detainees' Trials Are Unlawful".
Guardian reported that General Richard Myers, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff from 2001 to 2005, wrongly believed that inmates at Guantánamo and other prisons were protected by the Geneva conventions and from abuse tantamount to torture. The way he was duped by senior officials in Washington, who believed the Geneva conventions and other traditional safeguards were out of date, is disclosed in a devastating account of their role.
In his new book, Torture Team, Philippe Sands QC, professor of law at University College London, reveals that:
Senior Bush administration figures pushed through previously outlawed measures with the aid of inexperienced military officials at Guantánamo.
Myers mistakenly believed that new techniques recommended by Haynes and authorised by Rumsfeld in December 2002 for use by the military at Guantánamo had been taken from the US army field manual. They included hooding, sensory deprivation, and physical and mental abuse. However, none of the severe interrogation techniques came from the manual, and all breached established US military guidelines and rules.
Former US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld.
His role: Rumsfeld signed a memo allowing the 18 tactics, including three that were neither forbidden nor given “blanket” approval.
The prisoners at Guantanamo are repeatedly beaten, raped, forced to maintain very stressful positions, and subjected to prolonged sleep deprivation, months of isolation, extreme temperatures, and mock executions. Reading about torture is one thing; seeing it is another experience altogether. To see what the Bush administration is doing to innocent men from around the world, watch "The Road to Guantanamo," a deeply disturbing film about three young British men who were tortured and abused at Guantanamo Bay for more than two years. They were eventually released without charge.
Prisoners are held in small mesh-sided cells, and lights are kept on day and night. Detainees have rations similar to those of U.S. forces, with consideration for Muslim dietary needs. However on occasion many of the detainees have been denied access to the Quran for daily prayer, due to claimed "high security measures" and as a form of preparation for interrogation. Detainees are kept in isolation most of the day, are blindfolded when moving within the camp and are forbidden to talk in groups of more than three. United States doctrine in dealing with prisoners of war states that isolation and silence are effective means in breaking down the will to resist interrogation. Red Cross inspectors and released detainees have alleged acts of torture (a pdf file), including sleep deprivation, the use of so-called truth drugs, beatings and locking in confined and cold cells. Human rights groups argue that indefinite detention constitutes torture.
On November 30, 2004, The New York Times published excerpts from an internal memo leaked from the U.S. administration, referring to a report from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The ICRC reports of several activities which, it said, were "tantamount to torture": exposure to loud noise or music, prolonged extreme temperatures, or beatings.
The camp has been criticized around the world for its detainment of prisoners without trial. The U.S. administration said the prisoners were not entitled to the protections of the Geneva Conventions, but on June 19, 2006, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against that claim.
In May 2007, Martin Scheinin, a United Nations rapporteur on rights in countering terrorism, released a preliminary report for the United Nations Human Rights Council. The report stated the United States violated international law, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, that the Bush Administration could not try such prisoners as enemy combatants in a military tribunal and could not deny them access to the evidence used against them. "Judge Says Detainees' Trials Are Unlawful".
Guardian reported that General Richard Myers, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff from 2001 to 2005, wrongly believed that inmates at Guantánamo and other prisons were protected by the Geneva conventions and from abuse tantamount to torture. The way he was duped by senior officials in Washington, who believed the Geneva conventions and other traditional safeguards were out of date, is disclosed in a devastating account of their role.
In his new book, Torture Team, Philippe Sands QC, professor of law at University College London, reveals that:
Senior Bush administration figures pushed through previously outlawed measures with the aid of inexperienced military officials at Guantánamo.
- Myers believes he was a victim of "intrigue" by top lawyers at the department of justice, the office of vice-president Dick Cheney, and at Donald Rumsfeld's defence department.
- The Guantánamo lawyers charged with devising interrogation techniques were inspired by the exploits of Jack Bauer in the American TV series 24.
- Myers wrongly believed interrogation techniques had been taken from the army's field manual.The lawyers, all political appointees, who pushed through the interrogation techniques were Alberto Gonzales, David Addington and William Haynes. Also involved were Doug Feith, Rumsfeld's under-secretary for policy, and Jay Bybee and John Yoo, two assistant attorney generals.
Myers mistakenly believed that new techniques recommended by Haynes and authorised by Rumsfeld in December 2002 for use by the military at Guantánamo had been taken from the US army field manual. They included hooding, sensory deprivation, and physical and mental abuse. However, none of the severe interrogation techniques came from the manual, and all breached established US military guidelines and rules.
Former US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld.His role: Rumsfeld signed a memo allowing the 18 tactics, including three that were neither forbidden nor given “blanket” approval.
So what's it going to take to turn the American people against torture?
Interrogation Log of Detainee 063
Day 25, December 17 2002
0120: Control shows detainee photos from a fitness magazine of scantily-clad women.Day 27
1400: Detainee was shown 9/11 tribute videos.
2100: Detainee did not appreciate being called a homosexual. He also appeared annoyed by the issue of his mother and sister as examples of prostitutes and whores.
1100: Happy Mohammed mask placed on detainee and he was yelled at when he tried to speak.Day 28
2320: He attempts to resist female contact. He attempts to pray as she spoke in his ear about his continuous lies...
1940: Sgt M had shown detainee a picture of Mecca, there were thousands of Muslims congregated... Detainee broke down and cried.
1115: Told detainee that a dog is held in higher esteem because dogs know right from wrong. Began teaching the detainee lessons such as stay, come, and bark... Detainee very agitated.Day 29
1300: A towel was placed on the detainee's head like a burka, with his face exposed, and the interrogator proceeded to give him dance lessons.
2200: The detainee was strip-searched. After five minutes of nudity, the detainee ceased to resist...
2103: ...I was forehead to forehead with the detainee and he stated that he would rather be beaten with electrical wire than have me constantly in his personal space...Day 31
0100: ... lead (interrogator) hung pictures of swimsuit models around his neck.Day 32
1145: Detainee refused water so control poured a little on his head.Day 33
2100: Detainee seems to be on the verge of breaking.
0300: Detainee started falling asleep so interrogator had detainee stand up for 30 minutes. Detainee was subjected to white noise (music) waiting for his IVs to be completed.Day 50
0230: Source received haircut... Detainee stated he would talk about anything if his beard was left alone. Beard was shaven... detainee began to cry when talking.Excerpted from a daily log . This is an edited extract from Torture Team: Deception, Cruelty And The Compromise Of Law, by Philippe Sands
Read further Cheney, Rumsfeld, Gonzales, Addington, Haynes, Feith, Bybee, Yoo Behind Widespread Use of Torture.
US Guantanamo guard kicked Koran
This is a US Torture Camp
Cheney defends Guantanamo as essential to war.
US 'must end secret detentions'.
"Euro MPs urge Guantanamo closure"
Publics in Europe and India See U.S. as Violating International Law at Guantánamo.
No comments:
Post a Comment