Amnesty International Says It Has Evidence of 'pattern of Torture' by Coal

[NNN0LHI]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA6KKO8RTD.html

Amnesty International Says It Has Evidence of 'pattern of Torture' by Coalition

LONDON (AP) - Amnesty International said it has uncovered a "pattern of torture" of Iraqi prisoners by coalition troops, and called for an independent investigation into the claims of abuse.
The London-based human rights group said it had received "scores" of reports of ill treatment of detainees by British and American troops.

But the top U.S. military officer said Sunday there was no widespread pattern of abuse and that the actions of "just a handful" of U.S. troops at a Baghdad prison have unfairly tainted all American forces.

"We review all the interrogation methods. Torture is not one of the methods that we're allowed to use and that we use," said Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "I mean, it's just not permitted by international law, and we don't use it."

more

[NMDemDist2]

1. except when we are caught with pictures of it riggghhhhttttt. eom

[lumpy]

2. Someone mentioned

that these abusive interrogations might be connected to the continuing search for the missing WMDs.

[FreakinDJ]

4. I distinctly remember the reports from right wing news

The CIA and MI were getting a wealth of information from the detainees concerning their ongoing search for Weapons of Mass Destruction and possible links between Saddam and 911 from the detainees

There is no doubt in my mind this was fueled by Ashcroft and Rumsfield ordering the military and the CIA to get the information the Administration so desperately needed to be re-elected this coming November.

Now ask yourself one question.....Who has steadfastly reiterated we will find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq ????.....Who has the most to lose by not proving there was a connection between Saddam and 911.

There is were you will find the person responsible

[leesa]

6. There ARE no missing WMDs. What are you talking about? It was a scam.

[FreakinDJ]

10. So you want to be the one to tell Chimpy

These guys like Cheney, Rumsfield, Ashcroft, and Tenet are still promising him the links the irrefutable proof his preemptive invasion was justified.

So they are out there pushing the interrogators to provide the links

[LittleApple81]

3. If you saw Myers today on This Week, you know TRUTH is not on his side n/t

[FreakinDJ]

5. Proof they wanted information of WMDs from the detainees

STATEMENT BY DAVID KAY ON THE INTERIM PROGRESS REPORT ON THE ACTIVITIES OF THE IRAQ SURVEY GROUP (ISG)
BEFORE THE
HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE,
THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON DEFENSE, AND THE
SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE

October 2, 2003

Detainees and co-operative sources indicate that beginning in 2000 Saddam ordered the development of ballistic missiles with ranges of at least 400km and up to 1000km and that measures to conceal these projects from UNMOVIC were initiated in late-2002

According to a cooperating senior detainee

ISG has obtained testimony from both detainees and cooperative sources

one high-level detainee has recently claimed that Iraq retained a small quantity of Scud-variant missiles

The bad news is that we have to do this under conditions that ensure that our work will take time and impose serious physical dangers on those who are asked to carry it out.
Why should we take the time and run the risk to ensure that our conclusions reflect the truth to the maximum extent that is possible given the conditions in post-conflict Iraq?

http://www.cia.gov/cia/public_affairs/speeches/2003/david_kay_10022003.html


Kind of clilling when you think of the pressure the Bush administration was placing on these inteligence reports linking Sadam to WMDs and 911

[bill grasso]

7. of course it does..

and rightly so..all armies abuse and torture prisoners.. to those in the shit, combat is just not a civil rights situation..

the only winning move is not to play..

[Just Me]

9. So, you are pro-torture, anti-human rights, anti-democracy, etc. yes? n/t

[bill grasso]

11. please read what I said,

realize the anti war sentiment and get rid of the idealistic view that soldiers are moralistic boy scouts. Being shot at changes you.. ask any urban cop, ask any combat soldier. You do not view things as a civil rights situation.. you are fighting only for the survival of you and your buddies.. If you don't like that, too bad: that's the way it is.. and a prime reason for being anti-war.

Soldiers are political puppets, duped into risking everything for a bullshit slogan they don't understand and isn't even true.. So when asked to wage elective wars, THE ONLY WINNING MOVE IS NOT TO PLAY..

[alarcojon]

12. Good points, bill

welcome to DU. Nice avatar, by the way. B-)

[JoFerret]

8. Send money to Amnesty. Start a Chapter

.

[riverwalker]

13. "it's not the depraved prison guard..."

The article is a year old, but boy did they see this coming.
http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20030331&c=1&s=press

"For Americans to accept their government's assurances in light of these and other recent disclosures is deeply disquieting. For, as historian Peters has noted, the source of torture throughout history has always been the same: not the depraved prison guard who relishes inflicting pain but the society that agrees to tolerate, or even encourage, his actions. "It is still civil society," Peters writes, "that tortures or authorizes torture or is indifferent to those wielding it on civil society's behalf."