US is sued over records of military prisoner abuse

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N02969.htm

NEW YORK, June 2 (Reuters) - Civil-rights and veterans groups on Wednesday sued the U.S. government for what they said was illegally withholding records about American military abuse of prisoners held in Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and other locations.

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, charges that the U.S. departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and State have failed to comply with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by the groups last year. Other defendants in the suit include the FBI and CIA.

The plaintiffs are seeking records documenting torture and abuse which they said has occurred since the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. They said that after they filed the FOIA request in October, numerous news stories and photographs have documented mistreatment of prisoners held in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"There is growing evidence that the abuse of detainees was not aberrational but systemic, that in some cases the abuse amounted to torture and resulted in death, and that senior officials either approved of the abuse or were deliberately indifferent to it," the suit said.

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[maddezmom]

1. I can hear the sounds of shredding paper n/t

[Just Me]

2. Hopefully, this suit will result in some kind of rational limit,...

,...on the abuse of "national security" for purposes of covering shit up all the time. Then, maybe we can get our hands on Cheney's energy cover-up among all the other cover-ups via the Patriot Act and this insane war in Iraq.

[Massacure]

3. Maybe if hell freezes over it will also result in

Some rolling heads.

[Just Me]

4. I'm imagining orange prison suits, bars and small rooms *grin*. n/t

[RC]

5. We can hope.

[gottaB]

7. If not for "national security" Bush would be guilty of serious crimes

Arguably he is anyway. See my post in gd on conspiracy to commit war crimes.

Anyway, I take your point. As a legal figleaf it's pretty thin, as rhetoric it's tiresome.

[Spazito]

6. Kick

*

[gottaB]

8. more info

• CCR Charges in Lawsuit that Government Illegally Withheld Information On Torture of Detainees in U.S. Custody
  
• PHR Joins ACLU and Other Groups in Lawsuit
  
• U.S. Illegally Withheld Records on Abuses at Abu Ghraib and Elsewhere, ACLU Charges
  
• Veterans for Common Sense. No press release yet.
  
• Veterans for Peace. I don't see a statement up yet. There are some relevant clippings in their newsroom.