Shocking prisoner abuses are revealed (Gitmo)

[DoYouEverWonder]

04 August 2004

Prisoners at Guantanamo Bay were subjected to Abu Ghraib-style torture and sexual humiliation in which they were stripped naked, forced to sodomise one another and taunted by naked female American soldiers, according to a new report.

Some of the abuse has been captured on videotape.

Based on the testimony of three former British prisoners who spoke with other detainees, the report details a brutal yet carefully choreographed regime at the US prison camp in which abuse was meted out in a manner judged to have the "maximum impact". Those prisoners with the most conservative Muslim backgrounds were the most likely to be subjected to sexual humiliation and abuse while those from westernised backgrounds were more likely to suffer solitary confinement and physical mistreatment.

In addition to the sexual and physical humiliation, the report based on testimony provided by Rhuhel Ahmed, Asif Iqbal and Safiq Rasul ­ the so-called Tipton Three ­ also details how prisoners had their religion mocked. "There was a clear policy to try to force people to abandon their religious faith," says one extract of the report, obtained by The Independent. The report also details how prisoners were injected with unknown drugs during interrogation sessions and were told they would only receive medicine if they co-operated with interrogators.


http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/story.jsp?story=547708

[Coventina]

1. Dear God in heaven!

You know, I would WISH that CHRISTIANS reading this, would see echoes of the CHRISTIAN MARTYRS.

We are TORTURING MUSLIMS as surely as the ROMANS fed CHRISTIANS to the lions.

But, the irony is probably COMPLETELY LOST on Ashcroft and his ilk!!

*sigh*

I'm going to bed, I just can't take it anymore.....

[Bonobo]

2. That's funny, I just see echoes of Christians torturing Jews...

Given the history of Chrisianity, it is entirely consistent.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

[TahitiNut]

8. And people object when it's called fascism?

Persecution of religious belief? Symbols of World Empire: Fasces - a symbol used by the Romans, the Nazis, the Italian Fascists, and the US. (They flank the podium on the front wall of the House of Representatives.) Invasion and occupation of other nations. The US spends more on its military than nearly the rest of the world combined.

All have one philosophy in common:
"Might makes right."

[Dudley_DUright]

3. And they specifically make the point that Abu Ghraib was to be

"Gitmoized" when Gen. Miller was sent over to Iraq.

One factor which links Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib is Gen Geoffrey Miller, the former commander of the Cuban prison who left to take charge of Abu Ghraib in August last year. Mr Miller reportedly told his staff in Iraq that his intention was to turn the prison into an intelligence hub and "Gitmoize" the operation (Guantanamo is known in the US as Gitmo).

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Also in the Guardian

From the Guardian Unlimited (UK)
Dated Wednesday August 4

Questioned at gunpoint, shackled, forced to pose naked. British detainees tell their stories of Guantánamo Bay
By Vikram Dodd and Tania Branigan

Britain and the US last night faced fresh allegations of abuses after a British terror suspect said an SAS soldier had interrogated him for three hours while an American colleague pointed a gun at him and threatened to shoot him.
The allegation is contained in a new dossier detailing repeated beatings and humiliation suffered by three Britons who were captured in Afghanistan, then held in Guantánamo Bay for two years, before being released in March without charge.
Rhuhel Ahmed, one of the "Tipton Three", claims in the 115-page dossier that shortly after his capture in November 2001 he was interviewed in Afghanistan by a British interrogator who said he was from the SAS. Mr Ahmed alleges he was taken by US guards to be interrogated by the British officer in a tent. "One of the US soldiers had a gun to his head and he was told if he moved they would shoot him," the report says. The SAS officer pressed him to admit he had gone to Afghanistan to fight a holy war. Last night the Ministry of Defence said it would investigate the allegation.
A spokesman said: "The British army follows the rules laid out in the Geneva convention and soldiers are told to follow that. It is not permissible to point guns at people's heads during interrogation. We would investigate if any allegation of that nature is made."

Read more.

[enough]

5. Will this be announced Wednesday in NY?

And will it be noticed?


snip>

The abuse detailed in the report, compiled by British and American lawyers and being released today in New York by the Centre for Constitutional Rights, is likely to trigger fresh outrage about the way the US military treats prisoners. Investigators are examining allegations of widespread abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prisoner west of Baghdad. Male prisoners were abused, tortured and sexually humiliated by their US guards. They are also investigating the deaths of several prisoners in US military custody.

snip>

[mom cat]

6. Just a few bad apples in Abu Ghraib. Nothing else. They must

think that we are as stupid as they are.

[daleo]

7. This is insane

Assuming this is all true, and I really don't doubt it, elements of the U.S. military have gone off the deep end. This had to come from the top. Just looking at Rummy always gave me the creeps, before any of this prisoner torture news was revealed. I must have been catching a vibe - I know a lot of people here felt the same way.

[DoYouEverWonder]

20. It's not only insane

If this is true it is very scary, because it means that the US Military is out of control and that rogue elements have taken it over. If this is true, these techniques that were developed at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib will be coming to a military prison near you.

[JSJ]

9. support the troops

It's bad strategy not to 'support the troops'- dontcha know? And, there ain't no bad apples in that bunch--- many, many bad orchards, perhaps, but these are good boys, doing their darndest in bad situations- and you'd do exactly the same as them, too, wouldn't you? No?! Why you fucking girlyman, you.

[saigon68]

14. A little ANAL RAPE by the Troops LOOSENS TONGUES

Ah to perform a lewd sex act on another man's ANUS for my country.

YIKES

[0007]

15. I hope this opens the flood gates to all that has been hidden...

C'mon Sy Hersh, get the children and women that have been abused by these monsters out in the open.

Remember when it was Clinton Clinton Clinton 24/7 and every little detail vividly repeated 24/7?

...and the repukes say "let's move on, it just a few bad apples."

[JSJ]

16. aintcha heard about the new medal the military's awarding...

...to the troops who've tortured, murdered, or maimed, and/or sexually assaulted the children of Iraq? It's called the 'I Tortured, Murdered, Maimed, And/Or Sexually Assaulted The Children Of Iraq Medal of Dishonor'.

[Endangered Specie]

10. Love thy neighbor?

[Tsiyu]

11. Jesus' Way

of talking and reasoning and explaining isn't good enough for the ole US of A's fervent Christian Administration. Christ is irrelevant.

"We'll convert 'em OUR way *wink*. No offense to you, Jesus. But the evildoers think you're a wimp! And Arnie sez yer a girlie man!"

Now, tell me again how we're a Christian, God fearing nation?

[DaveSZ]

12. WWJT?

Who Would Jesus Torture?

I hope this makes the US press, but since they are propping up the chimp, I'm not holding my breath.

:(

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Disturbed]

17. Cover Up

The policy of system wide torture is being covered up by all involved. There are at least 27 secret prisons where unidentified detainees are being held. This is against all Intl. and US Laws yet no high level personnel have been charged.

As I have posted many times even when Rumsfailed admitted in public of violating the Geneva Convention not one person made mention of prosecuting him.

As long as the Neo Fascists are in power nothing will be done.

[Judi Lynn]

18. Kick.

[Minstrel Boy]

19. Remember the story in The Mirror, "My Hell in Camp X-Ray"?

But Jamal's most shocking disclosure centred on the use of vice girls to torment the most religiously devout detainees.

Prisoners who had never seen an "unveiled" woman before would be forced to watch as the hookers touched their own naked bodies.

The men would return distraught. One said an American girl had smeared menstrual blood across his face in an act of humiliation.

Jamal said: "I knew of this happening about 10 times. It always seemed to be those who were very young or known to be particularly religious who would be taken away.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/allnews/content_objectid=14042696_method=full_siteid=50143_headline=-MY%2DHELL%2DIN%2DCAMP%2DX%2DRAY-name_page.html

Remember how it was received here by some? For instance:

"Yeah I REALLY think that happened."

"the stuff about the hookers just seems to far fetched"

"this story is pure horseshit. put down your tinfoil hats, people"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=417184

That was in March.

Anyone have doubts now?

Hell, it seems even tame now, doesn't it?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

25. THANK YOU!!!

....for bringing that up.

I do remember that and the respond here.

I've said it before and will say it again:

Spend a long enough time on DU and you will see stories you think couldn't possibly be true turn out to be dead on, which is why I never automatically dismiss even the craziest sounding stories I hear come out these days.

[bobbieinok]

26. what a bizarre alternate (don't I wish) US/universe we now live in

"Spend a long enough time on DU and you will see stories you think couldn't possibly be true turn out to be dead on, which is why I never automatically dismiss even the craziest sounding stories I hear come out these days."

totally and completely agree.....(sigh)

[Matilda]

21. This may become an issue that will haunt John Howard too.

He has done nothing to ensure the safety of the two Australian
detainees in Gitmo, or anything to ensure that they get a fair trial.
He has also made no attempt to have them repatriated here for trial,
because he knows that under Australian law they've committed no
crime.

Both Hicks and Habib, through intermediaries, have said they suffered
abuse, but we have no details because Howard and Downer made no
attempt to find out. It was good enough for Howard that his good
friend Bush assured him that no instances of torture took place in
Gitmo at all.

I hope this gets out into the Australian press before the election.

[DoYouEverWonder]

22. I would hope this will haunt all of them

but that would require having a conscience.

[Minstrel Boy]

23. Rumsfeld: "Our interest is in not trying them and letting them out"

Rumsfeld: Guantanamo Bay suspects held indefinitely

Sept 11 2003

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld says most suspected terrorists at a U.S. prison camp in Cuba will probably be detained for the course of the global war on terrorism rather than face trial. That sparked criticism from lawyers who said U.S. legal tradition insists on a transparent and open judicial process.
Rumsfeld said Wednesday he expects some trials but prefers that most continue to be held at the Guantanamo Bay facility.

"Our interest is in not trying them and letting them out," he said. "Our interest is in — during this global war on terror — keeping them off the streets, and so that's what's taking place."

The Pentagon has long asserted that it has the right under international law to hold combatants until the end of hostilities. Critics, however, oppose that interpretation in the case of the global war on terrorism because it could go on for decades.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-11-gitmo-detainees_x.htm

Held until the end of hostilities? Haven't we been told the "war on terror" won't end in our lifetimes?

[Rose Siding]

24. NYT LTTE cheers them on

from yesterday-

To the Editor:

You report (front page, Aug. 2) that the capture of a Qaeda operative led to the new information that Al Qaeda wants to hit New York City, Washington and New Jersey financial centers.

This underscores the validity of the logic that suspected terrorists detained in America or foreign lands, whether they are citizens or not, should be roughly interrogated, because almost all terrorists have information about plots against America and the monsters who want to carry out these murderous attacks.

From the first attack on the World Trade Center to the African embassy bombings to the Cole bombing to 9/11, almost all the terrorists involved were connected in some way, shape or form. If one terrorist is caught and interrogated properly, it could possibly lead to a domino effect of terrorist after terrorist being arrested and terrorist plot after terrorist plot being foiled.

Tim Caravello
New York, Aug. 2, 2004

People are so scared they've lost any sense of right and wrong.The fear is nurtured by the bushies and it spreads, built upon one lie after another. Too many dems don't even dispute it.

[donkeyotay]

27. kick n/t

[lukasahero]

28. Brings to mind my favorite Bible verse

John 11:35 "Jesus wept."

I am ashamed.

[Rockholm]

29. Why is this not making the news outlets????

Oh, wait. They don't want us to know that. Hey, better to know Kobe's fate.

[Warren DeMontague]

31. Right, didn't you hear?

Scott Peterson watches porno!

[struggle4progress]

30. CCR Submits Their Detailed Account of Abuse to Senate Armed Services ...

... Committee

<snip>
The 115-page report is testimony by the three young men from Tipton, a poor neighborhood in the West Midlands of England with a small community of Pakistani and Bangladeshi people. All three were detained in Northern Afghanistan on November 28, 2001. In March of 2004, after 2 ½ years in extreme conditions, they were released to the U.K. They were never charged with any crime and were released shortly after they returned. The men completed this report solely to let the world know the truth about what is happening to the prisoners at Guantánamo and in the hope that their testimony might help improve conditions for those still there. The document was compiled by the Tipton men and their attorney, noted British civil rights lawyer Gareth Peirce.
<snip>

• The report discusses the sexual humiliation of the prisoners that first began when General Geoffrey Miller, later of Abu Ghraib notoriety, came to Guantánamo. For example, the prisoners would be stripped naked and forced to watch videotapes of other prisoners who, in turn, had been ordered to sodomize each other. The sexual humiliation was reserved for those who would be most impacted by it, those who had been brought up strictly in their Muslim faith.

• The religious humiliation was similarly focused. The guards would throw the prisoners’ Korans into the toilet. They would forcibly shave the prisoners. There was a clear policy to try to force people to abandon their religious faith.

• The prisoners would be forcibly injected with unidentified drugs as part of the interrogation process. They were told they could only get medical care if they cooperated.

• Some among the British detainees – Moazzam Begg and Feroz Abbasi – have been held in total isolation for well over a year.
<more>

http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/reports/report.asp?ObjID=4bUT8M23lk&Content=424
115pp (237KB) PDF available at link

[Ramsey]

32. This is one sicko administration

There just aren't words for the absolute evil fanaticism of every single person in the Bush administration. How much more ignominy in the name of religion can this planet stand?? I'm an agnostic, but the real god help us all if we don't get rid of these insane assholes!