Seeking summaries of torture

[manic]

Hi folks.

I plan to dig through my archives and beaver away on Google later this evening, but figure this might be a good place to ask first:

I need some good sites that summarise the events leading up to Abu Ghraib. Some juicy quotes may help, too. Anything that shows where responsibility lies (i.e. not with a few bad apples).

Cheers

[Soloflecks]

1. Good resource.

Haven't gone through the article yet, but the one seemslikeadream posted about nukes was killer. Good connect-the-dots stuff.

http://bellaciao.org/en/article.php3?id_article=3320

[manic]

2. thanks - a useful start (n/t)

[Spazito]

3. I don't have a link to summaries of the torture but these are the links...

to articles I have saved, I hope this is helpful.

Abu Ghraib Probe Points to Top Brass

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A17092-2004Aug19.html

INDEPTH: IRAQ
Abu Ghraib

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/iraq/abughraib.html

U.S. avoiding 'torture' to describe soldiers' actions

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/05/13/world/torture040513

Pentagon to release Rumsfeld interrogation memos

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/LAW/06/21/rumsfeld.interrogation.memos/

Article & Essay: Conspiracy to Commit War Crimes

http://www.interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=750&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&POSTNUKESID=ae7aae15542fdaf50ec7f408e51809d7

General Granted Latitude At Prison
Abu Ghraib Used Aggressive Tactics

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35612-2004Jun11.html

General Is Said To Have Urged Use of Dogs

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55703-2004May25.html

Guantanamo List Details Approved Interrogation Methods

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29742-2004Jun9.html

The White House culture that led to prisoner abuse

http://www.iht.com/articles/524173.html

New Details of Prison Abuse Emerge

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A43783-2004May20.html

Memo Offered Justification for Use of Torture

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23373-2004Jun7.html

Memo on Torture Draws Focus to Bush
Aide Says President Set Guidelines for Interrogations, Not Specific Techniques

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26401-2004Jun8.html

Memos Reveal War Crimes Warnings (make sure and click on the link to the PDF memos)

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4999734/

The Abu Ghraib Scandal Cover-Up?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5092776/site/newsweek/

The Roots of Torture

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4989422

Interrogation abuses were 'approved at highest levels'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/06/13/wguan13.xml&sSheet=/news/2004/06/13/ixworld.html

C.I.A. Bid to Keep Some Detainees Off Abu Ghraib Roll Worries Officials
By DOUGLAS JEHL and ERIC SCHMITT

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/25/politics/25ABUS.html?ex=1095307200&en=47a4fc0a2954c864&ei=5070&pagewanted=print&position=

The privatization of Abu Ghraib

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1084659009373&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724

Use of Dogs to Scare Prisoners Was Authorized
Military Intelligence Personnel Were Involved, Handlers Say

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32776-2004Jun10.html

(These are not in order, date-wise)

Edited to add: The second link to CBC is excellent, explore the other links on the page as well)

[manic]

4. Cheers - you've just saved me a hour of digging through my archives

There's a couple of new links there too, by the looks of things. Thanks very much.

[manic]

5. OK, I'd appreciate a fisking

I had to cut it down to bare bones and paint an understandable picture for beginners. The draft of the text content is as follows.

I've had to be incredibly brief in places, but do let me know if I've 'inadvertently destroyed' the truth along the way:


1

Hundreds of Taliban fighters, suspected al-Qaeda militants, and 'others' are taken into custody in Afghanistan

The White House announces that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to these people

Most are interrogated using methods that border on torture, others are shipped to "foreign authorities, who might be able to use more aggressive methods."

Then George Miller arrives at Guantanamo Bay - and gets tough



2

"Detention operations must act as an enabler for interrogation." - General George Miller

"(The prohibition against torture) must be construed as inapplicable to interrogation." - Bush administration memo


hooding
sleep depravation
short-shackling
loud music
exposure
constant movement
religious humiliation

extended isolation
beatings
sodomy
hooding
attack dogs
sexual humiliation
threats of rape

But it's OK, because they were terrorists - right?


3

Iraq is invaded as part of the War on Terror, even thought they have no connections to al Qaeda.

Soldiers and civilians are arrested; none of them are terrorists - but George W. Bush sees things differently.

(bush speech bubble)
i-raq
i-raq
war on terror
i-raq
i-raq
war on terror

And George Miller is sent to review US-run prisons in Iraq. The result?

4

(montage of iraq torture images and *some* of the following depending on images and timing)
hooding
sleep depravation
short-shackling
loud music
exposure
constant movement
religious humiliation

extended isolation
beatings
sodomy
hooding
attack dogs
sexual humiliation
threats of rape

(close)

"(In Iraq) One thing is for certain: There won't be any more mass graves and torture rooms and rape rooms." - George W. Bush, Jan. 12, 2004

Article 12 of the Geneva Convention states:

"Prisoners of war are in the hands of the enemy Power, but not of the individuals or military units who have captured them. Irrespective of the individual responsibilities that may exist, the Detaining Power is responsible for the treatment given them."