The respected Massachusetts-based group Physicians for Human Rights has published a report finding that 11 former detainees showed clear signed of torture in medical examinations following their release from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and Afghanistan.. The detainees were released for lack of evidence of terrorism.
The 121-page report details evidence of torture, including beatings, electric shock, sleep deprivation, sexual humiliation, sodomy and scores of other abuses. Retired U.S. Major Gen. Antonio Taguba, who led the Army’s investigation into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in 2003, wrote the foreword to the report and stated “There is no longer any doubt that the current administration committed war crimes. The only question is whether those who ordered torture will be held to account.”
The record on the American torture program is now comprehensive and unavoidable, including the recent disclosure that the Administration began work on the torture program long before any inquiry from the field, here — a direct contradiction of earlier statements from the Administration.
Despite the fact that interrogators and officials now admit to using torture, here, Congress continues to feign interest while withholding any substantive action against those who ordered a torture program.
For the full story, click here.
What is most striking is that these men were released for lack of evidence of terrorism. A recent study showed that the Administration continued to hold men for years after it became clear that they were innocent, here.
No one is above the law. Yes there were crimes committed, yes some of them were not very nice, and they were humiliating, but at times of war, when innocent people are in danger there must be extreme actions taken. Do you know that the ones they released, alive, and who were considered non-terrorists, probably were released because of information they gave. They probably want to say and show the world how the information was gotten so that we, as humanitarians will stop doing the things it takes to get the information from them. We have arrested many terrorists, people who kill and maim anyone who doesn’t share their beliefs about America, because of information obtained from these prisoners. Do you think that the enemy gave Daniel Pearle an easy time while he was in captivity? No, two wrongs don’t make a right, but when you are dealing with people who are trained to torture and to withstand torture, you have to do what you can to save innocent bystanders in this war. It would be ideal to be able to rationalize and reason with the enemy, and maybe offer them a pie for the information, but honestly this has been tried and we were stabbed in the back by doing so. War is ugly, war is dangerous, and innocents get slain, but war also produces peace when fought for the right causes. With the information society that we live in we are given too much information, and sown too many things from our side but none of which is from their side. I am sure if the young American woman soldier who was held captive had been monitored in captivity you would have been appalled at what she was put through.
Jill,
To the contrary, interrogation techniques that may be borderline torture are effective and useful.
You said: “Please explain why you believe Iraqis are not human. In what way? If we are willing to torture the innocent or guilty (and this is not panties on the head, it has resulted in documented deaths), then how does this make us human?”
This is a common liberal mistake. I never said anything about the Iraqi people. I said the “enemy combatants”. It’s just like Sean Penn going to Iraq and painting a picture that we are fighting the Iraqi people, which is so far from the truth.
IF your parents were living in Iraq, would you want them living under the tyranny of Saddaam or another country attempting to free their country? The United States has always helped the little guy and always will, regardless of how you want to paint the picture. This is one of the many reasons our country is great.
This is amazing, these idiots were taken from the streets in the middle east, made fun of and are now showing just how smart they are. Getting the ear of the bleeding hearts in this country. Why dont we set them free, give them money for the alleged abuse so they can give it to terrorist groups, strap exposives to themselves, their kids and wives, blow up innocent people out buying food. would this human rights group feel good then?
Light ’em up. Any American that would defend terrorists should be tried as a traitor. The alleged “respected” physician group should have their US medical licenses revoked. These terrorist would kill you for simply being an infidel given half a chance. Please do not ever apologize for “all of America”, we Americans do not think like you.
Allot of interesting feedback here. Bleeding heart hippie drug smokers know nothing of war and tactical situations REQUIRING torture to some extent. For those out there thinking Americans should not torture – they need to look at two “reminder” videos (both can be readily found on YouTube). The first – airliners slamming into our trade centers. The second, and most should prepare a puke bucket, are the 3-4 videos posted by these scum bag terrorists in Iraq cutting the heads off of live Americans. Treat yourselves and wake the hell up.
TIME TO START BUSH’S TORTURE!! THE MAN WHO STARTED THIS MESS!!!
Disgusted US ARMY Vet!!
He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster.
—-Friedrich Nietzsche
These people wouldn’t think twice about strapping explosives to themselves and blowing up children and you think torturing them for information is wrong? YOU LIBERALS ARE SICK, TWISTED, ANTI AMERICAN, and care more for the rights of SCUM then the lives of our own children!!!!
I’m sure there have been singular incidents of torture throughout the Afghanistan and Iraq War. I do not believe they were commonplace, nor do I believe they were sanctioned. Some people should not be placed in positions of authority over other people. They simply do not have the maturity to handle the responsibility entrusted to them. Those few that have tortured prisoners should be punished.
That being said, removal of underwear, being made to stand in humiliating positions, wearing a hood, the use of fear or intimidation (even through dogs barking at you) in my mind does not constitute torture. If we are to extract intelligence from people trained to resist interrogation, we must be able to have the threat of harm in order to get people to talk. What do people expect? “Mr. Sadir, are you a terrorist? Have you ever participated in armed conflict against the United States or her allies?” “No.” “Great, go on about your way. Have a good day.” Wake up America!
Interrogating prisoners is not wrong. Using threat and intimidation is not wrong.
Torture is wrong. Those who have done it, must be punished.
How can CNN be so biased? To put a report fro a liberial group on the front page is just wrong.
When are we going to wake up and understand that people on this planet want to harm us? Saying mean things to someone is not torture. If they captured you, your head would go flying.
Why does evryone try to come to country?? Our freedoms are great and need to be protected. We fight for the right for every cowardly liberial to complain about the military.
How many American moved to Iraq or Iran to find a better life last year??
This is ridiculous. We are in a war and the actions that happen to allow us to win should not be known to the public. The article states that it is unknown if the detainees had history of mental disorder. This, to me, makes this article partly fiction and no use at all. CNN, you should know better to have all facts before representing. It does not state if these people were part of an Al Queda group, planning or orgnizing attacks on US troops or what they did to get arrested, etc. etc. I am dissappointed in CNN for publishing such an article with limited information just to rouse US citizens, and, frankly to allow the Taliban and Al Queda to laugh at how ridiculous the US is in releasing such articles. Unfortunately, these people are using our media to win a war and this is unacceptible. The military is fighting for our country and Afghanistan’s freedom, whether we were correct in going over there or not is not the issue, the issue is that we are there, so let’s show them our country is supportive of anything our troops do to gain information or come back alive. If this means torture to get information, so be it! Hopefully this brings us closer to ending the war and saving US lives, not Taliban prisoners.
Jake,
Please look into studies on the effectiveness of torture. Professional interrogators in our military do not use torture. Torture is great for obtaining confessions and a great deal of “information”, some of which may be accurate, most of it just made up to make the pain stop. This isn’t my opinion, it’s backed up by fact. Torture is not a practical way to obtain actionable intelligence. This, along with Rick’s point that we make a lot of enemies this way are just two of the practical reasons for not torturing. Professional interrogators are quite effective in gaining actionable intelligence without any harsh techniques.
Please explain why you believe Iraqis are not human. In what way? If we are willing to torture the innocent or guilty (and this is not panties on the head, it has resulted in documented deaths), then how does this make us human?
I will hug a tree today, that is not a shameful act. I will not pray as I am not a believer, and I have not been safe, nor have you, since 2000.
Jill
How do we know the people detained even committed a crime? If they were never charged, what did they do wrong. What if you were walking down a street and they arrested you and detained you for three years. I don’t disagree with detaining a criminal or terrorist, but detaining an innocent person is wrong.
The US is creating more enemies this way. This leaves an extremely bad taste in their mouths and they will never forget this. They will raise their children to hate and we will have to deal with this later along with now. It seems some of the prisoners were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. We do catch some criminals, but how many inocent people will have to suffer also.
This is just food for thought.
These people need to grow up. I don’t believe we cut off the heads of any of these guys. So don’t give me the line that this makes us just as guilty as them. We are at war, and these bleeding heart liberals need to realize this. Who cares!!!
Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, They actually took off some prisoner of WAR’s underwear.
Hmm, let’s see, they take off our heads, video tape it, put it on the internet – no big deal. We take off some scum bags underwear and some leftist MA physicians group wants to equate it torute. Can we possibley move the entire state of MA to the Middle East so they can be closer to home.
Jill,
I’m sorry to say this, but if we use interrogation techniques that may be borderline torture on an enemy combatant and we receive information to save American lives, then I’m all for it. These people are less than animals. They are not part of the animal kingdom. Are you that naïve to think that most of these people wouldn’t kill you on the spot, just for being an American? By the way, there are evil people in this world.
Jonathan,
You said:
“The respected Massachusetts-based group Physicians for Human Rights”.
A respected group of who? The “Far Left Only”. When there is an agenda, there is a problem with the study. Wouldn’t you say?
Just review their website http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/
and you will see that this is a far left liberal group. I really find it hard to believe CNN gave this any attention, oh wait never mind CNN has become a liberal media outlet.
Jill,
Go hug a tree and pray that you have been safe since 9/11.
Big Al,
Your thinking is reprehensible. We are all animals. Humans are in the animal kingdom. As to your metaphorical meaning of “animals” as people unworthy of protection, your attitude is extremely unethical. It should matter to you that your own country picked up innocent, or guilty people for that matter, and tortured them. This is not a sign of goodness, intelligence or any kind of superiority to others. It is a debased way of thinking, unworthy of a strong, ethical, courageous person or nation.
As whooliebacon said yesterday, we’re in some deep shit here. I can’t help but notice as more proof of detainee abuse/torture comes out, along with evidence of the administration lying us into war, there’s hyping of the danger of Iran.
Congress and law enforcment need to do their job before Iran gets attacked. This attack will be used by the executive branch to grab back the power they have lost. The ensuing chaos will be a source of great misery to most, but quite profitable to cheney and company.
If you think they care about the risk to everyone else, I would say look at their track record.
I am glad this information is being reported on. I am sorry for the horrible cruelty my country has inflicted on so many of our own and other people.
Who cares? We tortured these dirtbags. Who cares? They are animals, and that’s an insult to animals.