While the Obama Administration continues to block any independent investigation in this country or by other countries, Britain has angered Obama officials by confirming that a suspect was tortured as part of his interrogation by the United State in Morocco. The use of other countries to torture U.S. detainees through “extraordinary renditions” is well documented. However, the Obama Administration reportedly threatened to cut off Britain from access to intelligence if the country told the truth about the torture of Binyam Mohamed. Thus, while publicly condemning the desecration of dead Taliban as “deplorable” and promising an investigation (after the photos were published by the media), the Administration continues to use classification laws to prevent the truth from being revealed about American involvement in potential war crimes. What is particularly disturbing is that this story has received relatively little attention in the United States media, which appears to have “moved beyond” torture in favor of Tebow as a worthy subject of coverage.
Mohammed was interrogated by U.S. officials and tortured during the two years he was held in Morocco. He was picked up in Pakistan in 2002 after American officials claimed that he was al-Qaeda training and preparing to detonate a “dirty bomb” in the United States. If you recall, the Bush Administration also made such a claim against Jose Padilla — a statement by John Ashcroft later retracted by the White House.
The CIA reportedly transferred Mohamed to Morocco after 18 months of interrogation — transported on CIA-chartered aircraft as part of the Bush Administration’s “extraordinary rendition program.” e was later taken to Guantanamo.
During his torture sessions, Mohamed was hanged from a wall with his feet unable to reach the floor and his chest and genitals were cut with a razor. Pictures, Mohammed said, were taken by a woman with an American accent. While the British government opposed release of evidence in the case, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police (Scotland Yard) confirmed the allegation of torture. They further said the torture resulted in the provision of “information to the US authorities about Mohamed and supplied questions for the US authorities to put to Mohamed while he was being detained.”
What is most striking here is that it is the Obama Administration that is fighting the release of this information and threatening England — as it earlier threatened Spain when a court in that country sought to investigate our torture program. While President Obama has admitted that waterboarding is torture, he promised CIA employees that they would not be prosecuted for such a war crime. Not only has his Administration protected such individuals from prosecution, but it has opposed the release of evidence that confirms torture even worse than waterboarding. This is why so many civil libertarians have pledged not to support Obama. Even if Obama insists on violating treaty obligations to prosecute torture, there is no principled reason to refuse to acknowledge such crimes in past cases and to withhold confirmation of such practices. Obama has long sought to give the impression of someone concerns about torture while avoiding any responsibility or accountability for such crimes. This case shows how far Obama officials have gone to conceal our violations of international and domestic laws.
If this man’s account is true (and clearly Scotland Yard has supported the thrust of the allegations), American officials participated in a horrific interrogation involving cutting a detainee and other acts of classic torture. There may be photographic evidence of such crimes. They should be made public. His name and case are already public. The classification of such evidence is being used solely to shield officials from accountability and to protect the Administration from embarrassment.
Source: The Atlantic
anon nurse,
That is one of my favorite quotes. In the US we keep mixing up who should be holding our “leaders” to account. We keep looking for the savior, the candidate who will do the right thing. What we will not recognize is that we have power as citizens to either allow or stop what is happening. Stopping this is our work as citizens.
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” -Frederick Douglass
“Until then, it’s all just whistling in the wind … sounds good; means nothing.” -Blouise
How right you are… Well said, Blouise.
“Obama has admitted that waterboarding is torture, he promised CIA employees that they would not be prosecuted for such a war crime. Not only has his Administration protected such individuals from prosecution, but it has opposed the release of evidence that confirms torture even worse than waterboarding.”
Discus it all you want, my friends, but until we get a candidate who comes straight out and says, “If elected, I will take the CIA in hand; curtail their extreme influence on the Oval Office, allow prosecution of their personnel who engaged in torture whether at their own initiative or following orders from superior officers, and will follow that prosecution up the line even if that line leads directly to the Chambers of the Capital Building, the Oval Office, and the Commander-in-Chief.”
Those held responsible should include the interrogators who committed torture, the lawyers and senior officials who authorized torture, and the medical personnel who oversaw torture and the elected officials who sanctioned the practice. All of them!
Have United State’s personnel ever engaged in torture? Certainly, but … never has torture been officially sanctioned/ordered by the Commander-in-Chief and formally approved by Congress. Not until the Bush/Cheney Administration and the Congress that gave its tactical approval to said orders. That was new.
Up until then, the Commander-in-Chief followed the precedent set by General Washington during the Revolutionary War when his troops, hearing the screams of their fellow combatants as the Brits tortured them on the prisoner war ships just off-shore, refused to allow his troops to engage in the same practice with their British prisoners.
“this ‘new country in the New World would distinguish itself by its humanity.'” ( Jane Mayer, The Dark Side 8-9 [Doubleday 2008])
Is it enough that Obama has stopped the practice? Of course not. In order for the Bush/Cheney/Congress precedent to be destroyed, prosecutions and punishments must be administered. Once again look to General Washington who decreed death by firing squad for those who disobeyed his orders and tortured prisoners.
“Army Field Manual 34-52 sets forth the military’s approach to intelligence interrogations and flatly prohibits the use of force, including all acts of ‘physical or mental torture, threats, insults, or exposure to inhuman treatment as a means of or aid to interrogation.'” ( http://www.afj.org/connect-with-the-issues/accountability-for-torture/legal-constraints-against-torture.pdf)
As a side note, I find it interesting that we don’t have leaks suggesting the FBI used torture. I’m going to go out on a limb here and wonder aloud, “Did the FBI refuse to go along with the torture fad?” I have no way of knowing but it’s an interesting side note.
So, give me a candidate who states, categorically, that he/she fully supports the prosecution of all interrogators who committed torture, the lawyers and senior officials who authorized torture, the medical personnel who oversaw torture and the elected officials who sanctioned the practice and further, that he/she will immediately, upon election, set about the business of reigning in the CIA’s out-of-control influence on the Oval Office and in Congress … I’ll take heart and work hard for that candidate.
Until then, it’s all just whistling in the wind … sounds good; means nothing.
Let’s compromise. I say we let our armed forces or our overseas proxies pee on people like this all they want and without consequence. In return we shall let this fella and others like him stay at the luxurious Club Gitmo where they are treated better than the soldiers guarding them. Oh yeah, and the guests at Club Gitmo can even spit on and throw feces at their captors and get away with it just like they are now. Fair don’t you think? Then they can also be part of the 99% crew, the most oppressed people in America if one listens to the administration, the OWS crew and their minions.
Just a suggestion.
“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” -Frederick Douglass
Chris Hedges at his best, whether one is “a believer” or not:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/where_were_you_when_they_crucified_my_movement_20111205/
rafflaw/Bud:
“In awarding [U.S. Marine] Dakota Meyer the military’s highest honor at a White House ceremony, Obama said: “Today, we pay tribute to an American who placed himself in the thick of the fight — again and again and again.”
The military said a wounded Meyer — a 21-year-old manning a gun turret on a Humvee — provided cover for troops during a six-hour firefight with the Taliban on Sept. 8. 2009.
Meyer and Staff Sgt. Juan Rodriguez-Chavez, driving the Humvee, went into the “killing zone” five times, Obama said, picking up wounded men and dead bodies; they saved the lives of 13 U.S. Marines and Army soldiers, as well as 23 Afghan soldiers.”
Proof positive of the wisdom of Burke’s words that no one knows how to draw up an indictment against a whole group of people.
“History is a set of lies agreed upon.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
Classified documents are proof of that premise.
Rafflaw,
Please look into torture which is currently occurring in: 1. Gitmo, 2. Bagram and 3. other black sites such as in Kenya and Somalia. Look at Jeremy Scahill for this information. There is a logical reason why Obama protects govt. officials who order torture, he is one of those officials.
I listened to Panetta’s BS about how horrified he was with marines pissing on dead bodies. At least they were dead. Panetta, Obama– all of them know exactly what happened. They have actively concealed this information at every turn.
This is one reason why I cannot agree that Obama is the lesser of two evils nor can I understand why people would vote for a man who protects and commits (those who) torture. If the people of the US do not hold our own leaders accountable for some of the worst imaginable crimes against other people, then just who are we as a nation? It is unjust to allow our own officials immunity from crimes.
Yet this is precisely what Obama supporters wish for, aid and abet. They are no different from Bush supporters. I cannot agree with this course of action. Lack of prosecution was wrong under Bush and it remains wrong under Obama. Other people’s lives have to mean something to us. They deserve justice. They deserve not to be tortured. They deserve not to be falsely imprisoned.
Why are good Americans allowing these things to happen?
AY,
True. (About your first comment.)
Regarding Friday the 13th, I hadn’t even noticed… Thanks for improving my vocabulary… Pronunciation might be a problem, though…
Hope I am not late with wishing everyone a Happy Friday the 13th…….
Unless you suffer from….Triskaidekaphobia
AN,
I am coming to understand that all criminal proceedings are viewed by some as Mock Trial…..Its just the consequences as much worse….
Thanks for that, Dredd. I’ll take a look… Of course, I should have been specific… I meant “mock war crime trials” for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their ilk…
anon nurse 1, January 13, 2012 at 1:15 pm
“After all, its not exactly a free country, is it?” 5thGradeChief
Nope.
(I rather like the idea of mock trials.)
===============================
There have been some of recent note, but not as war crime trials of the sort mentioned in this thread.
They may happen in the near future.
“After all, its not exactly a free country, is it?” 5thGradeChief
Nope.
(I rather like the idea of mock trials.)
The United States set a precedent after WWII at Nuremberg, Germany. After the international tribunal conducted trials, the U.S. conducted military courts martial trials with three American judges sitting in judgment on Germans and others. By this precedent, Yemen, for example, could try someone like Cheney. Or is it Chiney? Our spelling gets course when someone is out of office for awhile. The United States has not legally declared war on any nation. The torture is a crime but one does not have to preface the word crime with the misnomer “War”. Those in the world who wish to protest American crimes could hold “mock” tirals. Dress up the defendants like the Three Stooges and have a three judge court try the likes of Bush, Cheny, Rumsfeld. Video the trial and put it on U-Tube. Our group is considering this but we do not wish to be prosecuted ourselves. After all, its not exactly a free country, is it?
OT:
“Oh, what a tangled web we weave”…
“False Flag”
“A series of CIA memos describes how Israeli Mossad agents posed as American spies to recruit members of the terrorist organization Jundallah to fight their covert war against Iran.”
by Mark Perry January 13, 2012
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/01/13/false_flag
“What has become crystal clear, however, is the level of anger among senior intelligence officials about Israel’s actions. “This was stupid and dangerous,” the intelligence official who first told me about the operation said. “Israel is supposed to be working with us, not against us. If they want to shed blood, it would help a lot if it was their blood and not ours. You know, they’re supposed to be a strategic asset. Well, guess what? There are a lot of people now, important people, who just don’t think that’s true.” “
Having just recently served in the Marine Corps, I can honestly say that the behavior shown by the marines the video is not “acceptable behavior”, anywhere in the corps. Raff, I’m sure your son can also attest to that.
Raff,
I am sure.
I bet you are a hell of lot more intelligent too!!!
Bud,
I am much better looking than Rumsfeld!
Raff,
I never suggested that you were Rumsfeld.
I very clearly see and understand your position.