[Vision2020] The New Zealand Herald
Tbertruss@aol.com
Tbertruss@aol.com
Sun, 16 May 2004 06:51:01 EDT
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http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3566058&msg=emaillink
Sunday May 16, 2004
Secret US jails hold 10,000
13.05.2004
By ANDREW BUNCOMBE and KIM SENGUPTA WASHINGTON - Almost 10,000 prisoners from
President George W. Bush's so-called war on terror are being held around the
world in secretive American-run jails and interrogation centres similar to the
notorious Abu Ghraib Prison.
Some of these detention centres are so sensitive that even the most senior
members of the United States Congress have no idea where they are.
>From Iraq to Afghanistan to Cuba, this American gulag is driven by the
pressure to obtain "actionable" intelligence from prisoners captured by US forces.
The systematic practice of holding prisoners without access to lawyers or
their families, together with a willingness to use "coercive interrogation"
techniques, suggests the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib now shocking the world
could be widespread.
Iraq has become a holding pen for America's prisoners from 21 countries,
according to a report from the international campaign group Human Rights Watch.
The US military is keeping prisoners at 10 centres, most of which were used
by Saddam Hussein's regime. The total in January was 8968, and is thought to
have increased.
Prisoners are being held from, among other countries, Algeria, Egypt, India,
Iran, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia,
Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the
United Kingdom and Yemen.
A report in the Washington Post has revealed that up to 8000 Iraqi prisoners
are being held at Abu Ghraib, the jail west of Baghdad also known as the
Baghdad Central Correctional Facility or BCCF, and nine other facilities inside
Iraq.
It is impossible to know for sure because the Pentagon refuses to provide
complete information.
Officials say prisoners range from those accused of petty crimes to detainees
believed to be involved in attacks on US forces, though it is increasingly
clear that many hundreds are simply Iraqi civilians swept up in raids by US and
British soldiers.
Military and diplomatic sources say a number of detainees were taken to Iraq
from Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, the US military still holds 300 or more prisoners at Bagram,
north of Kabul, and at facilities in Kandahar, Jalalabad and Asadabad.
The CIA, meanwhile, runs an interrogation centre in Kabul that is known by
special forces and others simply as "The Pit".
At Guantanamo Bay, more than 600 prisoners remain incarcerated more than two
years after they were captured in the aftermath of the US operation against
the Taleban.
Last week the US admitted that two guards at the camp had been disciplined
for using "excessive force" against prisoners.
Michael Ratner, vice-president of the New York-based Centre for
Constitutional Rights, which has represented many of the Guantanamo prisoners, said
yesterday it was clear that a pattern was emerging.
"To me it means they are breaching international law as well as domestic law.
The treatment is obviously illegal," he said.
"It puts what is happening in Iraq into perspective. The idea that just a few
soldiers came up with this is inconceivable. It has come from very high up in
the Administration."
>From interviews with relatives and lawyers for the seven US soldiers facing
courts-martial for the Abu Ghraib abuse, there is growing evidence that their
actions were encouraged and even ordered by Military Intelligence and privately
contracted interrogators to "soften up" the prisoners. Major General Geoffrey
Miller, formerly the warden at Guantanamo Bay, took control of Abu Ghraib
last year with a plan to turn it into a hub of interrogation.
He placed the military police under the tactical control of the 205th
Military Intelligence Brigade.
The lawyers representing Lynddie England, the 21-year-old woman from the
372nd Military Police Company who was caught in photographs sexually humiliating
hooded Iraqi prisoners and leading one by a lead, insisted she was following
orders.
The pictures were a deliberate part of the humiliation, they said.
"People told Pfc England, 'Hold that leash' ... told her to smile, so they
can show the photos to subsequent prisoners," said lawyer Carl McGuire. Another
member of her legal team, Rose Mary Zapor, said: "They picked her to get the
smallest, youngest, lowest-rank woman they could find and that would increase
the humiliation for an Iraqi man."
This claim is supported by two members the 205th Military Intelligence
Brigade, assigned to Abu Ghraib, who on their arrival immediately realised what was
taking place was illegal.
The soldiers said beatings were meted out with the full knowledge of
intelligence interrogators, who let military police know which prisoners were
co-operating with them and which were not.
A leaked report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the only
outside body permitted to visit the prison, also confirmed widespread
ill-treatment and abuse that the authorities failed to stop.
It estimated that up to 90 per cent of the prisoners had been "arrested by
mistake".
- INDEPENDENT
Herald
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V2020 post by Ted Moffett
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<HTML><FONT FACE=3Darial,helvetica><HTML><FONT SIZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=
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<A HREF=3D"http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3D3566058&msg=
=3Demaillink">http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3D3566058&a=
mp;msg=3Demaillink</A><BR>
<BR>
<IMG SRC=3D"http://www.nzherald.co.nz/images/nzhologo.gif" WIDTH=3D"252" HE=
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</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#cccccc" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR:=20=
#ffffff" SIZE=3D1 PTSIZE=3D8 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"arial" LANG=3D"0">=
Sunday May 16, 2004</FONT><FONT COLOR=3D"#000000" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=
=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=3D3 PTSIZE=3D12 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FAC=
E=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0"><BR>
<BR>
Secret US jails hold 10,000 <BR>
<BR>
13.05.2004<BR>
By ANDREW BUNCOMBE and KIM SENGUPTA WASHINGTON - Almost 10,000 prisoners fro=
m President George W. Bush's so-called war on terror are being held around t=
he world in secretive American-run jails and interrogation centres similar t=
o the notorious Abu Ghraib Prison. <BR>
<BR>
Some of these detention centres are so sensitive that even the most senior m=
embers of the United States Congress have no idea where they are. <BR>
<BR>
>From Iraq to Afghanistan to Cuba, this American gulag is driven by the press=
ure to obtain "actionable" intelligence from prisoners captured by US forces=
. <BR>
<BR>
The systematic practice of holding prisoners without access to lawyers or th=
eir families, together with a willingness to use "coercive interrogation" te=
chniques, suggests the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib now shocking the wor=
ld could be widespread. <BR>
<BR>
Iraq has become a holding pen for America's prisoners from 21 countries, acc=
ording to a report from the international campaign group Human Rights Watch.=
<BR>
<BR>
The US military is keeping prisoners at 10 centres, most of which were used=20=
by Saddam Hussein's regime. The total in January was 8968, and is thought to=
have increased. <BR>
<BR>
Prisoners are being held from, among other countries, Algeria, Egypt, India,=
Iran, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia,=20=
Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine,=
the United Kingdom and Yemen. <BR>
<BR>
A report in the Washington Post has revealed that up to 8000 Iraqi prisoners=
are being held at Abu Ghraib, the jail west of Baghdad also known as the Ba=
ghdad Central Correctional Facility or BCCF, and nine other facilities insid=
e Iraq. <BR>
<BR>
It is impossible to know for sure because the Pentagon refuses to provide co=
mplete information. <BR>
<BR>
Officials say prisoners range from those accused of petty crimes to detainee=
s believed to be involved in attacks on US forces, though it is increasingly=
clear that many hundreds are simply Iraqi civilians swept up in raids by US=
and British soldiers. <BR>
<BR>
Military and diplomatic sources say a number of detainees were taken to Iraq=
from Afghanistan. <BR>
<BR>
In Afghanistan, the US military still holds 300 or more prisoners at Bagram,=
north of Kabul, and at facilities in Kandahar, Jalalabad and Asadabad. <BR>
<BR>
The CIA, meanwhile, runs an interrogation centre in Kabul that is known by s=
pecial forces and others simply as "The Pit". <BR>
<BR>
At Guantanamo Bay, more than 600 prisoners remain incarcerated more than two=
years after they were captured in the aftermath of the US operation against=
the Taleban. <BR>
<BR>
Last week the US admitted that two guards at the camp had been disciplined f=
or using "excessive force" against prisoners. <BR>
<BR>
Michael Ratner, vice-president of the New York-based Centre for Constitution=
al Rights, which has represented many of the Guantanamo prisoners, said yest=
erday it was clear that a pattern was emerging. <BR>
<BR>
"To me it means they are breaching international law as well as domestic law=
. The treatment is obviously illegal," he said. <BR>
<BR>
"It puts what is happening in Iraq into perspective. The idea that just a fe=
w soldiers came up with this is inconceivable. It has come from very high up=
in the Administration." <BR>
<BR>
>From interviews with relatives and lawyers for the seven US soldiers facing=20=
courts-martial for the Abu Ghraib abuse, there is growing evidence that thei=
r actions were encouraged and even ordered by Military Intelligence and priv=
ately contracted interrogators to "soften up" the prisoners. Major General G=
eoffrey Miller, formerly the warden at Guantanamo Bay, took control of Abu G=
hraib last year with a plan to turn it into a hub of interrogation. <BR>
<BR>
He placed the military police under the tactical control of the 205th Milita=
ry Intelligence Brigade. <BR>
<BR>
The lawyers representing Lynddie England, the 21-year-old woman from the 372=
nd Military Police Company who was caught in photographs sexually humiliatin=
g hooded Iraqi prisoners and leading one by a lead, insisted she was followi=
ng orders. <BR>
<BR>
The pictures were a deliberate part of the humiliation, they said. <BR>
<BR>
"People told Pfc England, 'Hold that leash' ... told her to smile, so they c=
an show the photos to subsequent prisoners," said lawyer Carl McGuire. Anoth=
er member of her legal team, Rose Mary Zapor, said: "They picked her to get=20=
the smallest, youngest, lowest-rank woman they could find and that would inc=
rease the humiliation for an Iraqi man." <BR>
<BR>
This claim is supported by two members the 205th Military Intelligence Briga=
de, assigned to Abu Ghraib, who on their arrival immediately realised what w=
as taking place was illegal. <BR>
<BR>
The soldiers said beatings were meted out with the full knowledge of intelli=
gence interrogators, who let military police know which prisoners were co-op=
erating with them and which were not. <BR>
<BR>
A leaked report by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the only ou=
tside body permitted to visit the prison, also confirmed widespread ill-trea=
tment and abuse that the authorities failed to stop. <BR>
<BR>
It estimated that up to 90 per cent of the prisoners had been "arrested by m=
istake". <BR>
<BR>
- INDEPENDENT <BR>
<BR>
<A HREF=3D"http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?reportID=3D61564">Hera=
ld </A><BR>
<BR>
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V2020 post by Ted Moffett</FONT></HTML>
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