[Vision2020] The New Zealand Herald
Pat Kraut
pkraut@moscow.com
Mon, 17 May 2004 22:59:13 -0700
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It would be interesting to know how many American lives have been saved =
by playing the game their way.=20
PK
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Tbertruss@aol.com=20
To: vision2020@moscow.com=20
Sent: Sunday, May 16, 2004 3:51 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] The New Zealand Herald
=
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3D3566058&msg=3Demaill=
ink
Sunday May 16, 2004
Secret US jails hold 10,000=20
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.=20
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.=20
>From Iraq to Afghanistan to Cuba, this American gulag is driven by =
the pressure to obtain "actionable" intelligence from prisoners captured =
by US forces.=20
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.=20
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.=20
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.=20
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.=20
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.=20
It is impossible to know for sure because the Pentagon refuses to =
provide complete information.=20
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.=20
Military and diplomatic sources say a number of detainees were taken =
to Iraq from Afghanistan.=20
In Afghanistan, the US military still holds 300 or more prisoners at =
Bagram, north of Kabul, and at facilities in Kandahar, Jalalabad and =
Asadabad.=20
The CIA, meanwhile, runs an interrogation centre in Kabul that is =
known by special forces and others simply as "The Pit".=20
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.=20
Last week the US admitted that two guards at the camp had been =
disciplined for using "excessive force" against prisoners.=20
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.=20
"To me it means they are breaching international law as well as =
domestic law. The treatment is obviously illegal," he said.=20
"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."=20
>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.=20
He placed the military police under the tactical control of the 205th =
Military Intelligence Brigade.=20
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.=20
The pictures were a deliberate part of the humiliation, they said.=20
"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."=20
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.=20
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.=20
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.=20
It estimated that up to 90 per cent of the prisoners had been =
"arrested by mistake".=20
- INDEPENDENT=20
Herald=20
=
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V2020 post by Ted Moffett
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It would be interesting to know how =
many American=20
lives have been saved by playing the game their way. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>PK</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3DTbertruss@aol.com=20
href=3D"mailto:Tbertruss@aol.com">Tbertruss@aol.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvision2020@moscow.com=20
href=3D"mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, May 16, 2004 3:51 =
AM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] The New =
Zealand=20
Herald</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face=3Darial,helvetica><FONT lang=3D0 =
face=3DArial size=3D2=20
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"10"><BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3D3566058&=
msg=3Demaillink">http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3D356=
6058&msg=3Demaillink</A><BR><BR><IMG=20
height=3D30 src=3D"http://www.nzherald.co.nz/images/nzhologo.gif" =
width=3D252=20
border=3D0 DATASIZE=3D"1865"><BR></FONT><FONT lang=3D0=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=3Darial color=3D#cccccc =
size=3D1=20
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"8" BACK=3D"#ffffff">Sunday May 16, =
2004</FONT><FONT=20
lang=3D0 style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" face=3DArial =
color=3D#000000 size=3D3=20
FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"12" BACK=3D"#ffffff"><BR><BR>Secret US =
jails hold=20
10,000 <BR><BR>13.05.2004<BR>By ANDREW BUNCOMBE and KIM SENGUPTA =
WASHINGTON -=20
Almost 10,000 prisoners from President George W. Bush's so-called war =
on=20
terror are being held around the world in secretive American-run jails =
and=20
interrogation centres similar to the notorious Abu Ghraib Prison. =
<BR><BR>Some=20
of these detention centres are so sensitive that even the most senior =
members=20
of the United States Congress have no idea where they are. =
<BR><BR>>From=20
Iraq to Afghanistan to Cuba, this American gulag is driven by the =
pressure to=20
obtain "actionable" intelligence from prisoners captured by US forces. =
<BR><BR>The systematic practice of holding prisoners without access to =
lawyers=20
or their families, together with a willingness to use "coercive =
interrogation"=20
techniques, suggests the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib now shocking =
the=20
world could be widespread. <BR><BR>Iraq has become a holding pen for =
America's=20
prisoners from 21 countries, according to a report from the =
international=20
campaign group Human Rights Watch. <BR><BR>The US military is keeping=20
prisoners at 10 centres, most of which were used by Saddam Hussein's =
regime.=20
The total in January was 8968, and is thought to have increased.=20
<BR><BR>Prisoners are being held from, among other countries, Algeria, =
Egypt,=20
India, Iran, Iraq, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, =
Libya,=20
Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Sweden, Tunisia, =
Turkey,=20
Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Yemen. <BR><BR>A report in the =
Washington Post=20
has revealed that up to 8000 Iraqi prisoners are being held at Abu =
Ghraib, the=20
jail west of Baghdad also known as the Baghdad Central Correctional =
Facility=20
or BCCF, and nine other facilities inside Iraq. <BR><BR>It is =
impossible to=20
know for sure because the Pentagon refuses to provide complete =
information.=20
<BR><BR>Officials say prisoners range from those accused of petty =
crimes to=20
detainees believed to be involved in attacks on US forces, though it =
is=20
increasingly clear that many hundreds are simply Iraqi civilians swept =
up in=20
raids by US and British soldiers. <BR><BR>Military and diplomatic =
sources say=20
a number of detainees were taken to Iraq from Afghanistan. <BR><BR>In=20
Afghanistan, the US military still holds 300 or more prisoners at =
Bagram,=20
north of Kabul, and at facilities in Kandahar, Jalalabad and Asadabad. =
<BR><BR>The CIA, meanwhile, runs an interrogation centre in Kabul that =
is=20
known by special forces and others simply as "The Pit". <BR><BR>At =
Guantanamo=20
Bay, more than 600 prisoners remain incarcerated more than two years =
after=20
they were captured in the aftermath of the US operation against the =
Taleban.=20
<BR><BR>Last week the US admitted that two guards at the camp had been =
disciplined for using "excessive force" against prisoners. =
<BR><BR>Michael=20
Ratner, vice-president of the New York-based Centre for Constitutional =
Rights,=20
which has represented many of the Guantanamo prisoners, said yesterday =
it was=20
clear that a pattern was emerging. <BR><BR>"To me it means they are =
breaching=20
international law as well as domestic law. The treatment is obviously=20
illegal," he said. <BR><BR>"It puts what is happening in Iraq into=20
perspective. The idea that just a few soldiers came up with this is=20
inconceivable. It has come from very high up in the Administration."=20
<BR><BR>>From interviews with relatives and lawyers for the seven =
US=20
soldiers facing courts-martial for the Abu Ghraib abuse, there is =
growing=20
evidence that their actions were encouraged and even ordered by =
Military=20
Intelligence and privately contracted interrogators to "soften up" the =
prisoners. Major General Geoffrey Miller, formerly the warden at =
Guantanamo=20
Bay, took control of Abu Ghraib last year with a plan to turn it into =
a hub of=20
interrogation. <BR><BR>He placed the military police under the =
tactical=20
control of the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade. <BR><BR>The =
lawyers=20
representing Lynddie England, the 21-year-old woman from the 372nd =
Military=20
Police Company who was caught in photographs sexually humiliating =
hooded Iraqi=20
prisoners and leading one by a lead, insisted she was following =
orders.=20
<BR><BR>The pictures were a deliberate part of the humiliation, they =
said.=20
<BR><BR>"People told Pfc England, 'Hold that leash' ... told her to =
smile, so=20
they can show the photos to subsequent prisoners," said lawyer Carl =
McGuire.=20
Another member of her legal team, Rose Mary Zapor, said: "They picked =
her to=20
get the smallest, youngest, lowest-rank woman they could find and that =
would=20
increase the humiliation for an Iraqi man." <BR><BR>This claim is =
supported by=20
two members the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade, assigned to Abu =
Ghraib,=20
who on their arrival immediately realised what was taking place was =
illegal.=20
<BR><BR>The soldiers said beatings were meted out with the full =
knowledge of=20
intelligence interrogators, who let military police know which =
prisoners were=20
co-operating with them and which were not. <BR><BR>A leaked report by =
the=20
International Committee of the Red Cross, the only outside body =
permitted to=20
visit the prison, also confirmed widespread ill-treatment and abuse =
that the=20
authorities failed to stop. <BR><BR>It estimated that up to 90 per =
cent of the=20
prisoners had been "arrested by mistake". <BR><BR>- INDEPENDENT =
<BR><BR><A=20
=
href=3D"http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?reportID=3D61564">Hera=
ld=20
=
</A><BR><BR>-------------------------------------------------------------=
--------------------------------------=20
<BR><BR>V2020 post by Ted Moffett</FONT> =
</FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_00AF_01C43C62.925C4A80--