A Few Related Links on Torture and Detention

¶ Ian Westmore left a valuable comment, explaining that international law leaves no room for any abuse of detainees, regardless of whether they are classified as prisoners of war or as "enemy combatants."

¶ Thursday's English edition of Asharq Alawsat published part two of a two part series, recounting journalist Mohammed Al Shafey’s visit to Guantanamo. Much of it reads like a regurgitated DOD press packet, but there are a few money quotes, such as this one from Part One:

It is not essential that the detainee is an Al Qaeda member to be able to provide valuable intelligence. Officials responsible for the Guantanamo jail say, "The information offered by detainees who had been members of unknown extremist groups would prove to be valuable in the future as we continue to work to prevent the reemergence of groups like Al Qaeda and its supporters."

We are detaining members of "unknown extremest groups" just in case we find them handy later on?

Part Two is here.

¶ Medical Foundation Urges US Doctors to Investigate Torture

"There is evidence of direct medical involvement in torture and indirect planning for the sophisticated psychological and physical techniques of abuse used against prisoners.

"We are aware that the AMA has made strong policy statements against torture. We are also aware that the AMA denounces medical participation in torture in its Code of Ethics. That unequivocal stand needs to be enforced conscientiously.

"Lest the healing profession be accused of doing further harm, it is incumbent on the medical profession and medical establishment in general, and in our view, on the American Medical Association in particular, to take disciplinary action against any of its own who have knowingly violated the basic principles of medical ethics that all of us are pledged to uphold."

¶ My last link is nearly a year old, but I just recently came upon it via Glenn Greenwald's book How Would A Patriot Act? Defending American Values from a President Run Amok. The passage is important because it makes a strong connection between bad intelligence gathered through torture and the Bush administration's lies about why we are fighting the war in Iraq.

In at least one instance, ABC News was told that the techniques led to questionable information aimed at pleasing the interrogators and that this information had a significant impact on U.S. actions in Iraq.

According to CIA sources, Ibn al Shaykh al Libbi, after two weeks of enhanced interrogation, made statements that were designed to tell the interrogators what they wanted to hear. Sources say Al Libbi had been subjected to each of the progressively harsher techniques in turn and finally broke after being water boarded and then left to stand naked in his cold cell overnight where he was doused with cold water at regular intervals.

His statements became part of the basis for the Bush administration claims that Iraq trained al Qaeda members to use biochemical weapons. Sources tell ABC that it was later established that al Libbi had no knowledge of such training or weapons and fabricated the statements because he was terrified of further harsh treatment.

"This is the problem with using the waterboard. They get so desperate that they begin telling you what they think you want to hear," one source said.

I am sure that the nature of waterboarding has been rehashed plenty of times in the blogosphere, but it bears repeating for anyone who may be new to the subject.

The prisoner is bound to an inclined board, feet raised and head slightly below the feet. Cellophane is wrapped over the prisoner's face and water is poured over him. Unavoidably, the gag reflex kicks in and a terrifying fear of drowning leads to almost instant pleas to bring the treatment to a halt.

According to the sources, CIA officers who subjected themselves to the water boarding technique lasted an average of 14 seconds before caving in. They said al Qaeda's toughest prisoner, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, won the admiration of interrogators when he was able to last between two and two-and-a-half minutes before begging to confess.

"The person believes they are being killed, and as such, it really amounts to a mock execution, which is illegal under international law," said John Sifton of Human Rights Watch.