Pentagon records detail prisoner abuse by US military
El_Kabong
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Apr 16, 11:14 PM EDT
Pentagon records detail prisoner abuse by US military
By LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Military interrogators assaulted Afghan detainees in 2003, using investigation methods they learned during self-defense training, Pentagon documents released Wednesday show.
Detainees at the Gardez Detention Facility in southeastern Afghanistan reported being made to kneel outside in wet clothing and being kicked and punched in the kidneys, nose and knees if they moved, according to the documents.
A 2006 Army review concluded that the detainees were not abused but that the incident revealed "misconduct that warrants further action."
The documents, which were turned over Wednesday evening to the American Civil Liberties Union, focus on the 2003 death of Afghan detainee Jamal Nasser, who died in U.S. custody at the Gardez facility.
The documents detail interrogation techniques used on eight detainees, including Nasser, who were suspected of weapons trafficking.
The Army review found that abuse did not cause Nasser's death. But the documents include interviews with some interrogators who acknowledged slapping the detainees - a technique they learned during survival training at the Army's SERE school. SERE stands for Survive, Evade, Resist and Escape.
"You say you gave permission for (redacted) to hit detainees during interrogations; did you have a memorandum or order from your higher headquarters authorizing that?" a military criminal investigator asked one of the interrogators, according to a November 2004 transcript among the more than 300 pages of documents.
"No, I did not have a memorandum and had not seen one," the interrogator answered, according to the transcript. "I used tactics that were used in SERE."
The investigator continued: "Did you see (redacted) hit detainees during the interviews?"
"Yes, open or closed slaps, not punches," the interrogator answered.
In another interview that day, according to the documents, the Army investigator asks whether "you ever heard of a tactic of pouring cold water or a water and snow mix on persons captured?"
"They do spray cold water on prisoners," the interrogator answered, referring to SERE lessons. That interrogator was unaware, however, of men in his unit pouring cold water over the detainees, as the Afghans later complained.
ACLU attorney Amrit Singh said such interrogation techniques are taught at SERE schools only to show soldiers how to withstand them from enemy captors. She called the methods, when used together, a form of torture.
"They were intended to be defensive methods, not offensive methods," Singh said. "This raises serious questions about the interrogation methods that were being applied in Afghanistan."
SERE methods were also used on detainees by military interrogators in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Singh said.
The Pentagon and the Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday evening.
The 2004 criminal inquiry of Nasser's death was among a string of probes into alleged abuse of prisoners in U.S. jails in Afghanistan.
Trying to deflect the kind of scandal that followed the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan ordered a review of their secretive network of about 20 jails at bases across Afghanistan.
Nasser was among eight detainees who were held at Gardez for between 18 and 20 days. The Army concluded he died of a stomach ailment.
---
Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.
© 2008 The Associated Press.
Apr 16, 11:14 PM EDT
Pentagon records detail prisoner abuse by US military
By LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Military interrogators assaulted Afghan detainees in 2003, using investigation methods they learned during self-defense training, Pentagon documents released Wednesday show.
Detainees at the Gardez Detention Facility in southeastern Afghanistan reported being made to kneel outside in wet clothing and being kicked and punched in the kidneys, nose and knees if they moved, according to the documents.
A 2006 Army review concluded that the detainees were not abused but that the incident revealed "misconduct that warrants further action."
The documents, which were turned over Wednesday evening to the American Civil Liberties Union, focus on the 2003 death of Afghan detainee Jamal Nasser, who died in U.S. custody at the Gardez facility.
The documents detail interrogation techniques used on eight detainees, including Nasser, who were suspected of weapons trafficking.
The Army review found that abuse did not cause Nasser's death. But the documents include interviews with some interrogators who acknowledged slapping the detainees - a technique they learned during survival training at the Army's SERE school. SERE stands for Survive, Evade, Resist and Escape.
"You say you gave permission for (redacted) to hit detainees during interrogations; did you have a memorandum or order from your higher headquarters authorizing that?" a military criminal investigator asked one of the interrogators, according to a November 2004 transcript among the more than 300 pages of documents.
"No, I did not have a memorandum and had not seen one," the interrogator answered, according to the transcript. "I used tactics that were used in SERE."
The investigator continued: "Did you see (redacted) hit detainees during the interviews?"
"Yes, open or closed slaps, not punches," the interrogator answered.
In another interview that day, according to the documents, the Army investigator asks whether "you ever heard of a tactic of pouring cold water or a water and snow mix on persons captured?"
"They do spray cold water on prisoners," the interrogator answered, referring to SERE lessons. That interrogator was unaware, however, of men in his unit pouring cold water over the detainees, as the Afghans later complained.
ACLU attorney Amrit Singh said such interrogation techniques are taught at SERE schools only to show soldiers how to withstand them from enemy captors. She called the methods, when used together, a form of torture.
"They were intended to be defensive methods, not offensive methods," Singh said. "This raises serious questions about the interrogation methods that were being applied in Afghanistan."
SERE methods were also used on detainees by military interrogators in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Singh said.
The Pentagon and the Army did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday evening.
The 2004 criminal inquiry of Nasser's death was among a string of probes into alleged abuse of prisoners in U.S. jails in Afghanistan.
Trying to deflect the kind of scandal that followed the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan ordered a review of their secretive network of about 20 jails at bases across Afghanistan.
Nasser was among eight detainees who were held at Gardez for between 18 and 20 days. The Army concluded he died of a stomach ailment.
---
Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.
© 2008 The Associated Press.
standin above the crowd
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
Post edited by Unknown User on
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far worse goes on, the problem was were we're hearing about it, and now it's finally starting to come to light.
That being said, our military does a great job, but we need to remember, as individuals, military members, are the same people we see in everyday life. All kinds of really cool, nice, great, normal, assinine, creapy, ignorant, psychopathic, etc... types.
As usual though, no U S military personnel will be prosecuted by anyone but an American court, and they'll get off easy after the trial is over and out of the public eye in my opinion.
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If so you have a warped mind set when it comes to war. Its WAR! Not go fish! Its fucking war. I hate war, I don't want us to be in one but since we are, the only thing you can do to is be a nasty evil mother fucker. Thats how you win period. War sucks, its horrible and I would never want to be on the front line. But if I had to I would turn myself into a evil killing machine in order to survive. What do you think our enemies would do to you? Wake up people.
If you do not agree then you are one who would not last two seconds.
Sweep the Leg Johnny.
There is no need to torture and abuse human beings who are already detained in the first place. There's a reason it's against the law. And you're not winning or losing any war because you're abusing prisoners...there's no logic there.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
and how do you KNOW they are nasty and evil??? the article said the guy who died was suspected and there's been more than a few ppl who have been kidnapped thru extraordinary rendition, kept in captivity w/o access to legal counsel, tortured then later released when their 'hunch' or whatever proved untrue....
sorry i don't agree w/ torturing anyone i THINK may be a terrorist or linked to them.
i may not last 2 seconds b/c of this but i won't lose any sleep over it
he had a voice that was strong and loud and
i swallowed his facade cos i'm so
eager to identify with
someone above the crowd
someone who seemed to feel the same
someone prepared to lead the way
They do a great job of what?
Dropping bombs on poor brown people.
Great. :rolleyes:
Ok. This is not about Iraq.
Are you serious? Do you not remember those poor brown people flew planes into buildings and killed almost 3k people? They were made to kneel in wet clothes? Oh God the horror!
You people do realize that we provide the prisoners in Cuba with brand new Korans supplied in Ziplock bags so that they aren't touched by infidels, don't you? These people would kill you in an instant if given the chance.
Bleeding hearts make me want to puke.
yeah, what makes you the expert on who would and would not last?
anyway, your statement above is untrue. Also, the war on terror is a war like the war on drugs is a war. It's not a war...Iraq is not a police action, which is ironic, cause Vietnam was officially a police action, but was a war from day one to day end.
for or against being nasty evil mother fuckers, the Bush administration are idiots, and should never have answered any questions in regards to torture, it make the look as weak as they are. It's better to look strong even if you are weak.
Oh, and anyone that doesn't think we torture, we do...we generally use third party surrogates to do our diry work. same same
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umm, they weren't poor brown people, they were college educated fanatics, most, 19, from our great friends in Saudi Arabia. that country that W is nice and cozy with the ruling family.
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our government leaders and system is the issue, not the military.
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That's outrageous !! They should use small brown paper sacks for recycling purposes.