Pentagon Records Detail Prisoner Abuse By U.S. Military

[Hissyspit]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080417/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/afghan_prisoner_abuse

Pentagon records detail prisoner abuse by US military
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 57 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - 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.

- snip -

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.

MORE AT LINK

ACLU THREAD: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3271576

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

I read the documents when you posted the link in LBN. I hope everyone does.

There was one...a statement by one of the many redacted's...this one at Bucca

couldn't "recall" anything (about the death of a detainee)

Actually said...I don't recall being there (in the ambulance) but the Major says I was there