Detainees In Bagram Hung From Ceiling And Beaten
All but two of 27 detainees at Bagram (right) in Afghanistan say they were mistreated, reports Think Progress quoting a BBC investigation.
Prisoners held at Bagram Airbase, near Kabul, claimed they were beaten, deprived of sleep, hung from the ceiling and threatened with dogs.
Four claimed officials had put a gun to their head and threatened to kill them.
None of the men held were charged or put on trial.
One inmate said: ‘They did things that you would not do against animals let alone to humans.
‘They poured cold water on you in winter and hot water in summer. They used dogs against us. They put a pistol or a gun to your head and threatened you with death.
‘They put some kind of medicine in the juice or water to make you sleepless and then they would interrogate you.’
Other allegations include the use of stress positions, excessive heat or cold and being forced to remove clothes in front of female soldier.
Time to ramp up the investigation of BushCo?
Lets investigate. All of these claims need to be either substantiated or refuted. Slightly more important issue then steroids in baseball.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Before jumping on the bandwagon of cruel and unusual punishment. Im on board with Place, investigate.
Nice swipe at baseball btw
June 24th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
“Before jumping on the bandwagon of cruel and unusual punishment”
You can reserve judgement for yourself but to me there is no question that EITs are indeed cruel and unusual punishment as banned by the US Constitution.
Each of these claims made could easily fit into these ‘enhanced’ interrogation procedures:
“‘They poured cold water on you in winter and hot water in summer. They used dogs against us. They put a pistol or a gun to your head and threatened you with death. ‘They put some kind of medicine in the juice or water to make you sleepless and then they would interrogate you.’”
These are the unamerican tactics that Cheney and Bush wanted to get approved as legal.
“Time to ramp up the investigation of BushCo?”
Yup. In fact, the people saying that nobody should procuted let alone investigated are clearly in support of an absent rule of law and stand without getting away scot-free if you break the law in high office. No other explanation.
Daddio Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I hope you don’t take the prisoners words as fact at this time Eric. Investigate and find out exactly what went on. These people are trained what to say if captured and imprisoned. Make all kinds of accusations and many in America will believe you.
craig7120 Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Yeah I ty for allowing me my judgement. Accusations are not proof. Pics from abu ghraib provided the proof I needed for a judgement call. Memos and admissions where enough for me to make a judgement call on the torture debate. Now knowing their track record makes it even more important to hold judgement until proof is delivered. Imo.
average james Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Seems to me that given the track record, this is not only possible, but likely.
There is no Okness with this sort of behavior. None.
goliath43 Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Eric
E said: You can reserve judgement for yourself but to me there is no question that EITs are indeed cruel and unusual punishment as banned by the US Constitution.
First off these people don’t fall under the US constitution. Enemy combatants have no rights under our constitution.
E said:These are the unamerican tactics that Cheney and Bush wanted to get approved as legal.
American tactics or not had nothing to do with them being legal or not. Inflicting pain just for the pleasure of inflicting pain is torture. EIT is about extracting information and if the combatants don’t like it get the hell off the battlefield.
Time to ramp up the investigation of BushCo?”
Investigated for what..keeping the country safe they should be given a medal.
average james Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
Changing it up and calling torture EITs does not change the reality anymore than changing the term terrorist.
Goliath if you really are ok with EITs(torture),
then there is serious question as to your humanity.
Perhaps you are a wanna be monster, like the other torturers.
We are the good guys who liberate people from conditions such as these. At least we used to be.
I am dismayed that any american could even begin to consider torture OK. What the hell have we become ? Did BinLaden already win ? He has caused us to abandon basic human rights. We have jumped into the pit with the scum of the earth.
TDro319 Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
“Investigated for what..keeping the country safe they should be given a medal.”
They should be given a metal for allowing us to be attacked on 9/11? Wow. That’s sick.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Once again it seems to me that Alan is taking the terrorist at face value and claiming the Bush knew EVERYTHING that was going on in every prison.
First of all I would not take even one word from the terrorist prisoners as fact.
Then I would start an investigation as to what really happened. Maybe there was abuse or maybe there wasn’t.
To post allegations by prisoners as a way to stir the pot against the Bush administration is assinine, but it doesn’t seem to bother Alan. Fair and balanced he is not.
placefield Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
I take this as a swipe against the democrats as well for not investigating.
Daddio Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I guess you could say that Placefield. Of course they won’t investigate Pelosi either. Maybe that is why they are dragging their feet on these investigations. Some of their own are probably involved. Hmmm.
placefield Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Don’t doubt it. Probably not wise to hold someone to the fire when you are soaked in kerosene.
Daddio Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Makes sense Placefield.
average james Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Righteo Place.
Kregg Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 2:26 am
Lets not be too fair, Place, you’ll get drummed out of the Lib Corps…
EricG Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
“Then I would start an investigation as to what really happened. Maybe there was abuse or maybe there wasn’t”
You just stepped away from what the rest of the Republican cover-up agents have been saying.
They don’t want anything investigated.
I have heard some say that ANY investigation was outright against American interests and I bet if you ask Cheney and Bush what they want it’s the same.
I want to investigate. We have lined up on this.
If they find that in the course of an investigation there is no evidence of torture and abuse then we drop the case and you’ll not see me complaining anymore.
But Republicans don’t want an investigation. They don’t want to find out if a detainee is telling the truth or not. Which to me points to that there was indeed illegal torture and violations of US Law approved of by the highest office.
“To post allegations by prisoners as a way to stir the pot against the Bush administration is assinine, but it doesn’t seem to bother Alan. Fair and balanced he is not.”
So, you want silence. That’s what I gather based on your comments. You want Alan to shut up. Keep his opinions away from the public. That’s says a lot about you and what you stand for.
‘Fair and balanced’ would be you listening to Alan’s case, my case, and so on until you feel that you understand why we feel that BushCo did illegal and immoral actions while in office.
But that’s being an American. That’s too hard for conservatives. They like tyranny and FIXED News.
TDro319 Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Daddio:
I can’t believe you’re still defending Bush and Cheney – while at the same time wearing the “Obama is not a citizen” tinfoil hat.
As for Pelosi, you’re just looking for a scapegoat for Dubya.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
Willy,
First of all I would not take even one word from the terrorist prisoners as fact.
That’s a pretty radical position. So you are not only against torture (erm, ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ in Orwellian doublespeak) but against any interrogation whatsoever.
Interesting.
Daddio Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Quite a stretch Cara. These prisoners are making accusations about torture. I am saying they are doing this to further blacken the eye of America. This has nothing to do with trying to get stratigic information about the enemy and their tactical decisions.
Re-read my post and you will actually see what I was saying. I mean read every line. OK.
OldLefty Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Daddio,
Without thorough investigations, you don’t know who os a terrorist or who is lying.
We DO know there were a lot of private contractors there who were outside of the chain of command.
we need to have responsibility for what is done in our name.
Daddio Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Let’s keep the accusations from these people under lock and key until all investigations are complete. This just tends to get people’s gander all worked up before any facts are brought out.
Um Cara Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Willy will only believe the accusations if they are obtained through torture.
Daddio Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Accusations are accusations Cara. Nothing more, nothing less. Prove them, then prosecute if need be. Before the proof I take them with a grain of salt.
craig7120 Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Yeah UM….perhaps we could use torture to get the admissions of torture? Im sure some on the right would nod in agreement.
EricG Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
“Let’s keep the accusations from these people under lock and key until all investigations are complete.”
I’ll just keep calling you a fascist until you stop making comments like this.
You really need to refresh yourself on some of the founding principals of this nation and what makes us so different from places like Russia for example.
Communist scum. Go burn a newspaper stand and take your tyanny somewhere else.
THIS IS AMERICA!!
June 24th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
“Time to ramp up the investigation of BushCo?”
Drill here, drill now!
average james Reply:
June 24th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
HA HA HA
June 24th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
“Time to ramp up the investigation of BushCo?” Ok I voted for Obama and think Bush was the worst president ever but I’m getting tired of this. Didn’t anybody read the report that said we killed dozens of civilians in Afghanistan the other month? If you are going to say Bush has all this blood on his hands, then Obama does too. We have to be fair and just to all not just our friends or politicians we agree with. BTW how did the other two detainees describe their treatment at Bagram?
Kregg Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 2:32 am
OH, oh, CRH3E, a lib displaying common sense on this board is subject to being drummed out of the club. Be careful, be VERY careful…
TDro319 Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
CR: “If you are going to say Bush has all this blood on his hands, then Obama does too.”
TD: I will agree with you on one point – we’re not pulling our troops out of Iraq fast enough for me. On the other hand, Bush left Obama with this clusterf**k and Obama’s been in office for only 6 months. Who knows? Maybe he will end these two unnecessary wars.
RDM Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Good observation
average james Reply:
June 25th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
You righties might want to take an honest look at how fair-minded most liberals are.
Fair is fair.
Prosecute if guilty, R or D.
June 24th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Torture is wrong and there are some troubling aspects here…however I’m going to have to make fun of “they threw cold water on me…oh no” I do this with my 13 year old to get him out of bed.
June 28th, 2009 at 2:52 am