Military Commissions Stuck on Torture

http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/20290-military-commissions-stuck-on-torture



Military Commissions Stuck on Torture
Friday, 29 November 2013 00:00
By Adam Hudson, Truthout | Op-Ed

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The topic of torture dominated the latest pretrial hearings. At issue were the US government's obligations under the Convention Against Torture, an international treaty banning torture, to which the United States is a party.

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Supporters of the CIA's interrogation program, such as former Vice President Dick Cheney and conservative political commentator Joe Scarborough, argue that torture was necessary to obtain information that could prevent another terrorist attack on American soil. However, the convention states, "No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture." Torture is recognized as a war crime and a crime against humanity by the International Criminal Court. Moreover, along with slavery, genocide, wars of aggression and crimes against humanity, torture is seen as violating customary international law - aspects of international law derived from custom for which no derogation is permitted.

Under the CIA's Rendition, Detention and Interrogation (RDI) program, all five defendants were held in secret prisons, known as "black sites," to be interrogated. The US government committed acts of torture - euphemistically known as "enhanced interrogation techniques" - as part of the interrogations. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the infamous key mastermind of 9/11, was waterboarded 183 times in March 2003 and gave several false and misleading statements during that time. Walid bin Attash was subjected to stress positions and forced nudity. Ramzi bin al-Shibh also was subjected to stress positions and forced nudity, along with torture with electric shocks, sleep deprivation and forms of sexual violence.

J. Connell III, attorney for Ammar al-Baluchi, told Truthout that "medical records from Guantanamo Bay demonstrate that, shortly after he arrived at Guantanamo, Mr. al-Baluchi complained that he had received a head injury while he was in CIA custody.” This information was declassified and arose during the hearing.



unhappycamper comment: Are we paying $454 million dollars a year to detain 164 detainees to insure the 'T' word and Guantanamo are never mentioned in the United States?

Why not prosecute those who did it?