|
US detainees 'murdered' during interrogations
By Associated Press
10/25/05 "Associated
Press" -- -- Washington -- At least 21
detainees who died while in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan were
the victims of homicide and usually died during or after
interrogations, according to an analysis of Defence Department data.
The analysis by the American Civil Liberties Union, released today,
looked at 44 deaths described in records obtained by the ACLU. Of
those, the group characterised 21 as homicides, and said at least
eight resulted from abusive techniques by military or intelligence
officers, such as strangulation or "blunt force injuries", as noted
in the autopsy reports.
The 44 deaths represent a partial group of the total number of
prisoners who have died in US custody overseas; more than 100 have
died of natural and violent causes.
In one case, the report said, a detainee died after being smothered
during interrogation by military intelligence officers in November
2003. In another case cited by the report, a prisoner died of
asphyxiation and blunt force injuries after he was left standing,
shackled to the top of a door frame, with a gag in his mouth.
One Afghan civilian, believed by the ACLU to be Abdul
Wahid, died from "multiple blunt force injuries" in 2003 at a base
in Helmand province, Afghanistan, according to an autopsy report
provided by the Defence Department.
Wahid, 28, was taken from his home by Afghan militia and accused of
being a terrorist. The autopsy report said he died in American
custody, although his father has blamed the militiamen.
The detailed list of prisoners whose deaths the report considered
homicides includes two detainees who were beaten and died from
"blunt force injuries" at the Bagram Airfield detention centre in
Afghanistan, according to the autopsies.
Earlier this month, Private First Class Damien Corsetti, a military
intelligence interrogator with the 519th MI Battalion at Fort Bragg,
North Carolina, became the 15th soldier to face charges since those
2002 deaths.
Details about the detainee abuse and deaths have been released by
the Pentagon as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed
by the ACLU. Many of the incidents have been made public before, and
in a number of cases the soldiers and officers involved have been
prosecuted and punished.
"The US military does not tolerate mistreatment of detainees," army
spokesman Colonel Joseph Curtin said. "Past cases have been fully
investigated. When there is credible evidence, commanders have the
prerogative to prosecute."
To date, there have been more than 400 investigations of detainee
abuse, and more than 230 military personnel have received a
court-martial, non-judicial punishment or other administrative
action.
"There is no question that US interrogations have resulted in
deaths," ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said. "High-ranking
officials who knew about the torture and sat on their hands and
those who created and endorsed these policies must be held
accountable."
The data includes detainees who were interrogated by military
intelligence, Navy Seals and "Other Governmental Agency" personnel,
which generally refers to the CIA.
On the Net:
ACLU documents:
http://action.aclu.org/torturefoia/released/102405/
Copyright: Associated Press
Translate
this page
(In accordance with Title 17
U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to
those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the
included information for research and educational purposes.
Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with the
originator of this article nor is Information Clearing House
endorsed or sponsored by the originator.) |
