NYT: Broad Use of Harsh Tactics Is Described at Cuba Base

[kskiska]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 - Many detainees at Guantánamo Bay were regularly subjected to harsh and coercive treatment, several people who worked in the prison said in recent interviews, despite longstanding assertions by military officials that such treatment had not occurred except in some isolated cases.

The people, military guards, intelligence agents and others, described in interviews with The New York Times a range of procedures that included treatment they said was highly abusive occurring over a long period of time, as well as rewards for prisoners who cooperated with interrogators.

One regular procedure that was described by people who worked at Camp Delta, the main prison facility at the naval base in Cuba, was making uncooperative prisoners strip to their underwear, having them sit in a chair while shackled hand and foot to a bolt in the floor, and forcing them to endure strobe lights and screamingly loud rock and rap music played through two close loudspeakers, while the air-conditioning was turned up to maximum levels, said one military official who witnessed the procedure. The official said that was intended to make the detainees uncomfortable, as they were accustomed to high temperatures both in their native countries and their cells.

Such sessions could last up to 14 hours with breaks, said the official, who described the treatment after being contacted by The Times.

"It fried them,'' the official said, who said that anger over the treatment the prisoners endured was the reason for speaking with a reporter. Another person familiar with the procedure who was contacted by The Times said: "They were very wobbly. They came back to their cells and were just completely out of it.''

more…
http://nytimes.com/2004/10/17/politics/17gitmo.html?hp&ex=1097985600&en=843775271ff87206&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[BeFree]

1. A glimmer of humanity

These guards exposing their humanity by coming forward are true heroes and should be exalted by their employees.

Of course, the kind of treatment foisted on the incarcerated at Gitmo is nothing compared to the treatment inflicted upon the peasants of Viet Nam by the US forces.

Our chance to exalt one of the heroes of the exposing of those VN atrocities comes on Nov. 2.

[rabbit2484]

2. In the words of Toby Keith

We'll put a boot in your ass, its the American way.

Scary that it's starting to become the true American theme.

[Must_B_Free]

3. Aww come on

"and forcing them to endure strobe lights and screamingly loud rock and rap music played through two close loudspeakers, while the air-conditioning was turned up to maximum levels,"

"you hippies pay $50 a pop for this treatment gladly! It's all just fraternity stuff...

"Do they give them extasy too?"

"but these weak liberals can't handle it."

That's what Senor Rushbo will say

[Moderator]

4. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=909932


To avoid duplicates:
Read the Latest Breaking News forum first before posting. Look for high count threads for obvious stories that have a lot of interest and that have been posted previously.
Do a search of a just a few keywords. Running just the title sometimes does not bring up results.
If you don't have the search option because you don't donate, consider donating, or look on the right column of the latest page. Scan the column for posts made in the last day.