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February 23, 2005
What's the Question, Again?
Do you remember Manadel al-Jamadi, whose corpse was used as a picture prop?
Remember the claim he was "shackled to the wall" and just collapsed -- one of those unfortunate incidents, you know.
It turns out he was shackled in the "palestinian hanging" position, an internationally-recognized form of torture which can and does lead to death in a manner similar to crucifixion -- collapse of the lung, inability to breathe, crushing of the chests... This man was "one of CIA's 'ghost' detainees at Abu Ghraib — prisoners being held secretly by the agency." So now we know what CIA does to its ghost detainees.
Here are more of the details:
One Army guard, Sgt. Jeffery Frost, said the prisoner's arms were stretched behind him in a way he had never before seen. Frost told investigators he was surprised al-Jamadi's arms "didn't pop out of their sockets," according to a summary of his interview....
The military pathologist who ruled the case a homicide found several broken ribs and concluded al-Jamadi died from pressure to the chest and difficulty breathing.
Dr. Michael Baden, a distinguished civilian pathologist who reviewed the autopsy for a defense attorney in the case, agreed in an interview that the position in which al-Jamadi was suspended could have contributed to his death.
Dr. Vincent Iacopino, director of research for Physicians for Human Rights, called the hyper-extension of the arms behind the back "clear and simple torture." The European Court of Human Rights found Turkey guilty of torture in 1996 in a case of Palestinian hanging — a technique Iacopino said is used worldwide but named for its alleged use by Israel in the Palestinian territories.
The Washington Post reported last year that after the Abu Ghraib scandal broke, the CIA suspended the use of its "enhanced interrogation techniques," including stress positions, because of fears that the agency could be accused of unsanctioned and illegal activity. The newspaper said the White House had approved the tactics.
...
Navy prosecutors in San Diego have charged nine SEALs and one sailor with abusing al-Jamadi and others. All but two lieutenants have received nonjudicial punishment; one lieutenant is scheduled for court-martial in March, the other is awaiting a hearing before the Navy's top SEAL.
So, it looks like most of the people involved in this killing will get a slap on the wrist. But here's the part that best summarizes the situation, i.e. the summary posted by the Los Angeles Times:
WHO DIED: Manadel al-Jamadi, a suspect in a bombing in Iraq, died in 2003 during CIA interrogation in the Abu Ghraib prison shower room. A military pathologist ruled it a homicide.HOW IT HAPPENED: Army guards found him suspended by his wrists, which were cuffed behind his back. The position, known as "Palestinian hanging," is condemned by human rights groups as torture.
WHAT IT MEANS: The death raises new questions about CIA interrogation practices.
Okay. The CIA is disappearing people and torturing them to death. This is an acknowledged, widely reported upon fact. And all that does is "raise new questions." What needs to happen before we can move beyond perpetually "raising new questions?"
Posted by zeynep at February 23, 2005 07:00 PM
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Tracked on February 24, 2005 03:29 PM