 A U.S. human rights group says medical examinations show that former terrorism suspects once held by the United States had been tortured.
'What do you make of this, Dr. Bung?'
'Hmmm... Definitely panty scars. Classic case.' |
The Massachusetts-based Physicians for Human Rights conducted an evaluation of 11 detainees who were freed without charge after being held at U.S. prisons in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Iraq and Afghanistan. The group says the former detainees detailed beatings, sleep deprivation, electric shock, shacklings, forced nakedness, severe stress positions, humiliation, sexual assault, and being spit and urinated on. The U.S. government has defended its interrogation techniques and has consistently said it does not torture prisoners.
| Well, who ya gonna believe? The U.S. government? Or al-Qaeda? |
I'm a doc. It's not clear to me how a medical examination would reveal humiliation, stress positions, forced nakedness, sleep deprivation or being spat/urinated upon. I may have missed that part in my medical training.
One might detect scars from shackles or electric shocks. Ditto from sexual assault, though you need to be trained properly to do the exam right. |
The report by Physicians for Human Rights said the findings cannot be generalized since so few people were examined. But it said the patterns of abuse are consistent with numerous governmental and independent investigations of ill-treatment of detainees.
'... and then they shoved a rifle butt up my arse!'
'Where?'
'Right here! See? It left a hole!' |
One examiner said the team found clear physical and psychological evidence of torture and abuse, often causing lasting suffering.
| Let's see their evidence. All of it. Put into proper medical format, redact the identifying information, and release it to the public. Include photogaphs and radiographs. |
In response to a Senate hearing Tuesday about agressive interrogation techniques on terror suspects, Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, said it has always been the policy of the government to treat detainees humanely. He said abuse has never been the policy of the government. |