‘CIA report should lead to prosecutions’
11 Dec 2014 11:33 PM GMT
“This provides clear evidence for prosecution,” said Amanda Thomas-Johnson, a spokesperson for CAGE, which campaigns against the “War on Terror”.
“This kind of dodging of accountability is not new,” she added. “We have recorded a series of crimes, identified victims and known perpetrators, but with no redress under the law.
This shows that the US and its allies are operating outside the bounds of the law.”Tuesday’s report accused the Central Intelligence Agency of harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, losing track of detainees and misleading the White House and Congress with inaccurate claims about the programme’s usefulness in thwarting attacks.
Despite the report, CAGE’s Moazzam Begg, a British former detainee at both Bagram airbase and Guantanamo Bay, said “we are not any closer toward accountability. ”In fact there has only been more hate and suspicion directed at former detainees who are probably the most interrogated people on the face of the earth,” he added.
“These things are still happening on Wednesday. Guantanamo is still open, as is Bagram, while renditions and disappearances by the Americans are still widespread.
“The rules of the game have certainly changed. Not just for the West, but for everyone.” Fellow former Guantanamo detainee Shafiq Rasul said there seemed to be “a law for the Muslims and a law for the non-Muslims.”The report revealed how a CIA operative used “Russian Roulette” to intimidate a prisoner and another -- untrained in interrogation techniques -- threatened to use a power drill.
Detainees were humiliated through the painful use of medically unnecessary “rectal feeding” and “rectal rehydration.” One died of hypothermia while shackled and some suffered broken limbs.
World leaders condemn cia’s torture tactics
Some of CIA’s Harsh Methods Were ‘Brutal’: Obama
President Barack Obama said some of the tactics described in a Senate report on harsh CIA interrogations were “brutal.” But he said in an interview Tuesday with Telemundo that it is important for the information to be made public to make sure the situation isn’t ever repeated. Obama also says the report makes clear that the CIA set up its interrogation program too quickly and without much thought about potential consequences. Obama commented after the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report on CIA interrogations during the administration of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Torture Always Wrong: David Cameron
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday joined international consternation over the US Senate report describing CIA torture of Al-Qaeda suspects as far more brutal and ineffective than previously believed. “Let us be clear: Torture is wrong. Torture is always wrong,” Cameron told a press conference in Ankara, where he met Turkish officials to discuss increased security cooperation to battle the rising terror threat posed by Islamic State. Asked about the US report, Cameron said the use of torture and other violations of human rights to battle terrorists was ultimately counter-productive.
China Urges US to ‘Correct Ways’ After Torture Report
China urged the United States on Wednesday to “correct its ways”, after the US Senate said in a report the CIA misled the White House and public about its torture of detainees and acted more brutally and pervasively than it acknowledged.“China has consistently opposed torture. We believe that the US side should reflect on this, correct its ways and earnestly respect and follow the rules of related international conventions,” China foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. China is frequently accused by rights groups of using torture.The government has in the past said it has been used and vowed to stamp it out, following a series of cases of wrongful convictions.
“This kind of dodging of accountability is not new,” she added. “We have recorded a series of crimes, identified victims and known perpetrators, but with no redress under the law.
This shows that the US and its allies are operating outside the bounds of the law.”Tuesday’s report accused the Central Intelligence Agency of harsh interrogation techniques such as waterboarding, losing track of detainees and misleading the White House and Congress with inaccurate claims about the programme’s usefulness in thwarting attacks.
Despite the report, CAGE’s Moazzam Begg, a British former detainee at both Bagram airbase and Guantanamo Bay, said “we are not any closer toward accountability. ”In fact there has only been more hate and suspicion directed at former detainees who are probably the most interrogated people on the face of the earth,” he added.
“These things are still happening on Wednesday. Guantanamo is still open, as is Bagram, while renditions and disappearances by the Americans are still widespread.
“The rules of the game have certainly changed. Not just for the West, but for everyone.” Fellow former Guantanamo detainee Shafiq Rasul said there seemed to be “a law for the Muslims and a law for the non-Muslims.”The report revealed how a CIA operative used “Russian Roulette” to intimidate a prisoner and another -- untrained in interrogation techniques -- threatened to use a power drill.
Detainees were humiliated through the painful use of medically unnecessary “rectal feeding” and “rectal rehydration.” One died of hypothermia while shackled and some suffered broken limbs.
World leaders condemn cia’s torture tactics
Some of CIA’s Harsh Methods Were ‘Brutal’: Obama
President Barack Obama said some of the tactics described in a Senate report on harsh CIA interrogations were “brutal.” But he said in an interview Tuesday with Telemundo that it is important for the information to be made public to make sure the situation isn’t ever repeated. Obama also says the report makes clear that the CIA set up its interrogation program too quickly and without much thought about potential consequences. Obama commented after the Senate Intelligence Committee released a report on CIA interrogations during the administration of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Torture Always Wrong: David Cameron
British Prime Minister David Cameron on Tuesday joined international consternation over the US Senate report describing CIA torture of Al-Qaeda suspects as far more brutal and ineffective than previously believed. “Let us be clear: Torture is wrong. Torture is always wrong,” Cameron told a press conference in Ankara, where he met Turkish officials to discuss increased security cooperation to battle the rising terror threat posed by Islamic State. Asked about the US report, Cameron said the use of torture and other violations of human rights to battle terrorists was ultimately counter-productive.
China Urges US to ‘Correct Ways’ After Torture Report
China urged the United States on Wednesday to “correct its ways”, after the US Senate said in a report the CIA misled the White House and public about its torture of detainees and acted more brutally and pervasively than it acknowledged.“China has consistently opposed torture. We believe that the US side should reflect on this, correct its ways and earnestly respect and follow the rules of related international conventions,” China foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said. China is frequently accused by rights groups of using torture.The government has in the past said it has been used and vowed to stamp it out, following a series of cases of wrongful convictions.
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