US Torture Today: Genital Mutilation.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2008-06-12 03:05pm

LONDON (AP) — The U.S. government has photographic evidence that a Guantanamo Bay inmate was tortured with a knife after being taken to Morocco by U.S. forces, a British human rights group said Tuesday.

Reprieve said their client, Binyam Mohamed, had his genitals slashed repeatedly with a doctor's scalpel while in custody in Morocco after he was flown there from Pakistan by American officials in 2002. It also said his U.S. captors later took pictures of the abuse to show authorities that his wounds were healing.

Mohamed, an Ethiopian national and former British resident, is charged by the United States with plotting with al-Qaeda to bomb American apartment buildings.

Reprieve maintains the charge is based on information coerced from Mohamed using torture.

Reprieve quoted Mohamed as saying that an American female photographed his wounds before he boarded a plane in the Moroccan city of Rabat on the night of Jan. 21, 2004.

"When she saw the injuries I had she gasped. She said: 'Oh, my God, look at that!' Then all her mates looked at what she was pointing at and I could see the shock and horror in her eyes," Mohamed was quoted as saying. "Later, when I was in Afghanistan, they took more pictures. They were treating me, and one of them explained that the photos were 'to show Washington it's healing."'

Reprieve said Mohamed's account was confirmed by an unidentified journalist it says spoke with a U.S. intelligence agent who saw the photographs. The group has urged the United States not to destroy them.

Reprieve provides legal aid to many current and former Guantanamo inmates and is a fierce opponent of the military tribunal system set up to prosecute some of the men held there, saying it is designed to cover up U.S. use of torture to secure confessions.

Congratulations, US! You've now indulged in the same antics as primitive African tribes!

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2008-06-12 08:27pm

Damn, the link doesn't have any pics. I'd love to send this back to some of my ex-coworkers.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2008-06-12 08:38pm

Darth Yoshi wrote:Damn, the link doesn't have any pics. I'd love to send this back to some of my ex-coworkers.

I have to ask... Why? Are they denialists or torture apologists or something?

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2008-06-12 08:42pm

They're the typical GOP apologist military types. So basically, the president can do no wrong, the media is liberal, the whole nine yards.

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2008-06-12 08:55pm

It also said his U.S. captors later took pictures of the abuse to show authorities that his wounds were healing.

You know, I was going to write something sarcastic to the effect of "Well that's OK then, it's not too far if it's only a scar!", but I just can't see anybody actually trying to justify this sort of thing.

The Spartan · Post by **The Spartan** » 2008-06-12 09:01pm

Remember it's not bad if we do it.

No really. The CIA director said that, I believe the euphemism was "intensive interrogation", was lawful under the circumstances.

Because, of course, The World Wide Islamic Terrorist Threat is an existential threat to the very survival of this country greater than we've ever faced. It's a hungry lion looking to eat us like the bear of old. Not the snake in the grass those liberal defeatists want us to think that it is.

Oni Koneko Damien · Post by **Oni Koneko Damien** » 2008-06-13 03:49pm

The Spartan wrote:Remember it's not bad if we do it.

No really. The CIA director said that, I believe the euphemism was "intensive interrogation", was lawful under the circumstances.

Because, of course, The World Wide Islamic Terrorist Threat is an existential threat to the very survival of this country greater than we've ever faced. It's a hungry lion looking to eat us like the bear of old. Not the snake in the grass those liberal defeatists want us to think that it is.

Bingo!

Mobiboros · Post by **Mobiboros** » 2008-06-13 04:03pm

Wait, is the summation to this basically:

Guy says that his genitals were slashed by US military and/or CIA.
Claims US has pictures.
Human Rights Group Backs up his story.

Not to sound like an apologist, because it's frikkin obvious the US has done bad shit lately, but is there any actual evidence for this guys allegations? The article is rather unclear on that.

Post by **Alyrium Denryle** » 2008-06-13 05:59pm

Darth Yoshi wrote:They're the typical GOP apologist military types. So basically, the president can do no wrong, the media is liberal, the whole nine yards.

Ok Sweetheart here is what you do. You have them volunteer for waterboarding have them sign a waver that is notorized, then you waterboard them. Stop once they start telling you wild and crazy stories you hint that you want to hear.

Then ask them if they feel the same way.

I doubt they will go for it, and when they dont, ask them why. Push the point home. If they would consider it torture when done to them, why dont they consider it torture to do it to others?

Darth Yoshi · Post by **Darth Yoshi** » 2008-06-13 07:14pm

I pointed out that the Japanese were nailed for waterboarding after WW2. They ignored it. It doesn't matter anymore, of course, as I'm currently on terminal leave and will never see them again.