The US Military and Administration told us that outrages in Abu Ghraib were the
result of a "few bad apples", and that both condemned the abuse and would do
all that it could to prevent such abuses occurring.
In the wake of more recent revelations those appear to be little more than
hollow words.
As a result of efforts by groups in America to uncover the truth behind claims
of widespread abuse by using the Freedom of Information Act, such abuse has been
identified in a number of additional cases.
While both the Military and Administration continue to deny stories of abuse it
is clear that such abuses have taken place, and punishment has even been meted
out in return. It is hard to see how the US can keep saying that such things
don't happen when they know that they do.
Why should we believe the US when it says such things haven't happened, when
the evidence unearthed shows that they have ? If it lies once, then it will
surely lie again.
The Administration has been forced to confirm that it is investigating far more
deaths under American custody in Afghanistan than it had previously admitted to
and claims that detainees there have been tortured, having toe nails ripped out
and being beaten so hard that they could neither walk nor sit are still being
investigated. Accusations of abuse in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo continue
to surface, and although allegations of abuse, mistreatment and torture from
those previously held by US forces are dismissed as absolute nonsense, it is
far harder to dismiss such allegations from within the US establishment itself.
The most recently revealed documents are memorandums and other communications
between FBI agents expressing concern over the use of interrogation techniques
which they are prohibited from using themselves, and one account from an FBI
agent details "serious physical abuses" witnessed in Iraq.
The most damaging aspect of this allegation is that the report was dated the
25th of June, two months after the revelations of abuse at Abu Ghraib came to
light. It was marked "urgent" and sent to FBI Director Robert Mueller, so it
seems incomprehensible that senior FBI and US Administration officials are
unaware of the allegations coming from their own operatives.
The latest abuses revealed include allegations of strangulation, beatings and
the horrific practice of placing lit cigarettes in detainees' ears.
No less worrying are reports that in Guantanamo Bay, detainees have been
shackled to the floor in 'stress positions' for more than 24 hours at a time,
left without food or water, and allowed to defecate upon themselves. Detainees
have been subjected to extreme cold and heat, with one being found to have
literally pulled his own hair out overnight having become overwhelmed by his
suffering. Others have been subjected to sleep deprivation, knocked
unconscious, spat upon, and one detainees was, bizzarely, said to have been
wrapped in an Israeli flag and bombarded with loud music to soften him up for
interrogation.
Back in Abu Ghraib, the rape of a juvenile male detainee is currently under
investigation.
A matter which seriously concerns the FBI and others is that Military
Interrogators are impersonating FBI agents, in a move seen to be towards
avoiding any blame in forthcoming enquiries.
Other recently revealed documents show that US marines have carried out mock
executions, used electric shocks on prisoners, and have even burned them; a
detainee had an alcohol-based cleaner sprayed upon him and ignited. It makes
locking up suspected looters in a tank and attacking them with fire
extinguishers look pretty tame in comparison.
The report of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service showed that those found
guilty of such abuse had been punished, and ten "substantiated" incidents of
abuse had lead to courts martial convictions of 13 marines, and the jailing of
others.
But what we are seeing is only the tip of the iceberg. Just because an incident
can't be substantiated to the satisfaction of a military which investigates its
own isn't proof that such incidents haven't happened. All we are seeing are
the most serious cases where even the military can't stomach a complete
cover-up or whitewash. Even then though they do their damnedest to keep what
is going on away from the public's eye, and deny that such events have ever
happened until hard evidence that they have is unearthed.
In the west we may be shocked and horrified at what is happening in American
run detention centres around the world, but those in the areas where detainees
are seized from are less than surprised. Such abuse has been witnessed and
experienced by many there, and while we are kept in the dark about the evils
which do occur, they have known full well what American detention really means.
It is hard for many of us to accept that such things can be going on, and we
would be only too pleased to deny that abuse, torture and death occurs. Such
a denial however stands at odds with what those at the heart of the system
reveal as the truth.
It's equally tempting to delude ourselves that such abuse isn't wide-spread,
that so many accusations simply arise from malice at being detained. If the
Military had done its job as well as some believe it should, we would have no
evidence at all in front of us. What little, hard and legitimate, evidence that
has come out is damning in its own right, and US investigators are revealed as
describing their caseloads as, "Exploding".
We have to ask ourselves, how many "isolated incidents" does it take for
something to be considered "widespread" ? How many "loose canons" to reveal
what's "institutionally ingrained" ?
The truth is probably something that none us really want to hear.
For some though, one despicable evil regime has already been replaced by
another. Abuse, torture and death now comes courtesy of America, with George
Bush standing proudly at her helm.
