TresSugar

Music Is the New Torture: 8 Songs to Break Detainees Down To

CitizenSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:30:43 -0800

If simulated drowning isn't enough, you can add music to America's weapons of mass degradation. Amped-up tunes are used as "sonic bludgeons" at US military prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay.

Songs such as Britney Spears's "Baby One More Time" are turned up and set to repeat to create fear, disorientation, and a prolonged capture shock. It can cause long-term psychiatric problems if blasted for extended periods of time. And it is!

Prisoners, who grew up in Afghanistan under the music-banning Taliban, are hypersensitive. The blasted music leads some to scream and smash their heads against walls. "Plenty," one former prisoner said, "lost their mind."

A Guantanamo interrogator bragged in an FBI memo that he only needed "four days to 'break' someone by alternating 16 hours of loud music with just four hours of silence." So, mission accomplished?

What's Guantanamo breaking down to? To see the top eight songs, read more.

"Born in the USA," Bruce Springsteen
"Babylon," David Gray
"We Are the Champions," Queen
"American Pie," Don McLean
"Stayin' Alive," Bee Gees
"Dirrty," Christina Aguilera
Theme song from Sesame Street
"I Love You" from Barney and Friends

Source

Front Page: Bush to Keep Guantanamo Open, Obama Leaving Campaign Trail, Saudi Arabia Charges 991 Al Qaeda Suspects

CitizenSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 06:56:52 -0700

Bush to Keep Gitmo Open:
Though he'd previously stated a desire to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Bush has now decided not to do so, and did not consider proposals from the State Department and Pentagon to transfer the prisoners elsewhere. His current view appears to be that closing the prison would involve too many political and legal risks. It will remain open for the rest of his term.

Obama Leaving Campaign Trail:
Barack Obama is canceling almost all of his campaign events on Thursday and Friday to go visit his suddenly gravely ill grandmother in Hawaii. According to a spokesman, ''Sen. Obama's grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has always been one of the most important people in his life, along with his mother and his grandfather." He's going so he can "spend some time with her.''

Saudi Arabia Charges 991 al Qaeda Suspects:
Saudi Arabia has charged 991 suspected al Qaeda militants with attacks that left 164 dead and that seem to range back to 2003, though specifics aren't yet clear. The country has been reluctant to charge militants in the past, fearing retribution from local sympathizers. A spokesman said, "In the past few years, the kingdom has been the target of an organised terrorist campaign linked to networks of strife and sedition overseas," before linking that campaign to al Qaeda.

Source

Front Page: Bin Laden Driver Sentenced, 13 Dead in Texas Bus Crash, Iraq Proposes Timetable

CitizenSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 06:54:43 -0700

Bin Laden Driver Sentenced:
A panel of military officers have sentenced the convicted former driver of Osama bin Laden to five and a half years in prison. Ignoring the prosecution's pleas for a strict sentence, the 66 month decision means that the first detainee convicted of a war crime in court could complete his punishment by the end of the year. The military judge said he had already planned to give credit for the 61 months the detainee has already served.

13 Dead in Texas Bus Crash:
A charter bus carrying 55 church members rolled on its side killing 13 instantly and sending 24 to the hospital. A blown tire caused the bus to run off a highway overpass. The passengers had been on their way to a religious festival honoring the Virgin Mary.

Iraq Proposes Timetable:
Iraqi negotiators have decided on October, 2010, as the deadline when combat troops will have left the country. US troops will begin to withdraw from the streets in the middle of next year, and be gone by 2010, though some support units would stay on. If agreed upon by President Bush, the schedule will be close to the proposal of Barack Obama.

Source

Verdict Issued in Trial of Osama bin Laden's Driver

CitizenSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:40:57 -0700

The military jury's verdict in the Guantanamo Bay trial of Osama bin Laden's driver is in: he has been found not guilty in the more serious count of conspiracy to aid terror, and guilty of material support of terrorism. The sentencing phase of the trial begins this afternoon. The prosecution's case did not prove that he intended to do harm, but that he aided the al Qaeda network in accomplishing acts that caused harm. This was the first war crimes trial since WWII.

Front Page: Guantanamo Secret Footage, Suicide Attack Kills Iraqi Recruits, Bush Press Conference

CitizenSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:06:43 -0700

Guantanamo Secret Footage:
A secretly filmed tape of a detainee being questioned at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay has just been released. The video shows 16-year-old detainee, Omar Khadr, being questioned by Canadian officials about events that led to his capture by US forces. The Canadian detainee is accused of throwing a grenade resulting in a US soldier's death in Afghanistan in 2002. In the video, he can be heard repeatedly chanting, "help me". The tape was released by Khadr's lawyers after a Supreme Court ruling that key evidence be released that would allow a full defense of the charges he's facing, and they're hoping the tape will cause PM Harper to demand that the US not prosecute Khadr.

Suicide Attack Kills Iraqi Recruits:
Two suicide bombers dressed as army recruits detonated at an Iraqi base this morning killing at least 35 Iraqi recruits and wounding 63. The bombers were wearing belts packed with explosives as they infiltrated a crowd of more than 200 recruits and exploded about 30 seconds apart in front of the headquarters of an Iraqi brigade where the recruits had gathered.

Bush Press Conference:
US President George W. Bush is set to speak in moments (10:20 a.m. ET) with an opening statement on steps he has taken to fix the economy. The White House said, "he will talk about the overall state of the economy," and, "the president will talk about steps his administration has taken to stabilize the housing and financial markets." The news conference is expected to overlap Barack Obama's proclaimed major policy address on Iraq, scheduled for 10:45 a.m.

Senate Questions Interrogation Methods, Study Proves Torture

CitizenSugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:00:13 -0700

"If the detainee dies, you're doing it wrong." So says John Fredman, then chief counsel to the CIA's counter-terrorism center, explaining in minutes of a 2002 meeting released yesterday, concluding that torture "is basically subject to perception". The minutes were released in conjunction with the Senate Armed Services Committee investigation into the origins of harsh interrogation tactics used on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib.

In a hearing yesterday that spanned eight hours, US military lawyers revealed details showing how techniques like sensory and sleep deprivation and simulated drowning were modeled on training given soldiers on how to resist questioning. Chairman Carl Levin said that explanation "twisted the law to create the appearance of legality".

Correspondence brought to light in the hearing showed concern about such techniques as far back as 2002 with one quote saying, “if we mistreat detainees, we will quickly lose the [moral] high ground and public support will erode.” Then despite objections by military lawyers, then Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved sensory deprivation, sleep disruption, water-boarding and stress positions. “Officially it is not happening,” Lt. Col. Diane Beaver said in the 2002 information, adding that commanders were concerned that the techniques would be discovered by the Red Cross. To see the White House response, and a new study proving torture, read more.

White House spokesman Tony Fratto refuted the allegations yesterday saying:

Abuse of detainees has never been, is not and will never be the policy of this government. The policy of this government has been to take these detainees and to interrogate them, and get the information that we can get to help protect this country.

The investigation comes in conjunction with a new study released by Physicians for Human Rights who said they have evidence of torture and other abuse that resulted in serious injuries and mental disorders. One of the researchers said, "Some of these men really are, several years later, very severely scarred. It's a testimony to how bad those conditions were and how personal the abuse was."

Is the use of anti-interrogation training methods to create ways to interrogate, twisting the law to create the appearance of legality like Senator Levin says? Is concern over the Red Cross finding out, proof that there was knowledge the techniques were wrong?

Source

Front Page: Hillary To Drop Out, 9/11 Tribunal, Abbas to Meet With Hamas

CitizenSugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:00:36 -0700

Hillary To Drop Out: Hillary Clinton will endorse Barack Obama on Saturday, ending her 17-month campaign for the White House, according to aides. Her decision was influenced by Democrats' urges to leave the race and allow the party to come together around Obama. She is going to express support for Obama and party unity at an event in Washington, June 7. One adviser hinted that Clinton would concede defeat, congratulate Obama, and proclaim him the party’s nominee- looking forward to do what was needed to assure his victory in November. Obama told reporters of his plans for Clinton, “we’re going to have a conversation in the coming weeks.”

9/11 Tribunal: Five top alleged al Qaeda prisoners, including September 11 mastermind suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, began appearances before a military commission this morning after extended time in CIA prisons and battles over the court itself. All the defendants were just arraigned before a military court at Guantanamo - all five are accused roles in the 9/11 attacks, responsible for the death of nearly 3,000 people. They all face potential death sentences if convicted. Mohammed has been forthright with his involvement - in a written statement read at a March 2007 hearing, at which he was present, he said he was responsible for the attacks "from A to Z."

Abbas to Meet With Hamas: Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president called late yesterday for a resumption of dialogue with the Islamic militant group Hamas. In a short address, Abbas, expressed the plan as part of his desire to restore national unity. Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007. The move could halt peace talks with Israel, who only met with Abbas after he broke away from Hamas. Israel has refused to have direct contact with the group, considering it a terrorist organization, and has threatened to cut off talks with Mr. Abbas if he rejoins forces with Hamas.

The US to Televise Hearings to 9-11 Families. Thoughts?

CitizenSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:45:17 -0700

The US military has decided to televise the Guantanamo trial of accused September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and five other suspects so relatives of those killed in the attacks can watch the proceedings. The chief prosecutor said, "we're going to broadcast in real time to several locations that will be available just to victim families."

The defendants are charged with murder and conspiracy, and prosecutors have asked that they be executed if convicted of plotting to crash hijacked planes into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 2001. The six will be the first Guantanamo prisoners charged with direct involvement in the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

Some of the families are grateful for the information. One man whose father and stepmother died on the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania, called the prosecutors "true patriots," and is glad for "the ability to see justice being fulfilled in one of the most significant attacks on America's heartland."

But detractors say showing the trials is a violation of the Geneva Conventions. A lawyer for the defense says, "I can just imagine American soldiers and sailors and airmen being subjected to similar show trials worldwide."

Though I'm not the almost lawyer around here, does choosing to show the trials to the families somehow imply guilt before the proceedings? Is this something you feel like you could watch if you were one of the family members? Will it make Americans more vulnerable or is it justice of information? Where do you stand on the decision? Is it as complex as it seems?

Source

The US to Televise Hearings to 9-11 Families. Thoughts?
The families should absolutely be able to watch to see justice served.

I think they should have the choice to watch, though I certainly couldn't do it.

Showing the trials to a select audience is totally preassigning blame. We shouldn't do it.

I'm surprised we're concerned about the Geneva Conventions all of a sudden.

Other. Oh, boy. I've got a lot to say in the comments.

The Road to Justice at Guantánamo Bay

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:00:02 -0700

Outside my window I can see a faded poster hung in my neighbor's window that reads: "The America I Believe in Would Close Guantánamo Bay." The US military prison houses detainees who have been identified by the government as "enemy combatants" and is certainly controversial. Today, the New York Times reports on the hurdles to justice at the detention center.

In an effort to start the wheels of justice two months ago, military officials announced war crimes charges against six detainees of the Guantánamo Bay detention center for roles in the Sept. 11 attacks. The charges were part of an effort to accelerate the carriage of justice in a sluggish system which has yet to hold a single trial.

Despite the charges, military defense lawyers are in short supply, and two months later, not one of the six detainees has met his military lawyer. Trying the cases is especially complicated because they involve potential death penalties and claims of torture by interrogators - issues that could take months or longer to sort out. Though at Guantánamo, even simple cases without capital penalty issues are proceeding slowly. To see what's causing the slow down, read more.

Guantánamo military defense lawyers maintain they are not given resources by the Pentagon to match the investigative capability of the military prosecution, who has access to the FBI, the CIA, and other agencies. One detainee under trial said, “History will record these trials as a scandal against you.”

A lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights said the charges (which seek the death penalty) against the six men charged with the 2001 attack are so unwieldy that defense teams for those cases will need months, if not years, to prepare, saying “there is no possibility that these cases are going to proceed to trial any time soon.”

Do you think it's reasonable to hold people classified as enemy combatants? Are the hurdles to quick trials another way to keep possibly dangerous individuals contained? Do you agree with the sign in the picture? Are you disgusted with the situation at Guantánamo Bay, or do you think it's an absolutely appropriate security measure?

Source

Are the Pentagon and Bush Administration to Blame For Torture?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:00:42 -0700

What's being called the Torture Memo (written in 2003 and made public yesterday) sheds a bold light on upper official decrees on the definition of torture at the beginning of the Iraq War. The memo contains language telling Pentagon senior leadership that inflicting pain would not be considered torture unless it caused “death, organ failure or permanent damage.”

It is the most fully developed legal justification that has yet come to light for inflicting physical and mental pressure on suspects, and it was declassified in response to a request by the American Civil Liberties Union under the Freedom of Information Act. Campus Progress has a great breakdown of the quotes and arguments from the memo.

While top Pentagon officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, have said they never condoned mistreatment of prisoners, the role played by senior officials at the Pentagon has never been fully explained. Given the way some of the soldiers were held personally accountable for the events at Abu Ghraib, do you think the "culture of abuse" actually came as a directive from the top?

Source

Are the Pentagon and Bush Administration to Blame For Torture?
Yes. It's obvious this memo motivated torture and abuse.

No. It's impossible to make a conclusive decision about responsibility based on this.

Other. It's much more complicated; I'll explain in the comments.