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Afghan Teenagers Claim Abuse at US Military Prison
WASHINGTON - Two Afghan teenagers held in US detention north of Kabul this year said they were beaten by American guards, photographed naked, deprived of sleep and held in solitary confinement in concrete cells, The Washington Post reported late Friday.
Watchtowers are seen along the perimeter of the Bagram prison, north of Kabul, on November 15. Two Afghan teenagers held in US detention north of Kabul this year said they were beaten by American guards, photographed naked, deprived of sleep and held in solitary confinement in concrete cells, The Washington Post reported late Friday.
(AFP/File/Massoud Hossaini) The newspaper said the teenagers had been held in these cells for at least two weeks while undergoing daily interrogation about their alleged links to the Taliban.
The accounts could not be independently substantiated, the report said. But in successive, on-the-record interviews, the teenagers presented a detailed, consistent portrait suggesting that the abusive treatment of suspected insurgents has in some cases continued under the administration of President Barack Obama, the paper noted.
Obama has promised to put an end to the harsh interrogation practices authorized by the Bush administration after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The two teenagers -- Issa Mohammad, 17, and Abdul Rashid, who said he was younger than 16 -- said that they were punched and slapped in the face by their captors during their time at Bagram air base, where they were held in individual cells, according to The Post.
Rashid said his interrogator forced him to look at pornography alongside a photograph of his mother, the report said.
The holding center described by the teenagers appeared to have been a facility run by US Special Operations forces that is separate from the Bagram Theater Internment Facility, the main American-run prison, the paper said.
The teenagers' descriptions of a holding area on a different part of the Bagram base are consistent with the accounts of two other former detainees, who say they endured similar mistreatment, but not beatings, while being held last year at what Afghans call Bagram's "black" prison, The Post noted.
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14 Comments so far
Show AllAs Jesus said: "what you do to the least of humanity, so to do you do unto me." There is also the statement that "what you losen on earth shall be losened in heaven." Though no doubt the "heaven" of the people that do and allow this to be done will be a special place in hell.
Peace on earth and good will to all humanity. Even those that promote this treatment of humanity. May God show them the error of their ways.
"But in successive, on-the-record interviews, the teenagers presented a detailed, consistent portrait suggesting that the abusive treatment of suspected insurgents has in some cases continued under the administration of President Barack Obama, the paper noted."
So the torture continues on President Obama's watch. I thought that torture was supposed to STOP under Obama. Yet, it seems that it is continuing. Why? I guess that was just another lie to get elected that was told so that people would vote for him thinking they were going to get "CHANGE".
Yet, people will continue to make excuses for Obama because he is a Democrat and a so called Progressive. Torture is torture and it doesn't matter if he is a Democrat it is morally WRONG and EVIL to allow people to be tortured. If it was a war crime for people to be tortured under Bush than it is just as big of war crime for people to be tortured under Obama. When are Democrats and Progressives going to wake up and denounce the torture under President Obama as being EVIL?
Both President Obama and Bush should be held by the same standard not treated differently because one is a Republican and one is a Democrat. Both are guilty of war crimes because they allowed people being held by American soldiers to be tortured.
Our nation is the most hated nation now. Why is that? Why did we go from being the most loved to the most hated? I think the use of torture on people is one very good reason that tops the list of reasons. We have a government who in our name does and allows evil things. Torture is EVIL!!!!! The people who we tortued have family and friends who will rise up in hatred toward us.
President Obama needs to be defeated in 2012. He has chosen to continue the torture instead of STOP it. He must be defeated and someone who will actually STOP the torture of prisoners be elected so that we can END TORTURE forever being committed by the United States of America.
I wonder if Progressive Democrats will have the courage to speak up and tell Obama he is WRONG to allow this torture to continue? Those of us who are Catholic have a moral duty to speak up against this evil behavior!!!!! We have a moral duty to make those men in power who have given the order for American soldiers to torture their prisoners pay the price for that crime. We have a moral duty to make sure the practice of torture is ended once and for all.
I feel very strongly about this issue. I am passionate and I am sorry if I come on to strong. I just feel that if we don't act now to stop torture that we are just as guilty as those who torture because we knew it was happening and we remained silent and allowed it to continue because we didn't make the Presidents whose watch torture happen STOP IT. We make excuses on why we can't act to STOP it by removing those people from office and try them for war crimes. Torture is a WAR CRIME. Yet, we have allowed it to continue under President Obama because he is a so called Progressive Democrat. God is going to judge this nation one day and we won't like what is coming down the pike. Yes, I believe that what we do comes back to us. You know the golden rule of do unto others as you want done to you. We torture so therefore other nations will think it is ok to torture us.
Chrisy 11:31 ------- No need to apoligize, Citizens who allow war crimes are themselves war criminals.
Much of the torture stems from racism and USA exceptionalism.
The MSM has been desensitising people to violence for decades.
In all of this we need to look at the big picture Karzai is corrupt but is peanuts compared to USA corruption.
Torture is horrible but an innocents death is final.
All the horrors need to end and the ill mentality that promotes them needs to change.
"I feel very strongly about this issue. I am passionate and I am sorry if I come on to strong."
Only in the most morally corrupt and decadent societies would it be possible to come on too strongly in opposing torture. Your compassion is a sign of wisdom and strength, and is the only hope our nation has. In contrast, torture reveals profound moral ignorance and deeply rooted fear.
This story was reported by Agence France Presse. An extremely important question is if American mainstream newspapers and especially U.S. corporate television will pick up this story and report it to the American people. It is long past the point that American journalists and television pundits take off the gloves and start scrutinizing Obama a lot more closely than it has done in the past.
"That we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."-Theodore Roosevelt
It is probably just a culture thing. They were likely just involved in what is known as"cage fighting".
how do you FORCE a teenage boy to look at pornography?
With punches and slaps. Is that difficult for you to understand?
As culpable the US Leadership is for these war crimes one should not forget that it is men and women in uniform that are committing them.
Far too much deference is given to them just BECAUSE of the Uniform. They are still responsible for their actions.
Very true. The general public, however, continues to view the military as heroes in the service of democracy and freedom.
GwNorth
Excellent point which is reminiscent of when my neighbor informed me about two years ago, with her eyes blazing with hate, that even though she will allow me my antiwar point of view [I thought afterwards, how generous of her to grant what is already given to me in the First Amendment of The Bill of Rights in a document called the U.S. Constitution], that I MUST support the troops. I attempted to tell her that I could not in good conscience support anyone who belongs to an organization that is unjustifiably and immorally occupying two countries but it was like shouting into the wind. I knew it would have been just as useless to tell her that the only soldiers that I support are the ones who have the integrity and courage to say NO to American imperialism.
Obama promises are ineffectual. They cannot be carried out.
The prison environment and illegal war zone carries all the clout.
Just set up a war and a prison, that is all that can matter.
Round up some natives and you already have the guards who can batter.
Set up the situation and the result is foretold.
Words cannot change an environment, not even those statements bold.
Order an end harsh interrogation, so no more torture, a decree,
Is just a desire to get public approval for free.
To change the environment, that would be a real ambition.
To the government it just means anonymous secret rendition.
The changes so far have been nothing but fancy dress.
Insiders are more of the same old STOP! I confess!
What tortures at the White house that there must be.
Pressures and perceptions, manipulations and secret fee.
What the people are told, is different from what happens,
public events hide closed, dark depths that no one fathoms.
Until the environment changes there for them all,
There will be no change in government behaviour to call.
Human minds are so bent by history and situation,
It is no wonder that torture and calumnity ruin this nation.
It is NOT all right to lock up child soldiers! AT ALL! with or without torture. what part of that do the pentagon and white house not understand? It's been going on for 8 ugly disgusting years. if those creeps can't stop bombing people it must be possible to at least stop the torture,and stop imprisoning children.
You are never more than a signature away from being placed on a list of potential detainees.
Remember that.
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