From ABC News Online:
Amnesty International has accused the United States of complicity in the torture and detention of terrorism suspects in secret locations around the world.
In a report to be released later today, Amnesty International details the stories of two Yemeni men who were both tortured for four days in Jordan before spending 18 months in secret detention.
Amnesty says the men are still being held in prison in Yemen at the behest of US authorities, without being charged.
Amnesty believes the men’s stories are part of a broader picture of US secret detentions centres around the world.
London-based Amnesty International secretariat researcher Sharon Critoph interviewed the two Yemeni prisoners – Muhammad Bashmilah and Salah Nasser Salim ‘Ali – in June this year.
She met the two after asking Yemeni officials to see any prisoners who had recently been transferred from the US prison at Guanatamo Bay.“As we interviewed them, it did become clear to us that the story they were telling was not a story of Guantanamo,” she said.
Both men are originally from Yemen, but had been living in Indonesia with their Indonesian wives.
Both had spent some time in Afghanistan [my emphases].
”Spent some time in Afghanistan”? Why, doing what, pray tell?—planting poppy? Is there an AfghanDisney I don’t know about…?
While this story will almost certainly receive wide play in the US and international media—I have no doubt, for instance, we’ll soon hear about Senate “concern” over the latest Amnesty allegations, though one hopes Dick Durbin will be able to control his rhetorical flourishes a bit better this time out —it is important to keep in mind that the entire report seems to based on the testimony of two Yemeni prisoners given to Amnesty International’s Sharon Critoph, who admits to “asking Yemeni officials to see any prisoners who had recently been transferred from the US prison at Guanatamo Bay”— or what Amnesty had previously called the “gulag of our times.”
****
(h/t TalkLeft)
We just “spent some time” in Poland.
Signed,
A. Hitler
I can imagine the conversation between Amnesty and US officials…
US: Bashmilah? No. We will not let him go.
Amnesty: Let him go!
US Bashmilah…no.
Two Yemeni prisoners? that seals it for me; it MUST be true.
Hmmm. I’ve thought as hard as I could about this, and no, I don’t remember them from my time in Afghanistan. But, of course, we didn’t have much involvement with people…We were just building schools, training police, digging drinking water wells, repairing roads, delivering food and clothing, clearing landmines, providing medical assistance, helping farmers with irrigation and vet-med assistance, plus trying to stop the Taliban and the HIG from disrupting elections and burning girl’s schools. I can see how we missed running into those two fine fellows.
Oh, and watch for someone on the Left to say, “Sure you may discount this story, but, hey – with so much smoke, there must be fire…”
Those comments at the TalkLeft site are real humdingers.
“The practice of secret detention, the fact that it is secret, makes it very, very difficult for Amnesty or other organisation to know how widespread it is…”
Once again these people are so absurd it defies satire.
They should be glad it wasn’t double secret detention, because that’s even more, you know, secret.
“The practice of secret detention, the fact that it is secret, makes it very, very difficult for Amnesty or other organisation to know how widespread it is…â€Â
So what’s secret? Is it the practice of secret detention that’s secret or is it the detention itself that’s secret or…
SW: “kept”, as in I kept staring at the quote, but it’s not making sense to me.
“Those comments at the TalkLeft site are real humdingers.”
No kidding. But I laughed out loud when I saw her blog logo (having never been to her sight.)
Is that supposed to be a full moon over the US capitol?
Any one else see the irony/humor here?
sight=site
(sheesh, furtive posting from work)
I guess it’s convenient to forget that these guys are commanded to lie by their religion. I’m not saying they are lying, but you need some evidence other than their word.
Of course, the only people who lie are Americans, I guess.
Looks like a corn nut.
The real scandal here is that the two Yemeni men are being held in prison in…Yemen.
“Let him go!”
“We will not let him go!”
“Let him go!”
“We will not let him go!”
“Let him go-go-go-go-go!”
“Mama mia, mama mia! Mama mia, let him go!”
Ahem. Sorry. What was that?
I think that was Kyle’s point, Sigivald.
As for the post itself….SO…WHAT????????
Yep, held in secret … although the goofs in Amnesty Int’l can find them.
The hyperventilating at Talkleft is beyond parody, its so ludicrous. That’s what an absence of adults results in.
Sheesh, if the military needs a place to torture Al Queda thugs in secret, they can use my garage.
C’mon, guys. It was two independent Yemeni sources!
The proper response from the US Government to this Amnesty International spokesperson is: “Thank you for your concern and we will promptly look into it. Now what was your name and address again?”
Somewhat OT, jeez Jeff, don’t you think you should change the button below to something other than “Submit”? What is this, a subtle attempt to convert us all?
Turing Word: always
And now the Turing Word is: pressure.
This is spooky.
At first I thought they meant the BTK killer.