Human Rights Watch: Ghost Prisoner: Two Years in Secret CIA Detention
Human Rights Watch has compiled a comprehensive report about the case of one of the “disappeared”, Marwan Jabour. Most of the docile and pathetic British and US press have ‘reported’ on this publication without managing to link to it or even so much as mention the name of the report!
Here’s a bit from the Summary:
When Marwan Jabour opened his eyes, after a blindfold, a mask, and other coverings were taken off him, he saw soldiers and, on the wall behind them, framed photographs of King Hussein and King Abdullah of Jordan. He was tired and disoriented from his four-hour plane flight and subsequent car trip, but when a guard confirmed that he was being held in Jordan, he felt indescribable relief. In his more than two years of secret detention, nearly all of it in US custody, this was the first time that someone had told him where he was. The date was July 31, 2006.
A few weeks later, in another first, the Jordanians allowed several of Jabour’s family members to visit him. “My father cried the whole time,” Jabour later remembered.
Marwan Jabour was arrested by Pakistani authorities in Lahore, Pakistan, on May 9, 2004. He was detained there briefly, then moved to the capital, Islamabad, where he was held for more than a month in a secret detention facility operated by both Pakistanis and Americans, and finally flown to a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) prison in what he believes was Afghanistan. During his ordeal, he later told Human Rights Watch, he was tortured, beaten, forced to stay awake for days, and kept naked and chained to a wall for more than a month. Like an unknown number of Arab men arrested in Pakistan since 2001, he was “disappeared” into US custody: held in unacknowledged detention outside of the protection of the law, without court supervision, and without any contact with his family, legal counsel, or the International Committee of the Red Cross.
The secret prison program under which Jabour was held was established in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when US President George W. Bush signed a classified directive authorizing the CIA to hold and interrogate suspected terrorists. Because the entire program was run outside of US territory, it required the support and assistance of other governments, both in handing over detainees and in allowing the prisons to operate.
–from the Summary of Ghost Prisoner: Two Years in Secret CIA Detention
See also: BBC Report: ‘Sleaze alleged in CIA’
European Union: Report on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
European Union: Report on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners
The European Parliament has voted to endorse and publish a report strongly condemning the use of European facilities for the alleged kidnapping, torture, and illegal imprisonment allegedly carried out and facilitiated in EU states by alleged US persons. The resolution was passed on or about Feb 14, 2007 by a majority of 382 to 256 with 74 abstentions.
This news was ‘covered’ by the BBC, Financial Times, Radio Free Europe, Islamic Republic News Agency, Irish Times and others. However most (or all, seemingly) news accounts did not include the name of the report or a link to it. And it seems not to be easily searchable from the various EU institution sites or general search sites. Some legislative history and parliamentary questions were accessible by searching at europa.eu on on ‘rendition’.
Following are the header and conclusions from the full report.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
2004 – 2009
Session document
FINAL
A6-9999/2007
26.1.2007
REPORT
on the alleged use of European countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners
(2006/2200(INI))Temporary Committee on the alleged use of European
countries by the CIA for the transportation and illegal detention of prisoners
Rapporteur: Giovanni Claudio Fava
[…]
Final conclusions
225. Stresses, in view of the powers it was provided with and of the time which it had at its
disposal, and the secret nature of the investigated actions, that the Temporary
Committee was not put in a position fully to investigate all the cases of abuses and
violations falling within its remit and that its conclusions are therefore not exhaustive;
226. Recalls the principles and values on which the European Union is based, as provided in
Article 6 of the Treaty on European Union, and calls on the EU institutions to meet their
responsibilities in relation to Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union and all other
relevant provisions of the Treaties, and to take all appropriate measures in the light of
the conclusions of the work of the Temporary Committee, the facts revealed in the
course of the Temporary Committee’s investigation and any other facts that may emerge
in the future; expects the Council to start hearings and commission an independent
investigation without delay, as foreseen in Article 7, and, where necessary, to impose
sanctions on Member States in case of a serious and persistent breaches of Article 6,
including where a violation of human rights has been declared by an international body
but no measure has been taken to redress the violation;
227. Believes that the principle of loyal cooperation enshrined in the Treaties -which requires
Member States and the EU institutions to take measures to ensure the fulfilment of their
obligations under the Treaties, such as the respect of human rights, or resulting from
action taken by the EU institutions, such as ascertaining the truth about alleged CIA
flights and prisons, and to facilitate the achievement of EU tasks and objectives – has
not been respected;
228. Recalls that in light of European Court of Human Rights case law, a signatory State
bears responsibility for the material breach of the provisions of the ECHR, and therefore
also of Article 6 of the Treaty on the European Union, not only if its direct
responsibility can be established beyond reasonable doubt, but also by failing to comply
with its positive obligation to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into
reasonable allegations of such violations;
229. Notes the reports by reputable media operators that extraordinary rendition, illegal
detention, and systematic torture involving many people is continuing, and considering
the declaration by the current US Government that the use of extraordinary rendition
and secret places of detention will be continued; therefore calls for an EU-US counterterrorism
summit to seek an end to such inhumane and illegal practices, and to insist
that cooperation with regard to counter-terrorism is consistent with international human
rights and anti-torture treaty obligations;
230. Instructs its Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, where necessary in
cooperation with the Committee on Foreign Affairs, notably its Sub-Committee on
Human Rights, to follow up politically the proceedings of the Temporary Committee
and to monitor the developments, and in particular, in the event that no appropriate
action has been taken by the Council and/or the Commission, to determine whether
there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the principles and values on which the
European Union is based, and to recommend to it any resolution, taking as a basis
Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty on European Union, which may prove necessary in this
context;
231. Calls on its Secretary-General to publish, at least in compliance with Regulation
1049/2001, all the documents received, produced and examined, as well as the records
of the proceedings of the Temporary Committee on the Internet as well as in any other
appropriate manner and calls on the Secretary-General to ensure that the developments
in fields falling within the remit of the Temporary Committee after its disbandment are
monitored;
232. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the
governments and parliaments of the Member States, of the candidate Member States
and the associated countries, and to the Council of Europe, NATO, the United Nations
and the Government and two Houses of Congress of the United States, and to request
them to keep Parliament informed of any development that may take place in the fields
falling in the remit of the Temporary Committee.
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
Najaf: What happened to the children?
What happened to the ‘terrorist children’ captured in the Glorious Battle of Najaf? I suggest you contact your elected representatives and the responsible agencies and ask as I am. I am looking forward to a call-back from Senator Levin’s office next week.
Apparently a substantial number of those ‘hundreds’ injured, captured or killed in the day-long slaughter by US and Iraqi forces may have been non-combatants, women and children.
Stratfor provides some interesting additional information regarding the Najaf Incident and raises some pertinent questions:
Geopolitical Diary: Deciphering the An Najaf Battle
January 31, 2007 03 00 GMT…Not only is this perhaps the most bizarre incident in almost four years of incessant violence that has ravaged the country, the government’s version of what allegedly transpired raises more questions than provides answers.
- How could a cult evolve into such a major threat without getting noticed?
- If this was an obscure cult, why were government forces unable to deal with it on their own?
- From where did the group acquire such a large cache of weaponry?
- Given the deep sectarian differences, how can extremist Shia and jihadists both be part of the group?
- Why would a Shiite religious group risk alienation by engaging in the murder of the clerical hierarchy, especially during the holy month of Muharram?
These and other such questions indicate the government is withholding a lot of information. However, Stratfor has received some information that provides insight into the circumstances leading up to the battle.
We are told the al-Hawatim tribe wanted to organize its own Karbala procession during Ashurah but that a rival group with considerable influence prevented it from doing so. A number of tribesmen were killed at a checkpoint operated by this influential group, including a senior tribal sheikh. The tribe then launched a retaliatory attack that led to the battle. The fact that a large number of those arrested are women and children [emphasis mine–HH] lends some credence to the report that the fighting was related to Ashurah ceremonies.
Stratfor apparently only provides this article to subscribers or google searchers, so google on: “Geopolitical Diary: Deciphering the An Najaf Battle”.
Mike Whitney raises some more good points in Palestine Chronicle:
Mike Whitney: Whitewashing the Massacre in Najaf
The US military is now being used as an “enforcer” in tribal and clan-based disputes. This will make it even more difficult for Washington to prove that its honest broker who can reconcile the differences between the between the warring factions.
By Mike Whitney
PalestineChronicle.comSo far, there are 2 things that we can say with certainty about the massacre of 250 Iraqis outside Najaf on Monday. First, we know that there is no solid evidence to support the official version of events. And, second, we know that every media outlet in the United States slavishly provided the government’s version to their readers without fact-checking or providing eyewitness testimony.
This proves that those who argue that mainstream news is “filtered” are sadly mistaken. There is no filter between the military and media; it’s a direct channel. In fact, all of the traditional obstacles have been swept away so the fairy tales which originate at the Pentagon end up on America’s front pages with as little interference as possible.
In the present case, we were told that “hundreds of gunmen from a ‘messianic cult’ (Soldiers of Heaven) planned to disguise themselves as pilgrims and kill clerics on the holiest day of the Shiite calendar”. We are expected to believe that they put their wives and children in the line of fire so they could conceal their real intention to lay siege to the city. (AP)
This is absurd. How many men would willingly drag their families into battle? In truth, these same tribes make the pilgrimage to Najaf every year to express their devotion to Imam Hussein and to celebrate the Shiite holiday of Ashura. There was nothing out of the ordinary in their behavior.
Gulf Times says:
US military still probing cult battle
Published: Saturday, 3 February, 2007, 10:33 AM Doha Time
BAGHDAD: The US military said yesterday it was still investigating who its troops and Iraq’s security forces fought last week in clashes in which hundreds of people were killed.
The Iraqi government’s account of the battle near the holy city of Najaf has generated conspiracy theories among bloggers sceptical of its suggestion that those killed were members of a messianic Muslim cult plotting to kill top Shia clerics.
“We are investigating who we engaged there. We are not going to say anything as there is still an ongoing investigation,” US military spokesman Major Steven Lamb said, adding that this was standard practice after any major engagement.
But a week after the battle amid orchards and houses north of Najaf, mystery shrouds exactly who the fighters were and what triggered the day-long battle in which a US attack helicopter was shot down, killing its two crew.
Hundreds of people arrested in the aftermath, including women and children, are under guard. [emphasis mine–HH] Journalists were not allowed to visit the scene of the fighting until Thursday, four days after the battle, and only then accompanied by soldiers.
According to Middle East Online, almost 300 persons were taken into custody after the Najaf Incident:
Iraqi officials say nearly 2,000 civilians killed in raging sectarian conflict across Iraq in January.
By Hasan Abdul Zahra – NAJAF, Iraq
Iraqi authorities on Friday lifted a curfew imposed on Shiite Islam’s holiest city of Najaf in a bid to thwart attacks a day after 73 people died in twin suicide bombings in nearby Hilla…
On Sunday, Iraqi and US forces fought members of a Shiite sect north of Najaf, killing more than 250 “Soldiers of Heaven,” wounding more than 200 and arresting almost 300 [emphasis mine–HH].
See also: Keyword ‘Najaf’ on scanlyze
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
Scanlyze response to ‘Army Suspends two NYT journalists’ on ‘Conservative Thoughts’
Conservative Thoughts has a bit on two journalists associated with the New York Times who have been “suspended” by the US Army for their reporting from Iraq:
Army Suspends two NYT journalists
My response to CT:
So the New York Times shouldn’t post any picture or video of someone dying? Only happy news, then?
Or is the issue that they showed an American soldier dying?
This war, which has cost the lives of thousands of Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, is supposed to be covered without ever showing anyone dying?
This family should be a LOT more angry with George W. Bush and the US Congress who wrongfully sent their son to be killed in an illegal aggressive war on the basis of lies, lies, propaganda, and more lies. Waging an aggressive war was one of the four main categories of charges at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II for which the Nazi leaders were imprisoned, or in most cases, executed.
Images of dying soldier renew war coverage debate Houston Chronicle, January 31, 2007
Marjorie Cohen Aggressive War: Supreme International Crime Truthout
Copyright © 2007 Henry Edward Hardy
About Scanlyze
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Scanlyze is an online magazine of essays, commentary, satire, and analysis. Were we half as clever, for inspiration we would take Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Swift, Montaigne, or Seneca.
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John F. Kennedy, October 26, 1963
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