Today's Article
The physicians' study
reveals what
happened when 'the
Commander-in-Chief
and those under him
authorized a
systematic regime of
torture.'
reveals what
happened when 'the
Commander-in-Chief
and those under him
authorized a
systematic regime of
torture.'
The American Spark
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Physicians' Group Documents Bush Administration 'War Crimes'
By Cliff Montgomery - June 30th, 2008
A damning report on the Bush Administration's sadistic, useless torture of detainees was released this month
by Physicians for Human Rights, a rights group run by health professionals. The American Spark is
providing the entire study for those who wish to read it for themselves.
We provide instructive quotes from the report below:
Preface
"This report tells the largely untold human story of what happened to detainees in our custody when the
Commander-in-Chief and those under him authorized a systematic regime of torture.
"This story is not only written in words: It is scrawled for the rest of these individual’s lives on their bodies and
minds. Our national honor is stained by the indignity and inhumane treatment these men received from their
captors.
"The profiles of these eleven former detainees, none of whom were ever charged with a crime or told why they
were detained, are tragic and brutal rebuttals to those who claim that torture is ever justified.
"Through the experiences of these men in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, we can see the full-scope
of the damage this illegal and unsound policy has inflicted —both on America’s institutions and our nation’s
founding values, which the military, intelligence services, and our justice system are duty-bound to defend.
"In order for these individuals to suffer the wanton cruelty to which they were subjected, a government policy
was promulgated to the field whereby the Geneva Conventions and the Uniform Code of Military Justice were
disregarded. The UN Convention Against Torture was indiscriminately ignored.
"And the healing professions, including physicians and psychologists, became complicit in the willful infliction of
harm against those the Hippocratic Oath demands they protect.
"After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts, and reports from human rights
organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes.
The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to
account. [...]
"Most of all, these men deserve justice as required under the tenets of international law and the United States
Constitution. And so do the American people.
Major General Antonio Taguba, USA (Ret.)
Maj. General Taguba led the US Army’s official
investigation into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse
scandal and testified before Congress on his
findings in May, 2004.
"This report provides first-hand accounts and medical evidence of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading
treatment or punishment...of eleven former detainees who were held in US custody overseas.
"Using internationally accepted standards, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) conducted medical evaluations
of the former detainees to document the severe, long-term physical and psychological consequences that
have resulted from the torture and ill-treatment.
"The evaluations provide evidence of violation of criminal laws prohibiting torture and of the commission of war
crimes by US personnel.
"Four of the men evaluated were either arrested in or brought to Afghanistan between late 2001 and early
2003 and later sent to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where they were held for an average of three years before
release without charge.
"The other seven were detained in Iraq in 2003 and released without charge later that year or in 2004, with an
average period of detention of six months.
"All of the former detainees evaluated by PHR reported having been subjected to multiple forms of torture or ill-
treatment that often occurred in combination over a long period of time. [...]
"Additionally, this report provides further evidence of the role health professionals played in facilitating detainee
abuse by being present during torture and ill-treatment, denying medical care to detainees, providing
confidential medical information to interrogators, and failing to stop or document detainee abuse. [...]
"The individuals evaluated by PHR suffered acute and severe physical pain from practices including being
made to walk or run while injured, or being physically attacked with a variety of implements, such as being
stabbed in the cheek with a screwdriver; and some former detainees suffered excruciating pain from being
kicked, punched, choked, or sodomized.
"Three former detainees suffered immense pain from the intentional application of electric shocks.
"Other former detainees reported severely painful swelling or bruising of the genital region due to physical
assault.
"Another detainee recalled suffering from nausea and vomiting and saw blood in his urine during his initial
detention at Guantánamo. [...]
"All former Guantánamo detainees reported receiving multiple injections against their wishes.
"[One detainee] suffered from the physical and mental consequences of forced injections that not only caused
joint and skin pain, but also memory loss and shortness of breath. He recalled that the injections made him
'lose [my] mind…and brought [me] to [my] knees.'
"This report demonstrates that the permissive environment created by implicit and explicit authorizations by
senior US officials to 'take the gloves off' encouraged forms of torture even beyond the draconian methods
approved at various times between 2002 and 2004. [...]
"The patterns of abuse documented in this report...are consistent with numerous governmental and
independent investigations into allegations of detainee ill-treatment, making it reasonable to conclude that
these detainees were not the only ones abused, but are representative of a much larger number of detainees
subjected to torture and ill-treatment while in US custody."
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of the The American Spark e-
newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!
By Cliff Montgomery - June 30th, 2008
A damning report on the Bush Administration's sadistic, useless torture of detainees was released this month
by Physicians for Human Rights, a rights group run by health professionals. The American Spark is
providing the entire study for those who wish to read it for themselves.
We provide instructive quotes from the report below:
Preface
"This report tells the largely untold human story of what happened to detainees in our custody when the
Commander-in-Chief and those under him authorized a systematic regime of torture.
"This story is not only written in words: It is scrawled for the rest of these individual’s lives on their bodies and
minds. Our national honor is stained by the indignity and inhumane treatment these men received from their
captors.
"The profiles of these eleven former detainees, none of whom were ever charged with a crime or told why they
were detained, are tragic and brutal rebuttals to those who claim that torture is ever justified.
"Through the experiences of these men in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, we can see the full-scope
of the damage this illegal and unsound policy has inflicted —both on America’s institutions and our nation’s
founding values, which the military, intelligence services, and our justice system are duty-bound to defend.
"In order for these individuals to suffer the wanton cruelty to which they were subjected, a government policy
was promulgated to the field whereby the Geneva Conventions and the Uniform Code of Military Justice were
disregarded. The UN Convention Against Torture was indiscriminately ignored.
"And the healing professions, including physicians and psychologists, became complicit in the willful infliction of
harm against those the Hippocratic Oath demands they protect.
"After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts, and reports from human rights
organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes.
The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to
account. [...]
"Most of all, these men deserve justice as required under the tenets of international law and the United States
Constitution. And so do the American people.
Major General Antonio Taguba, USA (Ret.)
Maj. General Taguba led the US Army’s official
investigation into the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse
scandal and testified before Congress on his
findings in May, 2004.
"This report provides first-hand accounts and medical evidence of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading
treatment or punishment...of eleven former detainees who were held in US custody overseas.
"Using internationally accepted standards, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) conducted medical evaluations
of the former detainees to document the severe, long-term physical and psychological consequences that
have resulted from the torture and ill-treatment.
"The evaluations provide evidence of violation of criminal laws prohibiting torture and of the commission of war
crimes by US personnel.
"Four of the men evaluated were either arrested in or brought to Afghanistan between late 2001 and early
2003 and later sent to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where they were held for an average of three years before
release without charge.
"The other seven were detained in Iraq in 2003 and released without charge later that year or in 2004, with an
average period of detention of six months.
"All of the former detainees evaluated by PHR reported having been subjected to multiple forms of torture or ill-
treatment that often occurred in combination over a long period of time. [...]
"Additionally, this report provides further evidence of the role health professionals played in facilitating detainee
abuse by being present during torture and ill-treatment, denying medical care to detainees, providing
confidential medical information to interrogators, and failing to stop or document detainee abuse. [...]
"The individuals evaluated by PHR suffered acute and severe physical pain from practices including being
made to walk or run while injured, or being physically attacked with a variety of implements, such as being
stabbed in the cheek with a screwdriver; and some former detainees suffered excruciating pain from being
kicked, punched, choked, or sodomized.
"Three former detainees suffered immense pain from the intentional application of electric shocks.
"Other former detainees reported severely painful swelling or bruising of the genital region due to physical
assault.
"Another detainee recalled suffering from nausea and vomiting and saw blood in his urine during his initial
detention at Guantánamo. [...]
"All former Guantánamo detainees reported receiving multiple injections against their wishes.
"[One detainee] suffered from the physical and mental consequences of forced injections that not only caused
joint and skin pain, but also memory loss and shortness of breath. He recalled that the injections made him
'lose [my] mind…and brought [me] to [my] knees.'
"This report demonstrates that the permissive environment created by implicit and explicit authorizations by
senior US officials to 'take the gloves off' encouraged forms of torture even beyond the draconian methods
approved at various times between 2002 and 2004. [...]
"The patterns of abuse documented in this report...are consistent with numerous governmental and
independent investigations into allegations of detainee ill-treatment, making it reasonable to conclude that
these detainees were not the only ones abused, but are representative of a much larger number of detainees
subjected to torture and ill-treatment while in US custody."
Like what you're reading so far? Then why not order a full year (52 issues) of the The American Spark e-
newsletter for only $15? A major article covering an story not being told in the Corporate Press will be
delivered to your email every Monday morning for a full year, for less than 30 cents an issue. Order Now!