by Damozel | Here's a story of one Guantanamo interrogation. Here's the video. I really couldn't watch much of it -- I admit it. It's wrenching. I'm just warning you.
Cernig summarizes it better than I could do.
Well now. A tape of a Canadian 16 year old sobbing as he's interrogated at Gitmo has surfaced after the Canadian Supreme Court ordered it released. The teen was captured in Afghanistan and accused of being a terrorist, alleges torture at Bagram, was held in solitary and subjected to disorientation techniques at Gitmo - - and is still held there. He may well be a teen terrorist, may well be guilty as sin. But torture and "hearsay" evidence in kangaroo courts fails entirely to uphold the notion of the rule of law for all, a hallmark of free and just society. (Newshoggers; emphasis added)
Digby says:
Apparently the authorities think that this kid's family is heavily involved in radical Islam. The prisoner himself sounds very confused and at 15, far too young to know any kind of operational plans his family might be involved in, if indeed, any existed....
If there was ever a case where the modern professional interrogation techniques of trust and dependence would have likely worked far better than this stupid Jack Bauer crap, it would be with a frightened and wounded 15 year old. But according to the article they also put this prisoner through extreme sleep deprivation and disorientation in addition to the torture he is alleged to have suffered at Bagram (which would be par for the course.) It sounds as though he didn't know which end was up by the time they were through with him.
By the way, it turns out the kid didn't have any useful information. (emphasis added)
According to Jeralyn, Khadr faces life in prison if convicted at his military tribunal trial.
Here's a bit of background from the CBC story.
The footage is from five formerly classified DVDs consisting of 7½ hours of questioning that took place six months after Khadr was captured, following a 2002 firefight in Afghanistan. Khadr, who is a Canadian citizen, has been held at Guantanamo Bay for six years on charges that he killed a U.S. medic during a firefight in Afghanistan....
When the agent accuses Khadr of crying to avoid interrogation, Khadr tells the agent between gasping sobs, "You don't care about me."
As Khadr continues crying, the agent calls for a break. (CBC)
One TL commenter wrote:
I can't even begin to say how shattered my heart is hearing and watching that child moaning for someone to help him. God Bless the Canadian court system for being the only official channels that have actually done something to help him.
Here's a piece about 'Guantanamo's child.' (Warning: Graphic photos of injuries).
Sadly, as Cernig says, there are certain commentators who don't understand the concept of 'rule of law.' A brave and free people don't place punishment, revenge, and a craven desire for 'safety' before the principles on which their own freedom is founded.
I do realize that there are bad people who need to be caught and prevented from further wrongdoing. But the procedures of a free and just society must preserve and foster the dignity of the individual. The young in particular aren't to be tried as if they had the judgment or free will of adults.
Talk Left has a lot of background on the case.
Memeorandum has more, including some truly sickening bluster from right-wingers who don't see any pathos in what happened to this child. Thank Christ I'm a liberal if that's what a conservative looks like.
OTHER POSTINGS
Were 'Brainwashing' Techniques Used on US Servicemen in Korea Part of the Training at Guantanamo?
Bush Confirms Torture Policy (Part 2) to the Sound of Crickets Chirping
Bush Aware of National Security Team's Discussions of TortureSources Tell ABC News: Bush Administration Officials Participated in War Crimes
Bush to Veto Anti-Torture Legislation
Attention, 'McCain Democrats': Two Federal Court Detainee Decisions You Need to Check Out
Jon Swift and Others on Satire-Gate (Obama's New Yorker Cover)
What couldn't you watch in that video?
I despise Bush and his black regime of torture, but suggesting that that bit of video is difficult to watch because it is torture completely undermines the credibility of those of us who think torture is wrong.
If you think that's bad, then you need to get out a bit more often.
Posted by: Nick | July 17, 2008 at 03:11 PM
Nick,
I am going to be as civil as I can, but it's not easy.
First of all, the video on the BBC page that Damozel links to is NOT the complete video that was released. This one is:
http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/news/features/khadr-video.wmv
If you don't find that video hard to watch, then you have lost a significant part of your humanity. If you ever had it, which I can't know, because I don't know you.
Second, Damozel did not say that what is happening in this video is torture. This is an interrogation, not torture. The torture happened before this video was made, and nobody saw it. You are seeing the results of the torture in Khadr's presentation on the video.
Among other things, Khadr was subjected to sleep deprivation as follows: He was moved back and forth between cells every three hours -- in other words, he was woken up every three hours and moved to another cell. And that was done round the clock for two weeks.For two weeks Khadr was woken from sleep every three hours and moved to another cell. Then, after that, he was put in deep solitary confinement for several weeks.
That is torture. And it's not the entirety of what was done to him.
Khadr was 15 years old when he was arrested and put into endless detention. There are no charges against him, he has never given his captors any useful information, and there is no end in sight to his detention.
At 15, Khadr should have been protected, not imprisoned, tortured, and interrogated. Everything this administration has done is a violation of international law, but this, arguably, is particularly heinous. He was a child when he was captured.
A 10th grader. A sophomore in high school. That was his age.
I kept involuntarily putting my daughter, who is 18 now, into that cell in place of Khadr. I saw her sitting where Khadr was sitting. I saw her rocking back and forth, covering her face, pulling at her hair, sobbing uncontrollably, saying "Kill me" over and over and over again. That's what he was saying -- not "Help me" as some viewers have translated it. He was saying, "Kill me."
I actually saw my daughter, in my mind's eye, sitting in that cell and doing all the things Khadr was doing.
It was devastating. That word isn't strong enough.
Posted by: Kathy | July 17, 2008 at 07:25 PM