How bad was the Guantanamo Bay Detainees abuse?

[mikelewis]

On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad is this? 1 is total nightmare like Abu Ghraib ot 10 like Martha Stewarts quarters.

I also understand that the Iraqi Guards are torturing the detainees now. Are we in charge of these guards?

Are we still torturing people and if so, is this justifiable using the arguement that we are dealing with animals?

How is the label of terrorist applied? Universally to all groups fighting the U.S. or only to those who engage in terror? I guess what I'm looking for is a thier definition of terrorist. On the news, I hear insurgents and I hear terrorist, is one protected by Geneva and one not?

Is there any indication that U.S. citizens may have been tortured while being detained?

If it is discovered that the President, by issuing an Executive Order, instructed our forces to administer methods clearly defined as torture by definition and reason, could this lead to Impeachment procedings and how can this process come about in spite of the fact the Republicans are in firm control of the government? If this requires a Democrat majority in the House and Senate, are enough seats up for reelection in 2006 to give them the majority required?


I was reading this article...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050204/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/un_guantanamo_1

...and these questions came to mind. I haven't concentrated on the prisoner abuse scandal much and was looking to get your thoughts on how this story is developing.

Thanks,
Michael Lewis

[sam sarrha]

1. i saw an Arab guy on CNN that he was a spy plant, and he thought they were

going to kill him, and gave up his cover to make them stop beating and kicking him. i think there was a problem with him not getting paid because he quit... this was a while back last year.

[htuttle]

2. Every indication has been that it is as bad as Abu Ghraib

So that would be a '1'.

Here's what MSNBC purports is the full text of the Taguba report:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4894001/

Here's some of what Taguba found (both at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo):

6. (S) I find that the intentional abuse of detainees by military police personnel included the following acts:

a. (S) Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet;

b. (S) Videotaping and photographing naked male and female detainees;

c. (S) Forcibly arranging detainees in various sexually explicit positions for photographing;

d. (S) Forcing detainees to remove their clothing and keeping them naked for several days at a time;

e. (S) Forcing naked male detainees to wear women’s underwear;

f. (S) Forcing groups of male detainees to masturbate themselves while being photographed and videotaped;

g. (S) Arranging naked male detainees in a pile and then jumping on them;

h. (S) Positioning a naked detainee on a MRE Box, with a sandbag on his head, and attaching wires to his fingers, toes, and penis to simulate electric torture;

i. (S) Writing “I am a Rapest” (sic) on the leg of a detainee alleged to have forcibly raped a 15-year old fellow detainee, and then photographing him naked;

j. (S) Placing a dog chain or strap around a naked detainee’s neck and having a female Soldier pose for a picture;

k. (S) A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee;

l. (S) Using military working dogs (without muzzles) to intimidate and frighten detainees, and in at least one case biting and severely injuring a detainee;

m. (S) Taking photographs of dead Iraqi detainees.

(snip)

8. (U) In addition, several detainees also described the following acts of abuse, which under the circumstances, I find credible based on the clarity of their statements and supporting evidence provided by other witnesses (ANNEX 26):

a. (U) Breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees;

b. (U) Threatening detainees with a charged 9mm pistol;

c. (U) Pouring cold water on naked detainees;

d. (U) Beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair;

e. (U) Threatening male detainees with rape;

f. (U) Allowing a military police guard to stitch the wound of a detainee who was injured after being slammed against the wall in his cell;

g. (U) Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick.

h. (U) Using military working dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees with threats of attack, and in one instance actually biting a detainee.

[Adderall552]

3. I didn't think it was that bad

but I only know what I saw on Dan Abrams show. He interviewed a couple former prisoners and a guard. They talked about the sexual stuff they did, but nothing else. I don't know.

[htuttle]

4. "Sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick"

"Using military working dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees with threats of attack, and in one instance actually biting a detainee."

"Beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair;"

"Breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees;"

"A male MP guard having sex with a female detainee;"

"Punching, slapping, and kicking detainees; jumping on their naked feet;"

You don't think this stuff is that bad?

This is the stuff that the US Military reported went on(ie., the Taguba report linked right above).

Which of this is the sexual stuff, and which is not?

[Orangeone]

5. It's pretty bad

if you're not guilty of anything...