CONFIRMED: U.S. Hid Detainees From The Red Cross

McClatchy Newspapers:

The U.S. military hid the locations of suspected terrorist detainees and concealed harsh treatment to avoid the scrutiny of the International Committee of the Red Cross, according to documents that a Senate committee released Tuesday.

"We may need to curb the harsher operations while ICRC is around. It is better not to expose them to any controversial techniques," Lt. Col. Diane Beaver, a military lawyer who's since retired, said during an October 2002 meeting at the Guantanamo Bay prison to discuss employing interrogation techniques that some have equated with torture. Her comments were recorded in minutes of the meeting that were made public Tuesday. At that same meeting, Beaver also appeared to confirm that U.S. officials at another detention facility -- Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan -- were using sleep deprivation to "break" detainees well before then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld approved that technique. "True, but officially it is not happening," she is quoted as having said.

A third person at the meeting, Jonathan Fredman, the chief counsel for the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, disclosed that detainees were moved routinely to avoid the scrutiny of the ICRC, which keeps tabs on prisoners in conflicts around the world.

Read the whole story: McClatchy Newspapers

Comments

[WorkingClass]

Lt. Col. Diane Beaver. Thats a very intriguing name.

The Bush Administration has this thing about torture. They just cant do enough of it. The high court has tried to stop it because its against the law. The whole world hates them for it because its immoral and frightening and repugnant. It doesn't do anyone any good. In fact its counter productive. So why do they do it? The Bush Administration tortures people because they like to. There is no other explanation. They are Monsters.

[john85msy]

It also shows how other nations can treat our troops durring future conflicts in the event they get captured. God forbid!

[NoMercy]

Yes. Every time I capture an American we play red-hot poker.

[levibatgirl]

Hey, I was only quoting darth cheney. Besides he deserved it.

[doug108]

I don't care anymore. There's nothing I can do. There's nothing that's going to be done. Their audacity was stunning and overwhelming. We got lost, and they'll get away before we find our way back.

The aide told Mr. Suskind, "That's not the way the world really works anymore. We're an empire now, and when we act we create our own reality."

[lornejl]

I won't care anymore either, when i get my tropical island with the Sweedish Bikini team and a full wet bar.

[SouthpawSass]

Oh my...

A whole island, huh? Damn.

[BaileyWo]

This can only mean that someone finally found the key to Rumsfeld's desk in the Pentagon.

[levibatgirl]

Trolls can come to the new and 'improved' HuffPo and taunt and insult.

But if you say a simple 'GFY' you get scrubbed?

[ChiGuy]

After all this time, and all of the things exposed, what sort of reaction should we have or expect for confirmation of yet another bastardization of the rule of law that was pretty much assumed to be going on in the first place?
This won't make waves in the MSM. Americans won't react with outrage.

The administration sure will suffer once they get that stern finger wag from the few of us that actually will react.

This makes me sick.

[Star2000dancer]

Anyone else hear about POW camps right here in America?

[olivia]

Yes. Why are they building those?

The Patriot Act was meant to be used against us. All our computer activity, all our phone calls are stored and can be data mined in the future. Not my imagination; there was a PBS special about that.

[springsm]

Is there anything left for these people to do? What is so sick is the bottom feeding cabal will walk off down the street and no charges will ever be brought FYI..durin­g WWII my little town had a number of German POWs who actually were put to work working for the Forest Service and maybe the CCC. They would come to town every couple of weeks and buy from the store. They were also nice but we were told to stay away. I know that once things settled, they left. But they were not mistreated. I don't think bush could have done that..he started torturing little wee animals early on.

[heal57]

It makes me sick too. Knowing that they might get away with this, and the enabling democrats do nothing. It's disgraceful and outrageous. I can't write my senators; that would be Kyl and McCain, two of the very worst. What can we do? I want to see Sixty Minutes do a piece onthis, but it won't happen. They're all in bed with each other.

[ChiGuy]

"...the enabling democrats do nothing."
__________­__________­__________­__________

Before you state that again, I might suggest you read-up on Congressional voting rules.
As long as at least 16 Reepers refuse to break party lines and vote with Dems, nothing can happen.
It has zero to do with Dems being "in bed" with anyone.

A sad situation I agree. But the facts are the facts.

[MNmommy]

SHOCKING!!!

Except not.

[WFV]

Take the time and read the entire article.

It is no mystery our standing in the world is diminished.

For those supporters of a former democratic candidate threatening a vote for the other side: check it out and see if your spite can stand up to this stuff. We can't take more years of this garbage.

[ebethgay]

And yet the former POW wants to extend the POW's we hold (on a long time US-held base, no-less), fewer courtesies than were afforded the Germans in WW2. They got a speedy public war crimes trial for all the world to see. It's been over 6 years for some of the Guantanimo prisoners and still no trial.

[najablah]

The worst thing is that there are a lot of people at Gitmo who are NOT POWs (or enemy combatants), and who have done nothing wrong. They were rounded up through baseless accusations from Afghani sources when the US was offering bounties in Afghanistan and have never been given a trial to prove their innocence.

[levibatgirl]

No children. In answering your question. We do not torture. Ok? heh heh.

[gakabani]

So this is it, we are running a concentration camp, I thought the Nazis were defeated but it seems that Bush just brought them back!

[SouthpawSass]

Excuse me, but when I posted that we had concentration camps, someone replied that I should not call it a concentration camp but something else... So, I suggested a few you may want to use for fear of offending others:

Awareness Center

Think Tank

Naughty Corners

But my personal favorite was Camp Dawud, for the Democrally challenged.
Dawud is Arabic for David... Catchy huh?

[smokeystover39]

So you offended some PUTZ by referring the "detention facilities" as CONCENTRATION CAMPS? That's a badge of honor, my friend. Whoever chastised you would - no doubt - call the Khmer Rouge Charnel Houses "Spas." OH my gawd - is the old Smokster daring to infer that OUR loyal troops would torture, maim or kill innocent inmates? YES, but not all troops. In every organization there are those few who have psychopathic tendencies - they are usually rooted out and discarded, BUT in the Bu$h Reich the restraints were not enforced - that's why we created Abu Ghraib just as the Nazi's created Auschwitz . A definition of a CONCENTRATION CAMP is a place where people considered enemies of the State are held without legal recourse and are treated inhumanly. Gitmo is therefore a .......... Need we say more?

[Irons]

Bushitski and the Neocons have shat on human rights.

[sandgk]

"You know, 4 years ago this would have completely shocked and appalled me."

Maybe I've just got thinner skin - but it still appalls me.

[Tommygun264]

And STILL impeachment is "off the table". We need to put Reid and Peiosi on the back benches and replace them with REAL leaders.

[macintoshsauce]

I agree. This is ridiculous.

[SouthpawSass]

Perhaps, the American people should impeach Pelosi and Reid, then go after everbody else that does not do the will of the people...

[Annette]

Count the votes, if you can find enough house members on the GOP side to get a 2/3 vote out of the house for impeachment name them.
The dems do not have 2/3 of the house. We would have to get GOP house members to vote for impeachment. Doesn't matter who runs the house if there are not enough votes.
I realise we don't have the votes. After all, all impeachment does is indict for firing. I would love him fired. What I want are CRIMINAL trials. I want them in jail

Would I like to see Bushie and Cheney impeached absolutely, however it can't be done till January if we get 2/3 then. What I want is a criminal investigation and trial, I want all info out in the public domain. After their trials here, I want them sent to the Hague and tried there. I want these guys to rot away the rest of their days in prison.

[ultracrepidarian]

At the very least, we need to force the enablers to stand up and be counted.
Is not even this possible?

[guajiro]

If MoveOn goes with it, I'll fund Reid and Pelosi's opponent through them. Either way, if they don't, I'll personally fund their opponents.

[olivia]

I've been wondering, is it possible it would be be more straightforward to just charge them with crimes once out of office?

While the President and Vice Pres are in office they have to be impeached before they can be indicted.

If I'm wrong please correct me.

[incontempt]

Time to bring charges...­internatio­nal charges against Those responsible.