America: a Beacon, not an Empire	POW Prisoners of War Torture News File	Americans Against World Empire  Homepage, Inc.

     In setting up this page we note that running an empire will always involve special "needs" to torture prisoners of war.  But America was truly great in exposing these events through Congressional hearings and our free media.  Few other nations in the world would allow it.       

      Chalk up one more up for the Neo-conservatives wrecking America.   They were the ones who started excusing America from Geneva Convention behavior, arguing that international law would only interfere with Washington's objectives and should be disregarded (John Bolton).  Also note the threats to families of Iraqi prisoners; does our conquering now mean we will use methods of Nazis and Communists?  We note also that the Big Government Conservatives (BigGovCons)and most of the Religious Right were noticeably silent in criticism (with the notable exception of Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship, a man who knows something about captivity and prisons), or they even argue to excuse torture, Rush Limbaugh, Sen. Inhofe, etc.  (9/06 update--And now President Bush wants to abrogate the Geneva Convention itself and has widespread support from Republicans).
     Note also that the approval of torture of prisoners of war came from the Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal's appointed Pentagon civilians.  The uniformed military Adjutant Generals' opposed use of torture and and State Dept. legal experts were not involved in the approvals.  The Attorney General John Ashcroft (in an extensive NEW YORK TIMES report), was the only high Bush official to oppose it and to express concerns for consequences to America's image in the rest of the world, once news got out---also that various FBI reports & emails show that FBI agents opposed torture, were not involved in it and reported about it to their higher ups. However, military and CIA torturers sometimes impersonated FBI agents when threatening prisoners.

• 5/17/09  Arab POW Who Reported Iraq--Al Qaeda Link Died in Libyan Prison  Apparently tortured under Cheney's orders to say a link between Iraq and 9/11  See also very detailed study by author of The Guantanamo Files
• 5/06/09  U.S. Interrogators May Have Killed Dozens of Detainees  reports that 98 died, 48 killed during or after torture according to Human Rights Watch http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-05-05/how-many-were-tortured-to-death/full/
• 4/22/09  Intelligence Chief Says Methods Hurt U.S.  "The bottom line is these techniques have hurt our image around the world," Dennis Blair, new Director of National Intelligence
• 4/22/09  Origin of Torture Methods -- used methods of communist Chinese in Korean war -- also orders to try to force confessions to prove a link between Iraq and 9/11 attacks article includes link to Senate Armed Services Committee Report
• 4/21/09  Analysis of the Four "Torture Memos"
• 4/12/09  Torture Report by International Committee of Red Cross  --various links and commentary
• 4/07/09  Military Medics Aided in Torture of Prisoners  various evidence and confessions
• 8/09/08  THE DARK SIDE The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned
  Into a War on American Ideals. NY TIMES  How Cheney and small group
  set up torture, renditions, kidnappings of suspects --against resistance
  from U.S. Army, Justice Dept, State Dept, etc
• 7/02/08  Torture Methods Taken From Communist China  --taken from 1957 Air Force training manual --methods used to get false confessions from U.S. prisoners of war in North Korea
• 6/30/08  President's Lawyers Defend Torture  argue that President now limited by any laws in treatment of captured prisoners
• 5/22/08  Interrogation Tactics Were Challenged by FBI  finally removed agents from CIA torture sessions
• 12/07/07  CIA Destroyed Tapes of Torturing Prisoners --planned for training, later feared investigation by Congress
• 11/11/07  Army Colonel Explains Consequences of Torture  idea that America is above the law of other nations
• 11/01/07  Attorney General Nominee's Stand Trying to Avoid Criminal or Torture Lawsuits   even Bush might be liable for lawlessness
• 10/04/07 Secret Bush Administration Endorsement of Torture   Secret Justice Department opinion (by Gonzales) gave explicit authorization for continued torture also in violation of Supreme Court at same time Bush publicly denying it
•  -----Bush answers that Gonzalez secret opinions oversight committees) information from prisoners, says Congress oversight committees were briefed, when actual documents withheld.
• 7/21/07  Bush puts all CIA prisons Under Geneva Convention  no more torture      But not quite precisely
• 6/08/07   "Poland and Rumania Hosted Secret Prisons and Torture for CIA"   Report for Council of Europe
• 6/04/07  The Tortured Lives of Interrogators    Interrogator torturer explains his feelings
• 5/31/07  Interrogation (torture) methods criticized  brutal, simplistic, no training for non-torture interrogation, etc.
• 5/5/07  40% of U.S. Troops in Iraq Favor Torture  to save other soldiers + reports of widespread unnecessary violence against civilians
• 4/3/07  George Orwell at Guantanamo  No one shocked or surprised at incredible confession to everything.  Now instead of selling the Brooklyn Bridge, terrorists confess to trying to blow it up.  Bush himself declared one of his successes was saving the bridge.
• 3/19/07  Evangelicals Declare Against Torture  National Association of Evangelicals, under new leadership, 4 years after war, declares against torture of American prisoners--does not include some of the best-known conservative Christian bodies, including the Southern Baptist Convention and Focus on the Family.
• 3/17/07   Detailed Report on Torture at Guantanamo fierce arguments over tactics & efforts to stop abuse,  between military and FBI, arguments reached Washington, military lawyers, Rumsfeld
• 2/21/07   Kidnappings & Torture Abroad  by Bruce Fein  Wide threats in future to U.S. citizens overseas from Bush precedents
• 2/09/07   Former Translator Describes Torture by 82nd Airborne  common for many prisoners, nightmares for years, change from prior wars
• 1/30/07    Conditions of Uighurs' Detention in Guantanamo  years of isolation, not permitted to speak, solitary confinement, nothing to read or see--- all a form of torture
• 1/20/07  Comedy-Youtube Bush Waterboards CheneyFrankenstein  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNjxdWE-kH8&NR
• 11/20/06  Washington Think Tanks & Torture  by Jim Bovard, always brave
• 11/11/06  Most Candidates Ignored Torture Issue  New law leaves standing U.S. adherence to Geneva Convention Article 3 forbidding torture, but then states that President can define what torture means and hide his definition and prisoners
• 10/17/06  New Torture Bill -- Interrogators Beware  "when Bush signs the Military Commissions Act, while claiming "clear" authorization from Congress for "enhanced" CIA interrogations. Many critics claim the bill authorizes torture. Fortunately, both sides are wrong."   Difficulty of Separating CIA from Military Methods
• 10/06/06  Leading Evangelical Comes Out Against Torture  Rick Warren, author of the bestselling "The Purpose Driven Life," urges evangelicals to fight poverty and oppose torture -- one of the very few, most evangelical political leaders (but not Chuck Colson and Pat Nolan of Prison Fellowship) support torture of POW's
• 9/22/06  Torture Can Continue but Congress won't revoke Geneva Convention, agreement that CIA can continue torture as Bush interprets the law-

• 9/20/06  57% of Americans Want CIA to Respect Geneva Convention

• 9/19/06  Powell Comes Out Against Bush Torture Proposals

• 9/17/06  Respected Republicans Block Bush  on Torture -- LONDON TIMES - Bush legacy of profligacy,  wrecking America's image and good will in the world

• 9/17/06  GOP Senators Opposing Bush Have Strong Military Credentials  summary of argument pro and con for Bush changing Geneva Conventions, setting precedents for other nations

• 9/16/06   GOP Infighting on Detainees Intensifies  Bush Threatens to Halt CIA interrogation of prisoners if Congress doesn't agree to violate Geneva Convention 

• 9/15/06   Senators Defy Bush on Torture  Republican McCain, Warner, Graham block Bush plan to blame Democrats for being soft on terror by abandonment of Geneva Convention  Powell opposes bush on torture, "the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism."

• 9/14/06  GOP Leaders Back Bush on Wiretapping & Torture

• 9/9/06   New Army Manuel Explicit on Interrogation -- to limit abuses

• 9/7/06  Bush Press Conference --actually declaring to continue what most consider torture and continued violation of constitutional freedoms

• 9/7/07  New Rules of Interrogation Forbid Harsh Tactics  Pentagon War Policy

• 9/7/06  Bush's Detainee Plan Is Criticized     Military Lawyers and Senators Say Proposed Rules for Evidence Are Unfair  Decision to Move Detainees Resolved Two-Year Debate Among Bush Advisers

• 9/06/06  GOP Senators Differ With President on Military Trials    Terrorism Suspects' Right To Information Is at Issue

• 7/28/06  Detainee Abuse Charges Feared    Shield Sought From '96 War Crimes Act  interesting recapitulation of Administration torture memos and rulings

• 7/23/06  American Soldiers Told by Officers to Ignore Geneva Convention Human Rights Watch-- abuse and torture ok  Lawyers for 4 soldiers accused of murdering civilians say "acting on orders" adopted clear rules for questioning enemy prisoners -- or ruled out cruelty.

• 6/17/06   Pentagon Study Reports confusion about permitted use of torture, conflicting orders, for period during 2004 - includes period when Iraqi General tortured to death by Navy Seals

• 6/06/06   Pentagon to reject Geneva standard for detainees  State Dept. vehemently objects

• 5/03/06   Torture "widespread" in U.S. Custody    Amnesty International  -- battered U.S. image abraod

• 4/30/06   Guantanamo Diary  Muslim translator's story of visits, prisoners, soldiers

• 4/29/06  No. 2 Abu Ghraib interrogation officer charged with torture, dereliction of duty, lying

   

• 3/18/06  Col. Papas says Dog Use not Defined   admits should have had guidelines for interrogation, speaking with immunity from prosecution

• 2/13/06  NY Times long report on torture and murder of two Afghans prisoners at Bagram- interesting details on military court procedures, trials, and lack of convictions

• 2/13/06  United Nations Report on Guantanamo condemns U.S. for torturing prisoners

• 2/12/06  Stephen Cambone, Rumsfeld Hatchet Man  oversaw torture programs together with Gen. Boykin, the Christian Fundamentalist Armageddonite

• 1/27/06  Documents how Army seizes wives (and children) as hostages to get husbands to surrender   kidnappers of Christian Science Monitor correspondent claimed Iraqi women held - Army had denied it.

• 1/23/06   Warrant Officer Convicted of "negligent homicide" for killing Iraqi General  Trial reveals details on torture, CIA role in hiring Iraqis (probably Kurds or Shiites) to beat up Sunnis for information light sentence for murder outrages critics

• Tortured and killed Iraqi General's children complain bitterly  say American soldiers threatened them to get father's surrender - General was chief of Iraqi Air Defense

• 1/22/06 Former Guard says torture trainers brought in from Guantanamo

• 1/15/06   Gen Miller (commander of Guantanamo) takes 5th Amendment to avoid self-incrimination about possible lies  in previous sworn testimony

• 1/11/06   Bush Signs Anti-Torture Bill  but says he can order torture anyway (same as domestic surveillance w/o warrants or arresting citizens w/o charges)

• 12/18/05  Torture Consequences in Russia  by Bukovsky --how it undermined communism & drove out the honest police

• 12/13/05  Iraq Shiite Controlled Police Torturing Sunni Prisoners   U.S. exposes it & tries to stop it

• 11/14/05  Torture Techniques Copied from Communists  techniques used on American prisoners in North Vietnam --"SERE" methods

• 11/02/05  Detainee (torture) Policy Sharply Divides Bush Officials

• 11/2/05   CIA Holds POW's & Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons held in 2 East Europe nations, Jordan & Egypt and before in Thailand w/o rights or charges after torture --prisons set up after Afghan allies murdered POW's delivered by U.S. forces.

• 10/25/05  Cheney Compromise --wants to exempt CIA from bill barring torture of detainees (including prisoners of war)
• 10/10/05  Analysis of Anti-Torture Vote  Inter. Herald Tribune republished in Asia
• 10/07/05  New Charges in Book -- massacre of demonstrators --former marine writes
• 10/06/05  90 Senators Vote to Define & Stop Torture of POW's  Bush threatens veto (I have new faith in my country, ed.)
• 9/24/05  3 in 82nd Airborne Say Beating Iraqi Prisoners Was Routine
•             Human Rights Watch Report   referred to in above NYT article
•             More Extensive Report  by Jim Lobe, torture and beatings       when soldiers got bored
• 8/28/05  Summary of Torture Pros & Cons& Consequences
•  
• 8/8/05  Abuse Cases Open Up Questions of Command at Trials  --soldiers given little supervision, thought obeying instructions
• 8/3/05   Documents Detail Torture Death of Iraqi General  trial reveals staffing, methods, desperation of U.S. forces
•  
• 7/28/05  Army General Recommended Questioning with Dogs  used in Guantanamo, taken to Iraq to bite POW's
• 7/15/05  Top Military Lawyers (JAGS) All Opposed Torture Permission  from Pentacons  (Pentagon Neocons)
• 7/14/05  Abu Ghraib Tactics Were First Used at Guantanamo

•         7/27 Abu Ghraib Dog Tactics Came From Guantanamo

• 6/20/05  Georgie Anne Geyer (Yahoo) on Prisoner Abuse and world view of America
•  
• 5/26/05  Guantánamo is Gulag of Our Time, says Amnesty  U.S. torture set example for other nations --set back for world
• 5/23/05  What's Known So Far (and not Known) About Abu-Ghraib  by Seymour Hersh
•  
• 5/21/05  More US shame over detainees shackled, abused and left to die          NY TIMES Report  creates widespread furor
• 5/20/05  Army Warns Iraqi Forces on Prisoner Abuse  fears America will get blamed
•  
• 5/18/05  Desecration of Koran Had Been Reported Before
•     &  Blaming the Messenger  plausible precisely because interrogation techniques designed to be offensive to Muslims were used in Iraq and Guantanamo,
• 5/12/05  Terror Suspects Sent to Egypt by the Dozens Panel Reports
•  
• 5/12/05  Abu Ghraib Officer Gets Reprimand    Non-Court-Martial Punishment for Dereliction of Duty Includes Fine
• Gonzales followed Cheney's Aides in memo legalizing torture --Military & State Dept. excluded from decision making
• 5/5/05   Mistrial Declared Judge rejects leash girl's guilty plea based on accusation that she obeyed orders --higher ups guilty
• 5/3/05  Torture Whitewash -- WASHINGTON POST
•  
• 4/24/05   Rights Groups Reject Prison Abuse Findings  top generals exonorated
• 4/19/05   Torture "Wish List" circulated by soldiers --weren't told that POW's covered by Geneva Convention
• 4/13/05  Contractor Accused in Afghan's Beating Death on Trial says White House & Justice Dept approved
•  
• 4/8/05   Pentagon Drafting New Policy on POW Interrogations
• 4/3/05   Torture Death of Iraqi General at Army Hearing  DENVER POST sued to get transcripts hidden by Army
•  
• 3/26/05  Army Releases 1200 Pages on POW Abuse, Killings response to ACLU suit
•       Analysis of Details in Files --soldiets told to beat prisoners
• 3/22/05  Justice Dept. Covers Up FBI Agents' Objections to Guantanamo torture  FBI Criticism Of Interrogations Was Deleted in info for ACLU
• 3/20/05  Daughter of American POW tortured to death by North Vietnam questions U.S. torturing
•  
• 3/17/05  108 Prisoners Died in U.S. Custody      Details
• 3/17/05 CIA's Assurances On Transferred Suspects Doubted
• 3/9/05   Torture and Rendition   --unreliability of torture
•  
• 3/07/05  U.S. Sent over 100 Suspects to Foreign Prisons --where torture is common
• 3/05/05  Soldier Who Reported Torture Sent to Psychiatrist
• 2/10/05  Sex "torture" by femal interrogators in Guantanamo -- smearing Muslims with menstrual blood before prayers, touching & stripping by females,
•  
• 1/25/05  Torture in Iraq Still Routine, Report Says 
• 1/25/05  Army Closed Many Abuse Cases Early  few punished for stealing and beatings--records, witnesses missing
•  
• 1/13/05  Most Americans Object to Torturing Prisoners --USA Poll- 79% oppose harsh torture
• 1/12/05  Does Torture Work?  for American objectives --many assumptions, question, --FBI far more effective without using it, shortcut theories not proven in practice
• 1/5/05  General John Shalikashvili opposing Gonzales for Attorney General   notes Gonzales recommendations "fostered greater animosity towards U.S., undermined our intelligence gathering efforts, and addto to the risks facing our troops serving around the world." letter to Judiciary Committee.
•  
• 1/5/05  Long Term Plans for Terror Suspects for unending war -- US might pay for prisons in other countries - big potential cost with unlimited wars and prisoner taking
• 1/4/05 Gonzales followed Cheney's Aides in memo legalizing torture --Military & State Dept. excluded from decision making
• 12/21/04 FBI Agents Allege Widespread Torture at Guantanamo --Military-CIA impersonated FBI agents when doing torture--2 years of memos, dogs used too, also draping Muslims with Israeli flag     LA TIMES Report
• 12/8  Special joint Defense Dept-CIA (Torture) Teams Task Force 121 and 6-26 direct from Secretary of Defense Office Wash. Post
•  
• 12/7  Defense Intelligence Agency officials who questioned torture of POW's threatened & FBI Agents objected to torture in Guantanamo  NY TIMES  ACLU Report
•   Logs Obtained by ACLU   under Freedm of Information Act
•  
• 12/7/04   Torture of Iraq POW's --very good history of events with links and details
• 12/6 Navy Seals Torture Pictures from Iraq 2003 scroll down from news report --Navy investigating
• 12/13  New Standards Are in Place for the Oversight of Contract Workers at Abu Ghraib Prison update on investigations and administaation reform
• 12/6/04  U.S. Ok's Evidence Obtained by Tortute
•  
• 12/5  Washington Downplays Red Cross Torture Report months long solitary confinement is torture     BBC Report on Torture of British subject at Guantanamo
• 12/4  General Investigates Prisoner Abuse  --Generals knew what was going on, no standards for interrogations, no prohibitions on beatings--each command did what it wanted, no guidance from Washington except to state that in Afghanistan the Geneva Convention did not apply  More
• 12/1 Red Cross Cites "Inhumane" Treatment of Prisoners in Guantanamo
•  
• 9/14  Sy Hersh New Book Details Tortures and Approvals from Administration --FBI told its agents not to assist or be present during tortures
• 8/25  Trail of Torture Leads to Rumsfeld's Office  bad discipline, insufficient forces, unclear orders from Washington-NY TIMES    Rumsfeld War Plan Shares Blame  WASH POST
•     Report of Independent Commission --whole report pdf file
• 8/25   Marines Court Martial Soldier Who Killed Iraq POW
• 33 Deaths Being Probed by Army  including beating murder of Iraqi General, Air Defense Commander
•  
• Arab View that Sex Torture Blackmail Follows Israeli Methods of Humiliation   (see also Israel in Iraq above)  Who is John Israel?
• 7/15   U.S. Company Sued for Torturing Iraqis
• 7/13   Annexes Releases From Torguba Investigation
•  
• 7/03   Torture Rushed and Brutalized after Hussein Capture
• 7/01/04  Secrets Of Unit 1391---Uncovering an Israeli jail that specializes in nightmares -NEWSWEEK -- Another example of Israeli methods copied by Americans in Iraq (trained by Israelis-- See Israel in Iraq )
•  
• 6/27   CIA Puts Harsh Tactics on Hold  included threats to families of prisoners (like Communists   and Nazis used to do)
•  
• 6/24  Bush Administration Documents on Interrogation  Washington Post report
•      Pentagon Rescinded Some Tactics
•      GTMO Interrogation Techniques
•      Lawyer for Sate Dept. Disputed Detainee Memo --State Dept. objected to Justice Dept. thinking, but   usually bypassed on decisions.   Justice Dept. no care for foreign policy concerns
•  
• 6/22  U.S. Overstated Value of Guantanamo Prisoners --most low level, little info
• 6/16  Torture in Israel --the experts at not leaving traces on body --details
• 6/16  So Torture Is Now Legal?    connecting the dots
•  
• 6/16  Iraqi Generals Held in Solitary Confinement  for year   (other reports of 4 generals being beaten while heads covered & held in small cement cells in darkness)
• 6/14/05  Abu Ghraib Torture Photos (Prisoners of war)
• 6/14  Military Intelligence Gave Earlier Warning to Generals --beatings, torture widespread
• 6/14  Torture, once approved for special cases, could not be limited  began to be used for many captured Iraqis
•  
• ***Taguba   Report  and  Summary of Events--Pictures, details of abuse, chronology, news reports, Index --top site
•  
• 6/13  Methods of Psychological Torture described --much more effective than physical -- threats of death least effective
• 6/11   Remote Facility in Iraq Shows New Face of U.S. Prison System  America does respond and reform --what most nations cannot do
•  
• 6/11   Pentagon Reinforces Policy for Reporting Deaths of Detainees    new reforms
• 6/11  Use of Dogs to Scare Prisoners Was Authorized    Military Intelligence Personnel Were Involved, Handlers Say
• 6/10  Torture Victims Sue US Security Companies
  
• 6/9  Memo Legitimizing Torture -- from Justice Dept lawyers
• 6/9/  Legalizing Torture Wash. Post editorial on consequences for future American POW/s
• 6/9  Documents which Built Case   for working outside the laws on interrogating prisoners
• 6/8  Convoluted Rules and Explanations on when and how much torture Wash. Post  & Justice Dept. lawyers decide bans on Torture don't Bind America New York Times--basically permissible if America dangerously threatened
•  
• Pattern of Forced Nudity of Iraqi Prisoners  NY Times -- Purpose of humiliation in Muslim culture which covers up body
•  
• 6/5   U.S. Soldier Beaten in Guantanamo --permanent brain damage -guards thought he was Arab or Afghan prisoner
• 5/31  Army Is Investigating Reports of Assaults and Thefts by G.I.'s Against Iraqi Civilians   (earlier Red Cross Report cited complaints of wanton destruction inside homes when soldiers searching, broken doors, furniture, etc.  Arab TV equates U.S. troops to Israelis procedures)
• 5/30   "The Arab Mind" book used as basis for Israeli and U.S. sex humiliation of Arabs as way to torture --stereotypes used for training U.S. military
•  
• 5/30   Scant Evidence Cited in Long Detention of Iraqis --up to 70-90% "arrested by mistake" --Female Intelligence General in charge refused any releases  Australian report on same story
• 5/29   Details of Conflicting Statements & Evidence  by officers ref. Red Cross Reports & sworn testimony
•  
• 5/28   Senator Warner Thwarts Complaints of some Conservatives who don't want exposure of torture and killing POW's, e.g. Tom Delay, Sen. Inhofe & other Armageddonites
• 5/28   9 POW's Beaten to Death--Wash. Post Editorial
•  
• 5/27   Prison Interrogations in Iraq Seen as Yielding Little Data on Rebels
• 5/26   U.S. Army Survey Finds Wider Prisoner Abuse
• 5-23   U.S. Military Disputes International Red Cross --argues that some prisoners (security risks) not covered by Geneva Convention (other reports say held in tiny cells in darkness & solitary confinement for 23 hours per day)
•  
• 5-22   33 Deaths Being Probed by Army  including beating murder of Iraqi General Air Defense Commander
• 5-22  Documents, Details and Testimony   on abuse
• 5/22 Two Marines were court-martialed May 14 for abusing an Iraqi prisoner with electricity ---nothing comparable to Army tortures
• 5/16  Rush Limbaugh Makes Light (excuses) torture
•  
• 5/15/04  German Forces Told Not to Turn Over Prisoners to U.S.  because of torture rumors and not being subject to Geneva Convention
• Out-sourcing of Torture to other nations (mainly Muslim allies)  --another area for investigation
•  
• 5/10/04  Long, detailed List of Torture Events  The S&M War, Who Knew What, etc
• Troops Fear More Casualties & tougher Resistance   because of prisoner torture
• Rumsfeld - Ashcroft signed off on questioning Geneva Convention "quaint" says White House Counsel
• Desperation of American Generals who Ordered Torture   and Gen Boykin again
•  
• Guantanamo General Took Methods to Iraq 
•  5/17/04 100 "High Value" Iraqis held for months, 23 hours a day in solitary confinement, cement, totally dark cells
• Investigation of various murdered prisoners
•  
• Some Tortures Approved for Guantanamo by CIA others questioned in friendly 3rd countries so U.S. officials not liable for torture
•  5/16/04  Chain of Command in Iraq Abuses and Human Rights Watch Report on earlier notice to Administration  U.S. Soldiers Fear Retribution

         SEE EXCELLENT DETAILS ON TORTURE SCANDAL AND CONGRESSIONAL  HEARINGS --ALSO TAGUBA REPORT whatreallyhappened.com