MADRID (AFP) — A Spanish judge on Wednesday opened an investigation into an alleged “systematic programme” of torture at the US Guantanamo Bay detention camp, following accusations by four former prisoners.
Judge Baltasar Garzon will probe the “perpetrators, the instigators, the necessary collaborators and accomplices” to crimes of torture at the prison at the US naval base in southern Cuba, he said in his ruling, a copy of which was seen by AFP.
The judge based his decision on statements by Hamed Abderrahman Ahmed, known as the “Spanish Taliban” and three other former Guantanamo detainees — a Moroccan, a Palestinian and a Libyan.
bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
US interpreter who witnessed torture in Iraq shot herself with service rifle
David Randall
Alyssa Peterson was reprimanded for ‘showing empathy’ towards prisoners
April 28, 2009
It is possible that one of the victims of the United States’ torture policy is a young, devout Mormon woman from Arizona called Alyssa Peterson. She was a soldier who not only saw the rough interrogation methods that the US military used on Iraqi prisoners, but was deeply troubled by them. Some weeks after formally protesting about them to her superiors, and asking to be reassigned, she took her gun and killed herself. The cause of her death was kept secret for two years, and the mystery of what Peterson witnessed, and the content of the notes she made, still goes on.
It was in September 2003 at Tal-Afar air base, northern Iraq, that Specialist Peterson, serving with a military intelligence section of the 101st Airborne, came across interrogation methods very different from the ones she had known in training. An Arab-speaker, Peterson was assigned to work as an interpreter at interrogation sessions in a unit known as “The Cage”. After only two nights, she refused to take further part in the sessions and was reassigned. Then, on 15 September, she shot herself with her service rifle. A notebook recording her thoughts was found by her body. Its contents were blanked out in the subsequent official report.
bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
The issue of Racism between Zionism and the Apartheid ideology
Salim Nazzal
April 28, 2009
This is a quick and generalized paper, which gives evidences of which might explain why the Zionist regime has been more capable of resisting the pressures of the culture of human rights and self determination while the apartheid regimes have vanished.
Despite the similarities between the white Racist regime, in earlier South Africa and those of the Zionist regime, in terms of the oppressive policy against the natives, there are seven major differences: the first, white Europeans immigrated to Africa without a prior plan to the country and to the natives. Their immigration was rather spontaneous, guided by wide colonial thought rather than of a well theorized racist ideology decided from before. The construction of the racist regime was done through a process in the history of their domination there. Zionists arrived in Palestine from day one armed with comprehensible ideology, unambiguous policy, from which its aims were to transfer Palestinians.
bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
October 15, 2000
Army General and Head of the PGR Releases Two Israelis Arrested With Guns and Explosives Inside the Mexican Congress
By Ernesto Cienfuegos
La Voz de Aztlan
LOS ANGELES (ACN) – In a mind-blowing development, La Voz de Aztlan has learned that Mexican Army General Rafael Marcial Macedo de la Concha (left) who heads the Procuraduría General de la República (Mexican Department of Justice) has released the retired Israeli Defense Forces colonel and presumed MOSSAD agent Salvador Guersson Smecke and Israeli illegal immigrant Saur Ben Zvi after both had penetrated the security of the Mexican Congress and were in possession of guns, hand grenades and explosives.
This morning La Voz de Aztlan had a personal telephone interview with the Mexican Congressional Press Secretary, Lic. Adriana Lopez, and verified the arrest of the two Israelis after they had entered through the highly secured front entrance of the Palacio Legislativo de San Lázaro. She stated to La Voz de Aztlan that the two terrorists had taken advantage of a situation that occurred around 1700 hours of Wednesday October 10 when a large contingent of Sugar Industry Unionists were entering through the metal detectors. The two Israelis followed about 50 of the unionists to the office of the President of the Mexican Congress Beatriz Paredes. The two Israelis were first pretending to be press photographers but called the attention of the sugar unionists because of their nervous and out of the ordinary behavior. About ten of the unionists confronted them and observed that they were carrying guns and and what looked to them to be explosives. They held the two Israelis until Official Congressional Security personnel took them into custody. The head of Congressional Security Salvador Alarcón verified that the Israelis had in their possession nine hand grenades, sticks of dynamite, detonators, wiring and two 9mm “Glock” automatics.
bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
SIXTY ONE YEARS OF ISRAELI (IN)DEPENDENCE
Desertpeace
April 28, 2009
At sundown tonight Israelis will mark the 61st anniversary of the founding funding of their state.
Often we hear university students living away from home referring to their parents as ‘the rents’. Why? Simply because it is usually the parents that foot the bill for their accommodations. In many cases the students themselves could not make it on their own.
So is the case with Israel, they have been funded from abroad for the past 61 years. They have never attempted to even try making it on their own. From day one they have stolen, lied, and killed to maintain what they call their own. From day one their supporters were aware of this but continued to pour in billions of dollars annually.
The following is ‘just one video that Israel does not want you to see’…
This is a fairly new video that shows the war crimes committed by Israel in Gaza during the recent blitzkrieg…
Just remember, Israel could not have done these things alone.
HAPPY DEPENDENCE DAY ISRAEL!
:: Article nr. 53786 sent on 29-apr-2009 03:10 ECT
Licensed psychologist and Army Col. Larry James was the director of Guantanamo’s “Behavioral Science Consultation Team,” which oversaw the use of harsh interrogation techniques widely condemned as torture. (Photo by Army Spc. Shanita Simmons.)
‘The conclusion that these interrogation techniques cause no lasting harm is the equivalent of psychological malpractice,’ says Physicians for Human Rights’ Steven Reisner.
One of the key, if underreported, findings in Tuesday’s bombshell Senate committee report on the Bush-era treatment of U.S. military detainees was the role of civilian and military psychologists in devising, directing and overseeing the torture of prisoners.
bismi-lLahi-rRahmani-rRahiem In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
=== News Update ===
New Evidence of Torture Prison in Poland
By John Goetz and Britta Sandberg
The current debate in the US on the “special interrogation methods” sanctioned by the Bush administration could soon reach Europe. It has long been clear that the CIA used the Szymany military airbase in Poland for extraordinary renditions. Now there is evidence of a secret prison nearby.
Only a smattering of clouds dotted the sky over Szymany on March 7, 2003, and visibility was good. A light breeze blew from the southeast as a plane approached the small military airfield in northeastern Poland, and the temperature outside was 2 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit). At around 4:00 p.m., the Gulfstream N379P — known among investigators as the “torture taxi” — touched down on the landing strip. Read the rest of this entry »
CIA Torture Began In Afghanistan 8 Months Before DOJ Approval
by Andy Worthington
Last December, in a typically bullish defense of the Bush administration’s conduct in the “War on Terror,” Vice President Dick Cheney stated, “On the question of so-called ‘torture,’ we don’t do torture, we never have. It’s not something that this administration subscribes to. [W]e proceeded very cautiously; we checked, we had the Justice Department issue the requisite opinions in order to know where the bright lines were that you could not cross. The professionals involved in that program were very, very cautious, very careful, wouldn’t do anything without making certain it was authorized and that it was legal. And any suggestion to the contrary is just wrong.”
The “requisite opinions” referred to by Cheney consisted primarily of two memos issued in August 2002 by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), whose lawyers interpret the law as it relates to the powers of the executive branch, which were issued in connection with the administration’s “high-value detainee” program.
But how much of a presence does al-Qaeda really have? Very small according to Jurgen Todenhofer, author of the new book, Why Do You Kill? The Untold Story of the Iraqi Resistance. Todenhofer was a member of the German parliament for 18 years and spokesman for the Christian Democratic Union of Germany and the Christian Social Union of Bavaria political parties on development aid and arms control. He has visited the Middle East several times over the last 50 years and has written two best sellers about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
In his latest book, Todenhofer travels to Iraq as an unembedded journalist and gives an inside look at what is the Iraqi resistance. His firsthand observations reveal the myths and realities behind the resistance fighters and the terrorists and Todenhofer tries to set the record straight by talking directly with those who fight the occupation.
Todenhofer is currently on an American speaking tour and I caught up with him in Washington, DC where he was giving a talk.
Jürgen Todenhofer traveled to Iraq as an unembedded journalist and gives an inside look at what is the Iraqi resistance in his new book: Why Do You Kill? The Untold Story of the Iraqi Resistance. His firsthand observations reveal the myths and realities behind the resistance fighters and the terrorists and Todenhofer tries to set the record straight by talking directly with those who fight the occupation.
EXCERPTS FROM AN INTERVIEW:
What are the major myths associated with the Iraqi resistance?
I went to Iraq a year and a half ago and met with the resistance. They told me all they wanted because there were no machine guns, officers, or U.S. soldiers around. I think it’s important to listen to the other side. When I was there, I felt ashamed. I had the impression that because we don’t see the other side, we don’t know enough about the misery of the Iraqi people. We have no idea what the resistance is. It’s difficult to give a figure because nobody knows for sure how many they are. I would compare the Iraqi resistance with that of the French resistance during the German occupation. It’s composed of everyone: bakers, students, teachers, workers, farmers, etc. (…)
Where would journalists need to go in terms of reporting accurately of what’s going on in Iraq?
There are two things I believe. Western journalists should talk with the resistance. It’s not difficult to know where they are. I spoke with the leader of the resistance and it’s possible for other journalists to do so. They also have to go to the neighboring countries where they can meet many of these people. I think that’s an obligation. You will never meet al-Qaeda, but it’s probably more likely to talk with the Iraqi resistance. You’ll get incredible stories from these people because they know what’s going on in Iraq.
The second thing I’d suggest is American politicians need to talk with the resistance, not just Nouri al-Maliki. When the Americans left Vietnam, they spoke to the Viet Cong resistance. When the French left Algeria, they spoke to the National Liberation Front. The Americans have to speak with the Iraqi resistance for many reasons. al-Maliki is part of a collaboration government and all collaboration governments are kicked out once the occupation troops are gone. It was the case in France, Vietnam, and Algeria. This government wants at least 50,000 troops. Americans should speak with (and for) the resistance. It’s in their hands and they are ready to make open a new chapter without hate.
A recently released 9/11 Commission memo highlights the role of government “minders” who accompanied witnesses interviewed by the commission. It was added to the National Archives’ files at the start of the year and discovered there by History Commons contributor paxvector.
The memo, entitled “Executive Branch Minders’ Intimidation of Witnesses,” complains that:
Minders “answer[ed] questions directed at witnesses;”
Minders acted as “monitors, reporting to their respective agencies on Commission staffs lines of inquiry and witnesses’ verbatim responses.” The staff thought this “conveys to witnesses that their superiors will review their statements and may engage in retribution;” and
Minders “positioned themselves physically and have conducted themselves in a manner that we believe intimidates witnesses from giving full and candid responses to our questions.”
The memo was drafted by three staffers on the commission’s Team 2, which reviewed the overall structure of the US intelligence community. One of the drafters was Kevin Scheid, a senior staffer who led the team. His co-writers were Lorry Fenner, an air force intelligence officer, and lawyer Gordon Lederman. The complaint was sent to the commission’s counsels, Daniel Marcus and Steve Dunne, in October 2003, about halfway through the commission’s 19-month life.
LOS ANGELES (ACN) – In a mind-blowing development, La Voz de Aztlan has learned that Mexican Army General Rafael Marcial Macedo de la Concha (left) who heads the Procuraduría General de la República (Mexican Department of Justice) has released the retired Israeli Defense Forces colonel and presumed 
Muslim in Suffer 