Report details torture of detainees by U.S. troops

posted 03:46 AM 07/14
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This week, a detailed report from Physicians for Human Rights closely examines U.S. military personnel treatment of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since the fall of 2001. The report is the result of independent physicians and psychologists reviewing extensive interviews and examinations of former detainees, in accordance with the well-established United Nations guidelines of the Istanbul Protocol.

The report is titled "Broken Laws, Broken Lives: Medical Evidence of Torture by U.S. Personnel and Its Impact."

The stories are appalling but should be carefully heard by every American. Each portrayal is a real human like you and me. None of those described were ever charged with a crime, but for some period of time, each was treated as inhumanely as one can imagine.

One man's story

One young salesman, arrested in Iraq by U.S. forces in August 2003, was detained without charges for 15 months and then released without explanation. He recounts being forced to stand naked in shackles and blindfolded for countless hours. He was not allowed sleep for two weeks, subjected to continuous activity and bright lights. He then was shifted to being held captive in a small dark room for the following month. He was forced to lie face down in urine as he was beaten, sodomized by a broomstick and urinated upon. One of his testicles was forcibly crushed and his chest and scrotal hair were ripped out by hand. A physical exam found evidence of the abuse.

Today, the man suffers from debilitating psychological symptoms. He had been a stable provider for his young family but now is unemployed. He said, "No sorrow can be compared to my torture experience in jail." His life is in ruins.

Disturbing reality

Although this man's specific story is horrific, even worse is the realization that this was no isolated accidental brutality. His story is only one of many similar stories. The recent Physicians for Human Rights report, although the most detailed report to date, is supported by Department of Defense documents, reports by the U.S. government, and other independent investigations. Perhaps the most chilling words of summation are those of retired Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba:

"After years of disclosures by government investigations, media accounts and reports from human rights organizations, there is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question that remains to be answered is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account."

Geneva Convention

It is now clear that subsequent to Sept. 11, 2001, deliberate changes were made in the manner in which detainees in U.S. custody were treated and interrogated. Large numbers of anecdotal reports and now rigorously researched accounts repeatedly show that detainees in U.S. custody have been denied the protection of the Geneva Convention, and that the U.S. government has been reinterpreting U.S. laws and international treaties. In fact, the same measures used by U.S. personnel have previously been declared by the U.S. State Department as human rights abuses, when these same "techniques" were used by other countries.

My country

I have been proud to be an American for so many years because I have been certain that I live in the most moral and just country on the planet. The great founders of our nation led the way in laying the basic building blocks of what would become the world-leading framework for human rights.

I cannot claim this any longer. Our morality and justice are faltering in their honesty. You and I must rise and respond. This great nation and world needs us now.

Today's column is by Dr. Tom Burke, who is the director of the Center for Global Health at Massachusetts General Hospital and a Harvard University faculty in emergency medicine. The thoughts and opinions expressed within this article are his own. Dr. Joe Pellicer works in the Emergency Center at Providence St. Peter Hospital. Go to www.notesfromtheer.com for more information or to contact the doctors.

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