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Guantanamo Britons 'Chained To The Floor And Beaten'
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 3-13-2004 | Sandra Laville/Nick Britten

Posted on 03/12/2004 5:51:51 PM PST by blam

Guantanamo Britons were 'chained to the floor and beaten'

By Sandra Laville and Nick Britten
(Filed: 13/03/2004)

Colin Powell, the US secretary of state, was last night forced to address allegations that the American military subjected British prisoners to psychological torture and beatings during their two years of detention at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

Al- Qa'eda and Taliban suspects on their knees at the American base

Speaking for the first time since his release this week, Jamal Udeen, 37, from Manchester, outlined a brutal regime of oppression including being chained to the floor during 12-hour interrogations and having an unknown drug administered by injection.

In a separate statement, Tarek Dergoul, 26, from east London, said he had been interrogated at gunpoint, beaten and subjected to "botched medical treatment" thought to involve amputation.

The men were seized in Afghanistan in late 2001 and transferred to Cuba in hoods, blindfolds and chains that shackled them to the floor of the aircraft. Challenged about the allegations that they were beaten in the camp, Mr Powell said: "I think that unlikely . . . we don't abuse people in our care. Now it is not a resort . . . in Guantanamo Bay, but at the same time we did not abuse the individuals."

He said there were visits from the International Red Cross and the charges levied at America were not warranted.

Lt Cdr Barbara Burfeind, for the Pentagon, said all the interrogation tactics used at Guantanamo were within the standards of international law.

The allegations surfaced after a week in which the men had been released from Guantanamo, flown home, questioned by anti-terrorist police in Britain and finally reunited with their families.

Dergoul described his treatment at Guantanamo Bay as "horrific". Louise Christian, his solicitor, said the process of talking about his experiences was proving painful and difficult.

"Tarek Dergoul has started to try to give his family . . . an account of the horrific things that happened to him during detention at Bagram, Kandahar and Guantanamo Bay," she said.

"This has included an account of botched medical treatment, interrogation at gunpoint, beatings and inhuman conditions.

"Tarek finds it very difficult to talk about things and his family believe his mental health has been severely affected by the trauma."

In interviews with ITV's Tonight with Trevor McDonald and The Daily Mirror, Udeen claimed prostitutes were taken to the camp and used to degrade and insult the detainees' religious beliefs.

He alleged that men who were known to be devout or were younger and unmarried were taken from their cells to a separate unit and forced to watch the women strip.

"I knew of these practices happening about 10 times," said Udeen, from Manchester. "It seemed to be those who were very young or known to be particularly religious who would be taken away. The Americans obviously knew we wouldn't be shocked by seeing Western women, so they didn't bother.

"It was a profoundly disturbing experience for these men. They would refuse to speak about what had happened."

He also described a unit in the camp known as Extreme Reaction Force - ERF - and claimed they beat him with batons, fists and feet, shouting, "Comply, comply, comply" when he refused to have an injection of an unknown drug.

He said he was then moved to the isolation cell where bright lights were kept on throughout the night to stop him sleeping.

The father of three was discovered in a Taliban prison in Kandahar after the militia retreated from the southern Afghan city following the American bombing campaign in late 2001. He said he had been travelling in Pakistan and was in Quetta when he realised war was imminent.

Heading for Europe, he hired a local driver to take him through Iran to Turkey, not realising that the route involved crossing the border into Afghanistan.

On the Kandahar road the lorry was stopped by Taliban soldiers and he was thrown into prison in the southern city and held for three months.

When the Americans arrived in the city he was moved to an airbase, interrogated and from there transferred to Guantanamo Bay in chains.

He told the programme he was chained to the floor during 40 interrogations by the CIA, FBI and MI5 that lasted up to 12 hours a time and involved them repeatedly demanding he admit to being a terrorist.

Martin Bashir challenged him: "Have you ever had any connection with a terrorist organisation?"

"No, I think I've been asked that question for two years. The answer's still no," he replied

"Are you a terrorist yourself?" Mr Bashir said.

"Obviously not," he replied. "Or else I'd be arrested, I'd still be in Cuba or the Brits would have arrested me."

Asked if he wanted revenge, Mr Udeen said no. What he wanted was for America to acknowledge the treatment was wrong and apologise, he said. "I'd like them to be in court and admit it."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: beaten; britons; chained; detainees; floor; gitmo; guantanamo
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1 posted on 03/12/2004 5:51:51 PM PST by blam
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To: blam
Yea, right
2 posted on 03/12/2004 5:54:34 PM PST by woofie ( 99% of lawyers give the rest a bad name.)
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To: blam
I'd like them to be in court and admit it."

Don't hold your breathe, dad

3 posted on 03/12/2004 5:54:59 PM PST by CindyDawg
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To: blam
Unfortunately, this is probably pure BS. Personally, I think all those detained at Gitmo should be interrogated, tried, and hanged by the neck until dead.
4 posted on 03/12/2004 5:55:06 PM PST by Thane_Banquo
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To: blam
Complete BS.
5 posted on 03/12/2004 5:56:03 PM PST by barker (Normal people scare me.)
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To: blam
Guantanamo Britons were 'chained to the floor and beaten'

I only wish...

6 posted on 03/12/2004 5:57:57 PM PST by Proud Infidel
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To: blam
"Botched Medical Treatments" Thought to involve amputations


Time to amputate....their heads!
7 posted on 03/12/2004 6:00:19 PM PST by dagoofyfoot
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To: blam
He alleged that men who were known to be devout or were younger and unmarried were taken from their cells to a separate unit and forced to watch the women strip.

Muslims minds are never far away from the subject of sex, like the founder of the cult, the pedophile, murderer, and rapist Mo-Ham-Ed.

8 posted on 03/12/2004 6:00:30 PM PST by Proud Infidel
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To: blam
interrogated at gunpoint, beaten and subjected to "botched medical treatment" thought to involve amputation.

They obviously didn't amputate enough.

So9

9 posted on 03/12/2004 6:02:41 PM PST by Servant of the 9 (Goldwater Republican)
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To: blam
I'm reminded of the John Wayne movie where he is interrogating the man he earlier shot and has in the hoosegow. He's got the man by the scruff and asks him some question. The man responds "But I'm bleeding".

John Wayne looks at him for a moment and says.....

Not enough.......

I think that sums up my view on any reports of anything that may or may not have been done. If they can still complain about it they need a little more of it.
10 posted on 03/12/2004 6:03:10 PM PST by festus
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To: blam
And the Red Cross has been in there.

And so have journalists. And bunches of politicians.

And several of the OTHER released prisoners said they were treated well.

This is crap.

11 posted on 03/12/2004 6:03:54 PM PST by tiamat ("Just a Bronze-Age Gal, Trapped in a Techno World!")
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To: Proud Infidel
Muslims minds are never far away from the subject of sex......

. I had a number working for me over the years, and you've got it right. That's why the women have to wear burkhas.

12 posted on 03/12/2004 6:05:31 PM PST by expatpat
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To: blam
They should've been shot in the head. Then their families should have been located and executed, too. Extreme, yes. But how many more recruits will they get if this is the punishment?
13 posted on 03/12/2004 6:06:47 PM PST by GreatOne (You will bow down before me, Son of Jor-el!)
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To: blam
Muslims believe that lying to Infidels is no sin. The real sin is, so many "Infidels" in the West don't know the nature of the enemy and believe their lies.
14 posted on 03/12/2004 6:08:32 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY (((Beware the Trojan Horse of Islam)))
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To: blam
If he's still able to speak he wasn't beaten enough. I would have made the POS swim home.
15 posted on 03/12/2004 6:09:47 PM PST by Spruce (revolvemonos)
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To: blam
What Crap!!!!!

When are they signing a book deal or movie rights?
16 posted on 03/12/2004 6:10:28 PM PST by nuconvert (CAUTION: I'm an acquaintance of someone labelled :"an obstinate supporter of dangerous fantasies")
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To: blam
No doubt these dirtbags will be planting bombs on planes, trains and automobiles in the very near future. Probably in Great Britain, terrorizing the very people who believe and sympathize with these thugs.
17 posted on 03/12/2004 6:11:10 PM PST by TADSLOS (Right Wing Infidel since 1954)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
Lying to infidels: They have a term for it - "taquiyah"

They can lie to further the cause of death cult called Islam.

18 posted on 03/12/2004 6:12:35 PM PST by Proud Infidel
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To: blam
BullShiite!

I only wish they were.

19 posted on 03/12/2004 6:13:29 PM PST by LibKill (Ketchup-Boy is more French than the French!)
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To: Free ThinkerNY
"Muslims believe that lying to Infidels is no sin."No, the real sin is for the Telegraph to publish this crap as a fact!
20 posted on 03/12/2004 6:13:36 PM PST by fuzzthatwuz (I really dislike Kerry and what he represents)
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