U.S. officials are in for a serious grilling on Wednesday as they get hauled before the U.N. Committee against Torture and questioned about about a multitude of ways in which the U.S. appears to be failing to comply with the anti-torture treaty it ratified 20 years ago.
As Jamil Dakwar, director of the ACLU Human Rights Program noted on Monday:
This marks the first U.N. review of the United States’ torture record since President Obama took office in 2009, and much is at stake. The review will test the pledges President Obama made to reverse disastrous Bush-era policies that led to gross violations of human rights, like torture, secret and incommunicado detention, “extraordinary renditions,” unfair trials, and more. It is also likely to examine practices that emerged or became entrenched during Obama’s time in office, such as indefinite detention at Guantánamo, immigration detention and deportations, and the militarization of the police, as witnessed by the world during this summer’s events in Ferguson.
The ACLU’s “shadow report” to the committee is a profoundly grim indictment of the nation’s failure to live up to its principles.
And although Obama claims to oppose torture, the New York Times recently reported that he could well fail another key test of his sincerity by reaffirming the Bush administration’s position that the international Convention Against Torture imposes no legal obligation on the U.S. to bar cruelty outside its borders.
Obama has already flouted the convention’s requirement that member states hold torturers accountable. I have long argued that his failure there has been particularly profound.
U.S. non-governmental agencies were allowed to address the U.N. committee today, and Murat Kurnaz (pictured above), who was tortured and detained by the U.S. at Kandahar and then Guantanamo over a period of five years, traveled to Geneva with his attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights Legal Director Baher Azmy. He made the following statement:
Good afternoon. My name is Murat Kurnaz. I am a Turkish citizen who was born and raised in Bremen, Germany, where I currently live. I spent five years of my life in detention in Kandahar and Guantanamo Bay from 2001-2006.My story is like many others. In 2001, while traveling in Pakistan, I was arrested by Pakistani police and sold to the U.S. military for a $3,000 bounty. In Kandahar, the U.S. military subjected me to electric shocks, stress positions, simulated drowning, and endless beatings. In Guantanamo, there was also psychological torture—I was stripped of my humanity, treated like an animal, isolated from the rest of the world, and did not know if I would ever be released.
Even though my lawyers proved that the U.S. knew of my innocence by 2002, I was not released until 2006. I lost five years of my life in Guantanamo.
Eight years later, I cannot believe that Guantanamo is still open and that there are almost 150 men detained there indefinitely. My time in Guantanamo was a nightmare, but I sometimes consider myself lucky. I know that part of the reason I am free today is because I am from Germany.
Most of the current prisoners remain in Guantanamo because they are from Yemen and the U.S. refuses to send them home. Many are as innocent as I was. But they are enduring the torture of Guantanamo for over 12 years because of their nationality, not because of anything they have done.
I understand that international human rights laws like the Convention Against Torture were created so that the people who commit torture are punished. Isn’t that how we can end torture in the world? So why has no U.S. official been held responsible for brutal practices and torture at Guantanamo or other U.S. prisons?
I will never get five years of my life back, but for me and others, it is important that the Committee confronts the United States about its actions in Guantanamo and other prisons.
Thank you.
The committee’s proceedings are being livestreamed here. The questioning of the U.S. delegation begins as 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Geneva time — 4 a.m. ET.
Photo: David Hecker/DAPD
Failure to live up to it’s principles? Seriously. And I always thought it’s core principal was/is to torture, maim and otherwise ignore the world and do as it pleases. America has been guilty of war crimes since its inception. We gave the Indians blankets infected with smallpox to start with.
I’m a Vietnam vet who was RA all the way back in 62 when I joined the army. When I had done my time and was discharged I became political. My childhood friends were being killed in Vietnam at an alarming rate and I joined Vietnam Veterans against the war and protested in NY cities Central Park. Wearing half a uniform the police clubbed and beat the people perceived as ex soldiers and arrested those not in uniform. It would not have looked good on the front page of the daily newspapers to show soldiers being arrested for expressing their first amendment rights. Was that why I joined?????? Boy was I disillusioned.
As a WWII veteran, I am more than appalled at the U.S. use of torture…..even ONE instance is enough to make me ASHAMED to be an american !
Not only does the word “american” not deserve to be capitalized, but anyone directly or indirectly involved in this greatest of all crimes against MANKIND deserves to receive exactly what he (or she) meted out; and, for anyone directly or indirectly issuing the order for such sub-human behavior deserves to be crucified!!!! In the military, the chain of command stops at only ONE point: the Commander-in-Chief. Ergo, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney should be arrested, tried and subjected to the exact same measures which German and Japanese war criminals received at the end of WWII; if, indeed, there are any similar crimes against humanity under the current administration, then they too should receive the EXACT SAME punishment.
Since we, like most other civilized nations, submit ourselves to the World Court in The Hague, that is the logical venue for such procedures. So far, however, the U.S. has shown a cowardly and totally dishonest lack of the dedication do unto others what we don’t HAVE THE GUTS TO DO TO OUR OWN. Until this den of liars, cowards and phonies behaves like conscientious human beings rather than sewer rats, I will steadfastly refuse to stand when Francis Scott Key’s stirring anthem is played…….and may the gutless whores of the world…..including ours….. see their own diminished and disgraced like the hollow and vile things they are!!!!
I am happy to see that Murat is not afraid to speak up for what the our government did to him and the others that remain at Guantanamo Bay. His first hand account of what they did to him should have an impact. What our government is doing is taking innocent people, doing awful things to them and creating radicals because I sure as hell know that if I was imprisoned by a foreign country like what the US did to this man, I would do anything and everything to get revenge if I was approached by extremists looking to recruit me. Stories like Murat’s are the reason the US is viewed the way it is in the middle east. Westerns are not welcome and are hated because of the immoral actions of our government.
I haven’t researched this much yet, and I’d be interested to know from others here if there might be any grounds for this man (and many others, it seems) to be considered a victim of international human trafficking? Per the UN definition:
“Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation…
If so, then more broadly, the US would be involved in this criminal act: “In addition to the criminalization of trafficking, the Trafficking in Persons Protocol requires criminalization also of:
· Attempts to commit a trafficking offense
· Participation as an accomplice in such an offense
· Organizing or directing others to commit trafficking.
All of which the US of A seems to be the original instigator and orchestrator of these crimes against humanity.
It is difficult to come to a determination about whether or not alleged torture occurred when your investigation does not interview those making the allegations.
Former CIA detainees claim US torture investigators never interviewed them
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/nov/11/libyan-cia-detainees-torture-inquiry-interview
Not even Snowden believes in the U.N., and neither does the U.S. government or its citizens. Let the dog and pony show begin!
Wow, Dan. Hauled is a rather sensationalistic word for a much belated if not toothless reckoning. On top of that your article says nothing of possible ramnifications of the “grilling” about to be sufferred by our as yet nameless “US Officials”. Tell me you’re not naive enough to think this will change any future torture or bring anyone to justice for past torture. Heck. Our beloved President already admitted “We tortured some folks”. What else do you want? Our bad doesn’t cover it? Grudgingly, I will admit this is a small step in the right direction but at this rate my great grandkids might get to see some real results like maybe a statue or plaque commemorating the victims. I have to say yay but it’s a weak one. Speak up people. We still can.
While I in no support torture nor indefinite detention, this guy’s claims that “many” in Gitmo are innocent is laughable until there is some SERIOUS proof of this.
Makes you wonder how all those terrorists get the masks over their halos in all those beheading videos.
Unfortunately, Dan, Obama is no different than Bush before him and Clinton before that. They say much but are personally invested in little. You don’t get to be president of the United States unless you can demonstrate an almost pathological disregard for the truth.
Being exceptional means the US imposes their own rules. For the US, conventions and treaties are no different than toilet paper or the US Constitution.
Nothing will come of this because the UN is impotent. The UN needs to WTFU.
Dan – Kurnaz only makes ALLEGATIONS of torture so why do you present the matter as if it is a statement of fact!?
It’s almost like TI is the media arm of the ACLU.
Look, we already know these things occurred. Multiple victims have come forward saying the same thing and govt witnesses have testified that mistreatment and torture occurred. Nothing Mr. Kurnaz is saying is inconsistent with the facts we already know. And if the CIA had not destroyed the video recordings of these men being tortured, we would know a lot more. If the White House would allow the Senate’s investigative report on abuse and torture to be released we would know even more. So, what is the motivation for disbelieving Murat Kurnaz?
So because his claims are consistent with others, it is true?
I am not motivated to disbelieve him. He very well could be telling the truth but claims are not enough. So it isn’t anything against him but I just not devouring unsubstantiated claims. I searched online for a good 30 minutes and was not convinced of anything other than him being unlawfully detained. Now, here Dan Froomkin is – saying this guy was tortured as if it is indisputable, and linking to the words of Kurnaz.. Why should I believe him? Just because I disliked Bush like so many others? The DOD claimed he had no paper trail and he could have requested an investigation like Moazzam Begg, or filed charges. He did none of the above. Therefore, what evidence other than being a detainee does he have!?
Using Google Books, I even perused Murat’s book and the epilogue which is written by his lawyer says:
His own lawyer got it right, why can’t Dan Froomkin? IMO because he does not give a shit ABOUT such petty details.
Book source: http://books.google.com/books?id=6CdoqcT4mZgC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Murat&hl=en&sa=X&ei=kZJiVJGhMNKdygT61IHoCQ&ved=0CCoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Epilogue&f=false
Page 249
Good call on the journalistic use of ‘allegedly,’ Nate, but it hardly seems necessary when we are talking about a former prisoner who spent five years at Guantanamo. Unless, of course, he was the sole inmate who was indulged with fresh air, exercise and free access to family. That seems like delusional thinking. What’s equally hard to believe but is actually true is that there are “Americans” who choose to defend torture for a salary.
“I searched online for a good 30 minutes and was not convinced of anything other than him being unlawfully detained. Now, here Dan Froomkin is – saying this guy was tortured as if it is indisputable, and linking to the words of Kurnaz.” – Nate
Well Nate, I searched and read the linked items and in less than 5 minutes came up with some corroboration, such as:
“Detainees Accuse Female Interrogators: Pentagon Inquiry Is Said to Confirm Muslims’ [i.e., Mr. Kurnaz] Accounts of Sexual Tactics at Guantanamo”, Washington Post, 10 February 2005
“German prosecutors drop investigation into alleged abuse of prisoner [Kurnaz] in Afghanistan”, International Herald Tribune, 29 May 2007
“The German Ministry of Defense had initially denied that KSK members were in Afghanistan…[but] by May 2007, they acknowledged that the KSK had officers in Kandahar and had contact with Kurnaz. Although the investigation was eventually dropped, the government stated that they had trouble believing the soldiers’ version of events and that abuse may have occurred.”
So yes, the technical and legal definition is “allegedly” – just as you allegedly searched online and found nothing “other than him [Kurnaz] being unlawfully detained.” At least Mr. Froomkin did offer evidence towards his claim that Kurnaz was tortured – you, on the other hand, torture us with continuing to offer the idea that a lack of evidence, or more precisely, that you found nothing is evidence that nothing occurred.
“You can only manage to convince a person to admit to being wrong, not ignorant, arrogant, or stupid.” – Mokokoma Mokhonoana, N for Nigger
silly, all you did here was strengthen my point.
You provide a link about allegations of sexual interrogation methods (women strutting around in bras). Now ask yourself, is that anything other than another allegation? And more importantly if true – is that torture? No, it isn’t so quit trying to distract from the issue at hand.
As for your other two links, they both point out that the GERMAN investigations were dropped. GERMAN. You follow!? The title of this article was the “man tortured by the US.” I was specifically talking about the DOD. You need to pay some attention.
I love how at the end, realizing I am right, you state as much and then give Froomkin a free pass on his error. You say he provided evidence when he provided none. Describing allegations isn’t evidence. Silly ol’ Silly.
Nate – what smug double speak.
Your kind of petty talk is typical of those who wish to evade, cover up and make excuses.
Take a look at what exactly you are defending. Or are you so busy trying to be clever that you missed the point?
Good point. I’m sure that if any torture had really taken place back when Kurnaz was in Gitmo, there would be video recordings of it which have been not just preserved, but provided without hesitation to anyone who asks. It’s not like the CIA would have had the gall to destroy taped evidence of a systematic abuse of human rights.
Although the U.N. seems to usually serve as a rubber stamper for U.S. actions, at least here it will be shining a light on our filthy practices and lies. Exposure always helps, even if the U.N. is too timid to take stronger actions.
Why don’t we start with Bush/Cheney and their secret dictatorial powers. The fish stinks from the head down.
*********** “US officials are in for a serious grilling…” *************
This is the first time the “US officials” will be interviewed in 5 years by this committee.
The UN is not allowed to do any “serious grilling” or take any serious action against the corporatocracy.
Which US officials are actually being hauled before the committee? I’m assuming that it will have no impact whatsoever on US actions or policy but will hopefully be reported far and wide. Will the likelihood that torture is still being committed by the US be mentioned at all I wonder?
“will hopefully be reported far and wide”. There is no hope it will even be heard about in the US. You also seem a bit optimistic about us the population. Everybody knows that we are still torturing and no one gives a dams (and about 1/3 approve.)
as to being “hopefully reported far and wide” one thing is sure, it doesn’t include the US of A. As for torture still being practiced, you’re an optimist there too. Of course we the sheeple know it. We don’t give a damn and about 30% want it intensified and legalized.