VS : ‘Ja, we hebben gemarteld in Guantanamo’

US agents at Guantanamo Bay tortured a Saudi man suspected of involvement in the 11 September attacks, the official overseeing trials at the camp has said. Susan Crawford told the Washington Post newspaper that Mohammad al-Qahtani had been left in a “life-threatening condition” after being interrogated. She said Mr Qahtani had been subjected to sustained periods of cold, isolation and sleep deprivation. Mr Qahtani remains at Guantanamo, but all charges against him were dropped. He had been facing trial on counts of conspiracy, terrorism, and murder in violation of the laws of war.

Ms Crawford, who was appointed convening authority for military commissions in February 2007, said Mr Qahtani had been interrogated for 18 to 20 hours a day almost continuously for eight weeks. “The techniques they used were all authorised, but the manner in which they applied them was overly aggressive and too persistent,” she said. Ms Crawford said she was shocked, upset and embarrassed by the treatment he had received.

Wat een verrassing: marteling in Guantanamo Bay. Wie had dat nou verwacht van die lieve Amerikanen die democratie en vrijheid komen brengen. Gelukkig zegt Ms. Crafword, degene die nu de wereld mag gaan vertellen wat andere vrijheids- en mensenrechtenhatende Amerikanen hebben aangericht, de juiste dingen:

If we tolerate this and allow it, then how can we object when our servicemen and women, or others in foreign service, are captured and subjected to the same techniques? How can we complain? Where is our moral authority to complain? Well, we may have lost it.”

Ik zeg het anders: iedereen die voor Guantanamo Bay is, is niet goed snik en haat de democratische waarden die vrijheid mogelijk maken. Eigenlijk zouden ze iedereen die voor martelen is een poosje moeten martelen…