Hard Evidence of U.S. Torturing Prisoners to Death Ignored by Corporate Media

[Guest guest]

Hard Evidence of U.S. Torturing Prisoners to Death Ignored by

Corporate Media

A

Fri, 16 Dec 2005 15:44:19 -0800 (PST)

 

 

 

 

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1202-28.htm

 

 

Published on Friday, December 2, 2005 by CommonDreams.org

 

Hard Evidence of U.S. Torturing Prisoners to Death Ignored by

Corporate Media

by Peter Phillips

 

 

Military autopsy reports provide indisputable proof that detainees are

being tortured to death while in US military custody. Yet the US

corporate media are covering it with the seriousness of a garage sale

for the local Baptist Church.

 

A recent American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) posting of one of

forty-four US military autopsy reports reads as follows: " Final

Autopsy Report: DOD 003164, (Detainee) Died as a result of asphyxia

(lack of oxygen to the brain) due to strangulation as evidenced by the

recently fractured hyoid bone in the neck and soft tissue hemorrhage

extending downward to the level of the right thyroid cartilage.

Autopsy revealed bone fracture, rib fractures, contusions in mid

abdomen, back and buttocks extending to the left flank, abrasions,

lateral buttocks. Contusions, back of legs and knees; abrasions on

knees, left fingers and encircling to left wrist. Lacerations and

superficial cuts, right 4th and 5th fingers. Also, blunt force

injuries, predominately recent contusions (bruises) on the torso and

lower extremities. Abrasions on left wrist are consistent with use of

restraints. No evidence of defense injuries or natural disease. Manner

of death is homicide. Whitehorse Detainment Facility, Nasiriyah, Iraq. "

 

The ACLU website further reveals how: " a 27-year-old Iraqi male died

while being interrogated by Navy Seals on April 5, 2004, in Mosul,

Iraq. During his confinement he was hooded, flex-cuffed, sleep

deprived and subjected to hot and cold environmental conditions,

including the use of cold water on his body and hood. The exact cause

of death was " undetermined " although the autopsy stated that

hypothermia may have contributed to his death.

 

Another Iraqi detainee died on January 9, 2004, in Al Asad, Iraq,

while being interrogated. He was standing, shackled to the top of a

doorframe with a gag in his mouth, at the time he died. The cause of

death was asphyxia and blunt force injuries.

 

So read several of the 44 US military autopsy reports on the ACLU

website -evidence of extensive abuse of US detainees in Iraq and

Afghanistan 2002 through 2004. Anthony Romero, Executive Director of

ACLU stated, " There is no question that US interrogations have

resulted in deaths. " ACLU attorney Amrit Sing adds, " These documents

present irrefutable evidence that US operatives tortured detainees to

death during interrogations. "

 

Additionally, ACLU reports that in April 2003, Secretary Rumsfeld

authorized the use of " environmental manipulation " as an interrogation

technique in Guantánamo Bay. In September 2003, Lt. Gen. Sanchez also

authorized this technique for use in Iraq. So responsibility for these

human atrocities goes directly to the highest levels of power.

 

A press release on these deaths by torture was issued by the ACLU on

October 25, 2005 and was immediately picked up by Associated Press and

United Press International wire services, making the story available

to US corporate media nationwide. A thorough check of Nexus-Lexus and

Proquest electronic data bases, using the keywords ACLU and autopsy,

showed that at least 95percent of the daily papers in the US didn't

bother to pick up the story. The Los Angeles Times covered the story

on page A-4 with a 635-word report headlined " Autopsies Support Abuse

Allegations. " Fewer than a dozen other daily newspapers including:

Bangor Daily News, Maine, page 8; Telegraph-Herald, Dubuque Iowa, page

6; Charleston Gazette, page 5; Advocate, Baton Rouge, page 11; and a

half dozen others actually covered the story. The Pittsburgh

Post-Gazette and the Seattle Times buried the story inside general

Iraq news articles. USA Today posted the story on their website. MSNBC

posted the story to their website, but apparently did not consider it

newsworthy enough to air on television.

 

" The Randi Rhodes Show, " on Air America Radio, covered the story.

AP/UPI news releases and direct quotes from the ACLU website appeared

widely on internet sites and on various news-based listservs around

the world, including Common Dreams, Truthout, New Standard, Science

Daily, and numerous others.

 

Peter Phillips is a Professor of Sociology at Sonoma State University

and Director of Project Censored.