[Excerpt: The Pentagon originally refused to release the memo on national security grounds, but passed it to the ACLU on Friday after the union challenged it in court under the Freedom of Information Act.....The ACLU says at least 12 of the 29 techniques listed in the document went far beyond limits established by the army's field manual....."Gen Sanchez authorised interrogation techniques that were in clear violation of the Geneva Conventions and the army's own standards," ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh said in the union's statement. ...."He and other high ranking officials who bear responsibility for the widespread abuse of detainees must be held accountable."]
http://212.58.240.132/1/hi/world/americas/4392519.stm Last Updated: Wednesday, 30 March, 2005, 04:24 GMT 05:24 UK US memo shows Iraq jail methods The top US general in Iraq authorised interrogation techniques including the use of dogs, stress positions and disorientation, a memo has shown. The document was obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union through the US Freedom of Information Act. The September 2003 document is signed by the then commander of US forces in Iraq, Gen Ricardo Sanchez. The ACLU says the measures go beyond generally accepted practice and says Gen Sanchez should be made accountable. The memo authorised techniques including putting prisoners in stressful positions, using loud music and light control, and changing sleeping patterns. It also authorised the presence of muzzled military working dogs to, as the memo puts it, "exploit Arab fear of dogs while maintaining security during interrogations". The presence of dogs and other measures, all of which required approval by Gen Sanchez, were rescinded a month later because of opposition from military lawyers. Gen Sanchez says advance permission was required every time one of these techniques was requested, adding that he never gave such permission. 'Beyond army limits' The Pentagon originally refused to release the memo on national security grounds, but passed it to the ACLU on Friday after the union challenged it in court under the Freedom of Information Act. The ACLU says at least 12 of the 29 techniques listed in the document went far beyond limits established by the army's field manual. "Gen Sanchez authorised interrogation techniques that were in clear violation of the Geneva Conventions and the army's own standards," ACLU lawyer Amrit Singh said in the union's statement. "He and other high ranking officials who bear responsibility for the widespread abuse of detainees must be held accountable." The techniques included "environmental manipulation" such as making a room hot or cold or using an "unpleasant smell", isolating a prisoner, and disrupting normal sleep patterns. The memo also allowed the "false flag" technique of "convincing the detainee that individuals from a country other than the United States are interrogating him." It was during Gen Sanchez's time as commander that Iraqi prisoners were abused by US troops at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison. The cases - highlighted in photographs of hooded and naked inmates - sparked international outrage. Army investigations have generally found that, where proven, abuses were not the result of policy set by senior leaders. The ACLU is currently taking part in a lawsuit against Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld accusing him of responsibility for torture and abuse of detainees in US military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. enditem ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Give underprivileged students the materials they need to learn. Bring education to life by funding a specific classroom project. http://us.click.yahoo.com/FHLuJD/_WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
