Report claims 11 disappeared in U.S. custody
Group suggests al-Qaida suspects perhaps tortured
By SAM DOLNICK
Associated Press
NEW YORK - At least 11 al-Qaida suspects have "disappeared" in U.S. custody, and some may have been tortured, Human Rights Watch said in a report issued Monday.
The prisoners are probably being held outside the United States without access to the Red Cross or any oversight of their treatment, the human rights group said. In some cases, the United States has not acknowledged the prisoners are in custody.
The report said the prisoners include the alleged architect of the Sept. 11 attacks, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed; Abu Zubaydah, who is believed to be a close aide to Osama bin Laden; Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, who might have been a Sept. 11 hijacker if he had not failed to get a U.S. visa; and Riduan Isamuddin, who is more commonly known as Hambali and thought to be the main link between al-Qaida and a radical Islamic organization based in Indonesia.
In refusing to disclose the prisoners' whereabouts or acknowledge the detentions, Human Rights Watch said, the U.S. government has violated international law, international treaties and the Geneva Convention. The group called on the government to bring all prisoners "under the protection of the law."
"I think the U.S. demeans itself when it adopts the philosophy that the ends justify the means in the fight against terror," said Reed Brody, special counsel with Human Rights Watch.
CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said the agency has not seen the report and declined to comment.
The report ? titled "The United States' 'Disappeared:' The CIA's Long-term 'Ghost Detainees' " ? said many of the prisoners have provided valuable intelligence to U.S. officials. But it also cited reports that some detainees have lied under pressure to please their interrogators.
Human Rights Watch has no firsthand knowledge of the treatment of the detainees. Much of the report stems from news accounts citing unidentified government sources acknowledging the torture or mistreatment of detainees.
The report provides a brief sketch of 11 detainees believed to be incommunicado in undisclosed locations. They hail from countries across the Arab world, including Libya, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. U.S. authorities have confirmed the detention of six of them, the report said.
U.S. officials have said such detentions are essential to the war on terror and that many of those in U.S. custody have provided valuable intelligence that has foiled planned attacks.
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread
Facebook
Twitter