RED CROSS: "Photos are shocking, but the reports we have are worse"
CantaBrigand | 07.05.2004 10:39
The International Committee of the Red Cross declared that it has known for a long time that "worse things than in the photos" have been going on in the large prison of Abu Ghraib. Amnesty International makes a similar report. The United Nations Commissioner on Human Rights, and Special Reporter on Torture begin investigations. Clear and systematic breaches of the Geneva Conventions Identified
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translated by me from:
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3222,36-363654,0.html
The International Committee of the Red Cross declared that it has known for a long time that "worse things than in the photos" have been going on in the large prison of Abu Ghraib. Antonella Notari, its spokesperson in Geneva Switzerland said: "We don't need photographs to know what has happened and that it is unacceptable". She claimed that the Red Cross has submitted several reports, initially to the British and American authorities in Iraq, and later to their superiors in Washington and London
"These photographs were certainly shocking, but our reports were worse", said Mrs Notari, who refused at the same time to give precise details of her reports, as is customary with the Red Cross.
"We have known, and we have said [a long time ago] that what has happened in Abu Ghraib is reprehensible". Notari denied categorically the declarations of General Karpinski, the commandant of the American prisons in Iraq, that "Military Intelligence men" had prevented the detainees of bloc 1A from being presented to the Red Cross. "We are not naive', retorted Notari, "our investigators are highly skilled and they talk extensively with people within the prison, we finish always knowing the truth, and the truth in Abyu Ghraib is truly shocking"
The Red Cross demands that the those who committed abuses be brought to justice. "When there is information about torture, punishment should be imposed very quickly, it is extremely important, that we hold responsible those those who have charge of prisoners, and send a very clear warning to the others".
If the Red Cross has remained "very discreet" about the abuses, Notari intimated, this is because its reports were taken extremely seriously by the Americans [[[editor's comment: ie. the Pentagon, has known about this for many months and has done nothing]]]]. Relations between the Red Cross and the United States are more complicated on the Guantanamo naval base. The persistent refusal of the United States to respect the Geneva Conventoin on the prisoners of war has lead the Red Cross to denounce publicly for the first time "the illegality" of the arbitrary detention of 600 people in Guantanamo Bay.
The United Nations High Commissioner for the Rights of Man has appointed an "independent expert" to enquire into violations committed by the belligerants in Iraq. The Icelandic magistrate Jackob Moller is charged with thsi investigation. Theo van Boven, a Dutch magistrate, is special reporter to the UN on torture, he demanded Tuesday "an enquiry, prosecution, and punishment" and the payment of reparations to victims of these violations.
The Geneva Convention --- to which the United States and Britain are bound as signatories--- stipulates:
article 13: prisoners of war should be treated at all times with humanity and that they may not be submitted to dangerous, humiliating, or degrading treatment. They should be protected against all acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity
article 14: prisoners of war have the right in all circumstances of respect for their person and honour
article 17: prisoners who refuse to respond to questions should not be menaced, insulted, or exposed to disadvantages of any sort, and that neither physical nor mental torture is permissable in interrogation.
The Geneva Convention specifies that prisoners of war are defined as either members of a regular army or militia, or members of other voluntary body taking part in a conflict, even if their territory is occupied; and included too the population of a territory who "at the approach of the enemy take up arms spontaneously to fight the invading troops without having had time to constitute a regular army"
Amnesty Internatoin talks of "regular torture". Irene Kahn, its Secretary General, accused the American army of turning "regularly to such methods as sleep deprivation, humiliation, and the kinds of punishments shown in the photographs". "These were not isolated incidents", she claimed, and were part of the behaviour of the occupying forces towards Iraqis from April 2003 onwards. "I wrote to Paul Bremer in July 2003 to attract his attention to these accusations of torture... they replied claiming that the Army had investigated the claims and no such thing had taken place".
translated by me from: http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3222,36-363654,0.html
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3222,36-363654,0.html The International Committee of the Red Cross declared that it has known for a long time that "worse things than in the photos" have been going on in the large prison of Abu Ghraib. Antonella Notari, its spokesperson in Geneva Switzerland said: "We don't need photographs to know what has happened and that it is unacceptable". She claimed that the Red Cross has submitted several reports, initially to the British and American authorities in Iraq, and later to their superiors in Washington and London
"These photographs were certainly shocking, but our reports were worse", said Mrs Notari, who refused at the same time to give precise details of her reports, as is customary with the Red Cross.
"We have known, and we have said [a long time ago] that what has happened in Abu Ghraib is reprehensible". Notari denied categorically the declarations of General Karpinski, the commandant of the American prisons in Iraq, that "Military Intelligence men" had prevented the detainees of bloc 1A from being presented to the Red Cross. "We are not naive', retorted Notari, "our investigators are highly skilled and they talk extensively with people within the prison, we finish always knowing the truth, and the truth in Abyu Ghraib is truly shocking"
The Red Cross demands that the those who committed abuses be brought to justice. "When there is information about torture, punishment should be imposed very quickly, it is extremely important, that we hold responsible those those who have charge of prisoners, and send a very clear warning to the others".
If the Red Cross has remained "very discreet" about the abuses, Notari intimated, this is because its reports were taken extremely seriously by the Americans [[[editor's comment: ie. the Pentagon, has known about this for many months and has done nothing]]]]. Relations between the Red Cross and the United States are more complicated on the Guantanamo naval base. The persistent refusal of the United States to respect the Geneva Conventoin on the prisoners of war has lead the Red Cross to denounce publicly for the first time "the illegality" of the arbitrary detention of 600 people in Guantanamo Bay.
The United Nations High Commissioner for the Rights of Man has appointed an "independent expert" to enquire into violations committed by the belligerants in Iraq. The Icelandic magistrate Jackob Moller is charged with thsi investigation. Theo van Boven, a Dutch magistrate, is special reporter to the UN on torture, he demanded Tuesday "an enquiry, prosecution, and punishment" and the payment of reparations to victims of these violations.
The Geneva Convention --- to which the United States and Britain are bound as signatories--- stipulates:
article 13: prisoners of war should be treated at all times with humanity and that they may not be submitted to dangerous, humiliating, or degrading treatment. They should be protected against all acts of violence or intimidation and against insults and public curiosity
article 14: prisoners of war have the right in all circumstances of respect for their person and honour
article 17: prisoners who refuse to respond to questions should not be menaced, insulted, or exposed to disadvantages of any sort, and that neither physical nor mental torture is permissable in interrogation.
The Geneva Convention specifies that prisoners of war are defined as either members of a regular army or militia, or members of other voluntary body taking part in a conflict, even if their territory is occupied; and included too the population of a territory who "at the approach of the enemy take up arms spontaneously to fight the invading troops without having had time to constitute a regular army"
Amnesty Internatoin talks of "regular torture". Irene Kahn, its Secretary General, accused the American army of turning "regularly to such methods as sleep deprivation, humiliation, and the kinds of punishments shown in the photographs". "These were not isolated incidents", she claimed, and were part of the behaviour of the occupying forces towards Iraqis from April 2003 onwards. "I wrote to Paul Bremer in July 2003 to attract his attention to these accusations of torture... they replied claiming that the Army had investigated the claims and no such thing had taken place".
translated by me from:
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3222,36-363654,0.html
CantaBrigand