OpEdNews - Page 6 of Article: Guantanamo Under Obama

-- religious freedom must be observed;

-- all forms of IRF physical and psychological abuse must cease;

-- force-feeding must stop; forcible medications also;

-- detainees must have immediate access to independent medical and psychological professionals;

-- illegal interrogations must be halted; and

-- independent and international human rights observers must have access to inmates.

Above all, full and unequivocal US and international humanitarian law observance is mandatory immediately. No deviations can be tolerated.

Human Rights Organizations Reveal A Secret Pentagon/CIA Prison Network

CCR, the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice (CHRGJ) at New York University School of Law, and Amnesty International (AI) released documents revealing secret Pentagon/CIA black sites housing "ghost detainees."

Most of the material contained news articles. Much else was heavily redacted, but reference was made to facilities in Iraq and an undisclosed prison at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan.

A Pentagon "Information Paper" dealt with the "Applicability of the Geneva Conventions to 'Ghost Detainees' in Iraq," suggesting that DOD and CIA may conceal their identity if "absolute military security" dictates to facilitate intelligence collection and justify denying ICRC visits "for reasons of imperative military necessity."

Reference is made to "spies and saboteurs; persons who have committed such acts (and have) forfeited the rights of communication." A partly redacted email cites the "need to definitely think about hold(ing) off (bad press by delaying inmate releases) for 45 days or so until things cool down." CCR attorney Gitanjali Gutierrez called it "astonishing that the government (might delay) releasing men from Guantanamo (or elsewhere) to avoid bad press." Obama vowed to close black sites. So far, his words are an empty gesture.

ACLU Report of US Prisoners Tortured to Death

On February 11, the ACLU released previously classified documents concerning "abusive" interrogation practices (to the point of death) in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo. The report referred to "clearly abusive (behavior), clearly not in keeping with any approved interrogation policy or guidance." It noted instances of "deaths follow(ing) interrogation sessions in which unauthorized techniques were allegedly employed, but (in two cases cited) these sessions were followed by further alleged abusive behavior outside of the interrogation booth."

Deaths took place in Iraq and Afghanistan:

-- two at Bagram "determined to have been killed by pulmonary embolism caused as a result of standing chained in place, sleep deprivation and dozens of beatings by guards and possibly interrogators;" other evidence reveals torture at Guantanamo and American-Afghan prisons in Kabul;

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