CIA Crucified Captive At Abu Ghraib

The Central Intelligence
Agency crucified a prisoner in Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, according to a report
published in The New Yorker magazine.

 "A forensic examiner found
that he (the prisoner) had essentially been crucified; he died from
asphyxiation after having been hung by his arms, in a hood, and suffering
broken ribs," the magazine's Jane Mayer writes in the magazine's June 22^nd
issue. "Military pathologists classified the case a homicide." The date of the
murder was not given.

 "No criminal charges have
ever been brought against any C.I.A. officer involved in the torture program,
despite the fact that at least three prisoners interrogated by agency personnel
died as a result of mistreatment," Mayer notes.

An earlier
report, by John Hendren in The Los
Angeles Times indicted other torture killings. And Human Rights First says nearly
100 detainees have died in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hendren reported that one
Manadel Jamadi died "of blunt-force injuries" complicated by "compromised
respiration" at Abu Ghraib prison "while he was with Navy SEALs and other
special operations troops." Another victim, Abdul Jaleel, died while gagged and
shackled to a cell door with his hands over his head." Yet another prisoner,
Maj. Gen. Abid Mowhosh, former commander of Iraq's air defenses, "died of
asphyxiation due to smothering and chest compression" in Qaim, Iraq.

"There
is no question that U.S. interrogations have resulted in deaths," says Anthony
Romero, executive director of the ACLU. "High-ranking officials who knew
about the torture and sat on their hands and those who created and endorsed
these policies must be held accountable. America must stop putting its head in
the sand and deal with the torture scandal." At least scores of detainees
in U.S. custody have died and homicide is suspected. As far back as May, 2004,
the Pentagon conceded at least 37 deaths of prisoners in its custody in Iraq
and Afghanistan had prompted investigations.

Nathaniel Raymond, of Physicians
for Human Rights, told The New Yorker, "We still don't know how
many detainees were in the black sites, or who they were. We don't fully know
the White House's role, or the C.I.A.'s role. We need a full accounting,
especially as it relates to health professionals."