from CNN website: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/08/bush.torture.ap/
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Saturday he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks.
The bill Congress sent me would take away one of the most valuable tools in the war on terror," Bush said in his weekly radio address taped for broadcast Saturday. "So today I vetoed it," Bush said. The bill he rejected provides guidelines for intelligence activities for the year and has the interrogation requirement as one provision. It cleared the House in December and the Senate last month.
"This is no time for Congress to abandon practices that have a proven track record of keeping America safe," the president said.
Supporters of the legislation say it would preserve the United States' ability to collect critical intelligence while also providing a much-needed boost to country's moral standing abroad.
"Torture is a black mark against the United States," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California. "We will not stop until [the ban] becomes law."
The bill would limit CIA interrogators to the 19 techniques allowed for use by military questioners. The Army field manual in 2006 banned using methods such as waterboarding or sensory deprivation on uncooperative prisoners.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Great News: HR 2082 passed in Senate
Source:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2082&tab=summary
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2082&tab=summary
The following is Project Vote Smart's highlights for this bill, graciously made available by PVS:
- Authorizes classified dollar amounts to be appropriated for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, the Department of the Air Force, the Coast Guard, the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Energy, the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security (Sec. 101).
- Requires $39.00 million to be transferred from the Director of National Intelligence to the Attorney General for the National Drug Intelligence Center (Sec. 104).
- Authorizes $262.50 million for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability Fund (Sec. 201).
- Directs the Director of National Intelligence to implement a multi-level security clearance system for persons proficient in foreign languages or with cultural, linguistic, or other subject matter expertise “critical to national security,” and to annually report to Congress regarding the foreign language proficiency of the intelligence community (Sec. 303, Sec. 414).
- Requires the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report to Congress no later than March 31, 2008, regarding the use and impact of private contractors in the intelligence community, as well as the accountability mechanisms that govern their performance (Sec. 307).
- Requires the Director of National Intelligence to submit a report to Congress no later than March 31, 2008, outlining plans to increase the recruiting, hiring, and retaining of diverse candidates (Sec. 309).
- Directs the Director of National Intelligence to conduct vulnerability assessments for major systems, which are defined as significant programs of the intelligence community with projected total development and procurement costs exceeding $500.00 million (Sec. 311).
- Directs the Director of National Intelligence to present annual reports to Congress regarding the acquisition of any major systems and to notify Congress within 60 days if development costs for any programs significantly exceed the baseline costs (Sec. 313, Sec. 314).
- Increases the time of potential imprisonment for disclosing the identity of undercover intelligence officers and agents from 10 to 15 years (Sec. 324).
- Requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress within 45 days after the date of the enactment of this bill regarding the detention and interrogation methods used by the intelligence community (Sec. 326).
- Mandates that no person in the custody or within the control of an element of the intelligence community, regardless of that individual’s physical location or nationality, shall be “subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by the United States Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations” (Sec. 327).
- Requires all members of the Congressional intelligence committees to be fully updated on intelligence regarding the Israeli military action in Syria on September 6, 2007, before more than 30 percent of authorized appropriations may be expended (Sec. 328).
- Requires the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress regarding the nuclear intentions and capabilities of Iran and North Korea (Sec. 407).
- Establishes an Office of the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community to objectively investigate and audit the conduct of the intelligence community (Sec. 413).
Arabic news source: http://www.addounia.tv/index.php?d=163&id=22726
مجلس الشيوخ الأمريكي يحظر طرقاً للتعذيب تمارسها الاستخبارات
13/02/2008
صوًت مجلس الشيوخ الأمريكي مساء أمس الأربعاء على مشروع قانون ، يمنع وكالة الاستخبارات المركزية الأمريكية (سي.آي.إيه) من استخدام أسلوب الإغراق الوهمي " الغمر بالمياه" وأشكال أخرى من وسائل الإكراه مع السجناء.
مشروع القانون الجديد الذي تمت الموافقة عليه بأغلبية 51 صوتا مقابل رفض 45 صوتاً ، سيرسل إلى البيت الأبيض لإقراره، في وقت يهدد فيه الرئيس جورج بوش باستخدام حق الفيتو ضد هذا القانون.
ويلزم مشروع القانون وكالة الاستخبارات المركزية الأمريكية (سي.آي.إيه) بإتباع القواعد التي يتبعها الجيش الأمريكي في استجواب السجناء.
وكان مايكل هايدن مدير (سي.آي.إيه) ، اقر أمام الكونغرس قبل أيام بأن الوكالة استخدمت هذا الأسلوب من أجل الحصول على معلومات من ثلاثة من كبار قادة تنظيم القاعدة بمن فيه خالد شيخ محمد المشتبه في أنه العقل المدبر لهجمات أيلول/سبتمبر والذي اعتقل في باكستان عام 2003 .
يذكر أن الكونغرس ، حظر من قبل استخدام أساليب الإغراق الوهمي ووسائل التحقيقات القاسية كافة، لكن إدارة الرئيس بوش قالت إن القانون لا يطبق على أجهزة الاستخبارات.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Ask your Senator to support Section 327 of H.R. 2082
from the website of the National Religious Campaign Agaiunst Torture: http://www.nrcatactionfund.org/pb/wp_18d08901/wp_18d08901.html?0.5913784858347073
Section 327 of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act, contains a very important anti-torture provision that would require all elements of the U.S. intelligence community to abide by the restrictions in the Army Field Manual while conducting interrogations. Unfortunately, however, some Senate Republicans have threatened to block this important legislation. Writing a letter to the editor is powerful way to tell your Senator how strongly you support this legislation and an excellent way to raise awareness of this issue in your community.
Letters should be short and direct. If at all possible, they should refer to an article that was recently printed in your newspaper. You should call or email the editorial department of your newspaper to ask about the best way to submit your letter and about any guidelines they might have for writing letters. Many newspapers may have word limits or deadlines for responding to articles. Do not submit your letter to more than one newspaper at a time.
A sample letter is provided below. Please re-write it in order to make it relevant to your newspaper and your community.
-----------------------
Dear Editor:
As a resident of _(town name)_, a member of _(name of a church, temple, or other faith organization)_ and a long-time reader of the _(paper name)_, I am writing to express my opposition to the use of torture, and to encourage Senators _(the names of your Senators i.e.: Senators Douglass and Perkins)_ to support legislation that would prohibit waterboarding, mock executions, induced hypothermia and other “harsh” interrogation techniques.
As a person of faith, I believe that torture is morally wrong and that our nation must act in accordance with its values by rejecting the use of torture.
Senator _(Senator’s name)_ has the opportunity to be a leader in ending the use of torture by supporting Section 327 of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives in December. Section 327 would ban the CIA, its contractors, and all other agencies of the intelligence community from engaging in interrogation techniques that are prohibited by the Army Field Manual on Interrogations. In effect, Section 327 would prevent the use of waterboarding and other forms of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading interrogation techniques.
Unfortunately, some Senators oppose Section 327, and they may obstruct the passage of H.R. 2082 or attempt to remove Section 327 from H.R. 2082. I call on Senators _(the names of your Senators i.e.: Senators Douglass and Perkins)_ to be a leader in the fight against torture and to vote against any attempt to prevent this important anti-torture provision from becoming law.
Sincerely
(Name)
(Address)
(City, State, Zip Code)
(Daytime Phone Number)
Sample Letter to the Editor on H.R. 2082
Section 327 of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act, contains a very important anti-torture provision that would require all elements of the U.S. intelligence community to abide by the restrictions in the Army Field Manual while conducting interrogations. Unfortunately, however, some Senate Republicans have threatened to block this important legislation. Writing a letter to the editor is powerful way to tell your Senator how strongly you support this legislation and an excellent way to raise awareness of this issue in your community.
Letters should be short and direct. If at all possible, they should refer to an article that was recently printed in your newspaper. You should call or email the editorial department of your newspaper to ask about the best way to submit your letter and about any guidelines they might have for writing letters. Many newspapers may have word limits or deadlines for responding to articles. Do not submit your letter to more than one newspaper at a time.
A sample letter is provided below. Please re-write it in order to make it relevant to your newspaper and your community.
-----------------------
Dear Editor:
As a resident of _(town name)_, a member of _(name of a church, temple, or other faith organization)_ and a long-time reader of the _(paper name)_, I am writing to express my opposition to the use of torture, and to encourage Senators _(the names of your Senators i.e.: Senators Douglass and Perkins)_ to support legislation that would prohibit waterboarding, mock executions, induced hypothermia and other “harsh” interrogation techniques.
As a person of faith, I believe that torture is morally wrong and that our nation must act in accordance with its values by rejecting the use of torture.
Senator _(Senator’s name)_ has the opportunity to be a leader in ending the use of torture by supporting Section 327 of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives in December. Section 327 would ban the CIA, its contractors, and all other agencies of the intelligence community from engaging in interrogation techniques that are prohibited by the Army Field Manual on Interrogations. In effect, Section 327 would prevent the use of waterboarding and other forms of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading interrogation techniques.
Unfortunately, some Senators oppose Section 327, and they may obstruct the passage of H.R. 2082 or attempt to remove Section 327 from H.R. 2082. I call on Senators _(the names of your Senators i.e.: Senators Douglass and Perkins)_ to be a leader in the fight against torture and to vote against any attempt to prevent this important anti-torture provision from becoming law.
Sincerely
(Name)
(Address)
(City, State, Zip Code)
(Daytime Phone Number)
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
KUBARK: The CIA Torture Manual online!
from the website: http://www.kimsoft.com/2000/kubark.htmI. Introduction
II. Definitions
III. Legal And Policy Considerations
IV. The Interrogator
V. The Interrogatee
VI. Screening And Other Preliminaries
VII. Planning The Counterintelligence Interrogation
VIII. The Non-Coercive Counterintelligence Interrogation
IX. The Coercive Counterintelligence Interrogation Of Resistant Sources
X. Interrogator's Check List
Descriptive Biliography
Thanks to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) that made it possible to the Baltimore Sun newspaper to obtain this document that was classified SECRET for a long time since it was produced in 1963.
However, it took the Sun almost 10 years to get this copy, and expose the dirty world of government-sponsored torture in the US.
Although many paragraphs were deleted (Calssified) from this copy but still gives you a good picture on the similarities between all torture methods in the US or Khartoum.
Chapter IX in particular reviews part of the torture methods that interrogators can use on their 'interrogatees'.
Here are the main sub-titles of this cahpter:
Restrictions
The Theory of Coercion
Arrest
Detention 86-87
Deprivation of Sensory Stimuli 87-90
Threats and Fear 90-92
Debility 92-93
Pain 93-95
Heightened Suggestibility and Hypnosis 95-98
Narcosis 98-100
The Detection of Malingering 101-102
Conclusion 103-104
For those of us Sudanese torture survivors we immediately saw similarities of many methods in this manual with those been used in the Ghost Houses torture centers run by the government of Sudan. No wonder, many of the Sudan's security officers were trained in the US during Nixon and Reagan adminstrations.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Torture Survivors Reject Mukasey
المجموعة السودانية لمناهضة التعذيب*
فيلادلفيا- بنسلفانيا
فيلادلفيا- بنسلفانيا
أمهرست- ماساتشوسيتس
21 Nov 2007
Retired federal judge Michael Mukasey
مناهضو التعذيب السودانيون يرفضون ترشيح موكاسي
بقلق بالغ استقبلت المجموعة السودانية لمناهضة التعذيب أمر ترشيح الرئيس بوش لشخص آخر مثير للجدل لمقعد النائب العام.
ففي أثناء مقابلته مع اللجنة التشريعية لمجلس الشيوخ رفض القاضي السابق/ مايكل موكاسي، المرشح للوظيفة أن يؤكد على أن "الغمر بالماء" هو وسيلة من وسائل التعذيب.
و لقد بدا واضحا أن السيد/ موكاسي كان يتهرب من الاجابة على السؤال دون أن يلزم نفسه بموقف واضح حيث قال "ان كانت هذه الوسيلة نوعا من التعذيب، اذا لايمكن استخدامها".
ولم يكتفي المرشح بهذا الموقف الهزيل و حسب،حيث كان قد صرح من قبل أن المعتقلين تحت طائلة قانون الحرب ضد الارهاب"يعتبروا نوعية مختلفة من البشر" و بالتالي ليس على المحققين الالتزام بمعاهدة جنيفا في التعامل معهم!
ان ترشيح شخصية كهذه لا تود الالتزام بتعريف التعذيب في القانون الأمريكي لهو بمثابة الأمر الخطير،بل المثير حتى للغضب و يشكل اهانة كبيرة لأكثر من 400 الف شخص من ضحايا التعذيب يعيشون الآن بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية.
لقد لعبت الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية لأكثر من نصف قرن، دورا رئيسيا في محاربة التعذيب حول العالم و ذلك من خلال مساعدتها في كتابة مسودات القوانين و المعاهدات الدولية خاصة معاهدة مناهضة التعذيب لعام 1984. انه لمن المحزن أن نرى كيف تقوم ادارة الرئيس بوش بتشويه سمعة التاريخ التشريعي الأمريكي المشرف و التقاليد الداعية للفخر في المعاملة الانسانية للمعتقلين أثناء التحقيق في السجون الأمريكية.
ان فضيحة وزارة العدل المعروفة باسم "مذكرة التعذيب" كانت خطوة أولى ساهم في صياغتها النائب العام المستقيل البرتو جونزاليس ، ثم تلتها فضيحة أخرى كانت بمثابة جرم في حق اللاجئين بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية ،خاصة السودانيين،وكان ذلك حين استضافت ادارة الرئيس بوش وعلى حساب دافع الضرائب، رئيس جهاز الأمن السوداني و المسؤول الأول عن مؤسسة التعذيب في السودان. و حينما تم اكتشاف أمر الزيارة السرية في عام 2005؛ بررت الادارة بأن أجهزتها الاستخباراتية كانت تنسق مع النظام السوداني في حربها ضد الارهاب!
كيف يمكن لهذه الادارة أن تطرح نفسها كشكل مغاير و معادي لنظام الهوس الديني في السودان والذي دوما يختار نائبه العام من زبانية و مهندسي التعذيب ذوي السمعة السيئة؟؟؟
وكيف يمكن لأعضاء منظمتنا منح الثقة للسيد/ موكاسي كنائب عام، و أن يطالب نيابة عنهم بتقديم من قاموا بتعذيبهم في السودان للمحاكمات القانونية؟؟؟
اننا نضم صوتنا الى بقية المنظمات الحقوقية و الناشطين في مجال مناهضة التعذيب بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية في حث ممثلينا بالمجلسين لرفض ترشيح السيد/ مايكل موكاسي لمنصب النائب العام.
(*) المجموعة السودانية المناهضة للتعذيب هي منظمة لحقوق الانسان مقرها الولايات المتحدة الامريكية، و هي تعمل لاجل رفع مستوى الوعي بقضية التعذيب في العالم بشكل عام، و في السودان بشكل خاص.
ان هذه المجموعة تعمل و تدافع بشكل اساس عن مفهوم و خلق" مفوضية لاجل الحقيقة و المصالحة" في السودان ، وذلك لاجل الخروج من دوامة العنف، وكما انها تعمل و بحزم اكيد لتقديم متهم و مسئول عن ممارسة التعذيب الي ساحة العدالة.
أن العفو عن جرائم حقوق الانسان يجب يمنحه الضحايا انفسهم ، لان العفو في هذا الشأن حقٌ لا يمتلكه غيرهم.
--------------------------------------
Date: 11/21/07
Philadelphia, PA & Amherst, MA: The Group Against Torture in Sudan (GATS) is seriously troubled by the Bush Administration’s nomination of another questionable person to the post of Attorney general. In his confirmation hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey refused to say that Waterboarding is torture. He appeared very hesitant and danced around the issue and only saying “if it is torture, it can't be used”. In his attempt to explain why interrogators should not abide with Geneva Conventions, he described a prisoner in the war against terror as a “very different type of person”.
To nominate a person who clearly does not want to commit himself to the rule of law and the clear US definition of torture is very dangerous. In addition, it is outrageous and insulting to the more than 400,000 torture survivors who live in this country.
For more than half a century the United States played a major role in fighting torture around the world. It helped to draft most of the international human rights treaties especially the Convention Against Torture of 1984. It’s very sad to see how this administration is bringing down this shining legislative history and proud tradition of humane detention and interrogation practices.
The scandal of the Justice Department, known in infamy, as the ‘Torture Memo’ during the time of the previous Attorney General was one step in this fall. It was followed by another blow to the Sudanese torture survivors who took refuge in the US when they found out that this administration was secretly cooperating with the head of the torture machine in Sudan in 2005. The CIA tried to justify this unethical act by claiming that they were taking advice from the engineer of torture in the war against terror!
How can we claim that we are different from the current fanatic regime of Sudan that always made the founders of the torture system their Chief Justice? How could GATS members trust that Mr. Mukasey, as Attorney General, to advocate on their behalf to bring the torturers in Sudan to justice?
Philadelphia, PA & Amherst, MA: The Group Against Torture in Sudan (GATS) is seriously troubled by the Bush Administration’s nomination of another questionable person to the post of Attorney general. In his confirmation hearing by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey refused to say that Waterboarding is torture. He appeared very hesitant and danced around the issue and only saying “if it is torture, it can't be used”. In his attempt to explain why interrogators should not abide with Geneva Conventions, he described a prisoner in the war against terror as a “very different type of person”.
To nominate a person who clearly does not want to commit himself to the rule of law and the clear US definition of torture is very dangerous. In addition, it is outrageous and insulting to the more than 400,000 torture survivors who live in this country.
For more than half a century the United States played a major role in fighting torture around the world. It helped to draft most of the international human rights treaties especially the Convention Against Torture of 1984. It’s very sad to see how this administration is bringing down this shining legislative history and proud tradition of humane detention and interrogation practices.
The scandal of the Justice Department, known in infamy, as the ‘Torture Memo’ during the time of the previous Attorney General was one step in this fall. It was followed by another blow to the Sudanese torture survivors who took refuge in the US when they found out that this administration was secretly cooperating with the head of the torture machine in Sudan in 2005. The CIA tried to justify this unethical act by claiming that they were taking advice from the engineer of torture in the war against terror!
How can we claim that we are different from the current fanatic regime of Sudan that always made the founders of the torture system their Chief Justice? How could GATS members trust that Mr. Mukasey, as Attorney General, to advocate on their behalf to bring the torturers in Sudan to justice?
We add our voice to all human rights organizations and call upon the United States Senate to reject the nomination of Michael Mukasey as Attorney General of the United States.
The Group Against Torture in Sudan-GATS, is an advocacy human rights group based in the United States. GATS works to rais awareness about torture worldwide and especially in Sudan. While GATS is advocating strongly for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission concept in Sudan in order to stop the vicious cycle of violence, it’s also working relentlessly to bring perpetrators to justice. Amnesty and forgiveness of perpetrators of their crimes should be given only by the torture survivors.
# # #
Friday, November 16, 2007
Lou Ann Merkle: Torture is not an American Value
Torture is not an American value. Here's a test to determine whether Waterboarding & every other form of torture is right or wrong:
1. Could our Congress and President proudly host a program showing the Waterboarding of a man or woman with an American flag on the same stage and broadcast this to the world?
2. Could our Congressmen and Congresswomen, Senators and President expose themselves to Waterboarding as the courageous Presidential Advisor Levin did and still have doubts about it being torture?
3. Would our Congressmen and Congresswomen, Senators and President allow this to be done to their own children and/or our own American service people and consider it a tolerable means of gaining information?
I can't imagine anyone answering yes to any of these questions.
Torture is done behind closed doors away from the public eye for a reason. The torturers lose their humanity as they inflict pain without mercy and fail to hear the pleadings for mercy from their suffering victims. Torture is done to "others" who are dehumanized beyond the reach of international human rights protections.
An America that not only accepts torure, but has a school that trains American & international soldiers in its techniques fuels a climate of fear and sows the seeds of our own destruction.We lead by example.
We reap what we sow. Torture is wrong and this Administration has betrayed our most fundamental values by legalizing state-sponsored brutality.
Lou Ann Merkle
Executi Director
Darfur Alert Coalition
Friday, November 09, 2007
Former 'Ghost House' prisoner gives a presentation at church
Disclaimer: There were some misinformation in the following article, which WMDC informed the reporter about and corrected it here in this edited version(in blue bold text)
SOMERSET — For the past year and a half, many members of the different churches around Somerset have come together to raise money for the refugees fleeing a genocide in the faraway country of Sudan.
On Sunday, a lot of those people got to hear a firsthand account of what life is like in that African country by a man who says he was tortured for 18 months (118 days) before leaving Sudan.
Mohammed Ibrahim Elgadhi, the co-founder of the Darfur Alert Coalition, told those in attendance at the Congregational Christian Christian Church that he had been on the run for three years before being arrested in 1992 and put in one of the "Ghost Houses," which the president of Sudan had said did not exist.
"There were more than 50 methods of torture they used," Dr. Elgadhi said of what occurred in the Ghost Houses where he said guards beat prisoners.
Dr. Elgadhi said there was both physical and mental torture in the Ghost House, from threats with trained dogs to electric shock. After the torture, he said prisoners would be put in small cells where they underwent ultrasound that made them forget tortures they had endured (made them forget what they had said under torture).
"They used a lot of sophisticated techniques because they have a lot of medical people who supervise the tortures with them," Dr. Elgadhi said.
Dr. Elgadhi said he was arrested for documenting human rights violations in Sudan and that is why he was put in a Ghost House. He said he had been talking to people who had been tortured in prisons in the country (before he got arrested).
Dr. Elgadhi was released from the Ghost House under the conditions that he would be an informant or a spy. At that time in 1993, he said he fled the country to Yemen to be with family members.
Dr. Elgadhi said Ghost Houses still exist in Sudan. He said the CIA from the United States has been using informants from Sudan (Security Agency)for what they say is information to help them fight terror.
"You can not use a terrorist to help you," Dr. Elgadhi said. "You can not use torture (you can not work with torturers). That is wrong."
Dr. Elgadhi talked about torture and genocide not only in Sudan, but also in other parts of the world and the U.S. He said torture is used in more than 150 countries, including the U.S. Dr. Elgadhi said the definition of genocide that is provided by the United Nations needs to be reconsidered. He said the definition only includes the genocide of groups because of nationalities, ethnicities or religion.
Dr. Elgadhi talked about other genocides over world history, including the Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I, the Holocaust and genocides in Rwanda, Kosovo and Iraq. He said there was genocide in the U.S. when many Native Americans were killed off and (millions of African Americans) during slave trade times that included not only the U.S., but also European countries and the Ottoman Empire.
Before Dr. Elgadhi spoke, Holocaust survivor Janet Applefield gave a presentation. She told about surviving the Holocaust as a young girl in Poland where anti-semitism was severe. She talked about how her mother was killed and her father was put in a concentration camp while she stayed with a cousin who was cruel to her. She said when her cousin was arrested for being part of the Polish resistance, she was taken in at a farm where there were eight children. Ms. Applefield was put in an orphanage, but in time her father found her and brought her back to Poland. When they figured out they would not have a future in Poland, they moved to the United States.
The two speakers were sponsored by the Christian Congregations of Somerset and Swansea. The title of the program was called "Holocaust and Genocide: What Lessons Will We Learn? What Can We Do?"
Dr. Elgadhi also discussed the "forgotten genocides," which he said have included Palestinians who can not go back (to Palestine and) live (with no rights) in the oil rich countries, the Japanese in America during World War II, Chinese and Soviet genocides (in the 1930s) and the genocide in East Timor in 1975. He said under the definition of genocide, the large number of people who are killed after a war is not included. He said more than 500,000 Germans were killed in the five years after World War II.
Dr. Elgadhi said the U.S. recognized genocide in the Sudan in 2004, but despite a peace agreement, atrocities and violence are continuing in the country. He showed photographs that demonstrate the impact of genocide which can include malnutrition and contaminated water. He said rape is used as a form of torture, especially in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Dr. Elgadhi said the attorney general in the U.S. has also tried to change the definition of torture. He said CIA "enhanced interrogation techniques" can include attention slaps, belly slaps, making a prisoner stand for hours, cold treatment and water boarding which the Bush Administration has denied is torture. Dr. Elgadhi displayed the names and photographs of torturers in Sudan on a screen at the church. He said people need to support U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy on his strong stance against genocide and torture (regarding the Atorney General nominee, Michael Mukasey).
"It was a very moving presentation and very informative, very sad to hear the stories they had to tell," Somerset resident Shirley Denison, who has been raising money to help refugees in Sudan, said of the remarks of Dr. Elgadhi and Ms. Applefield.
Sheila Matthews attended the presentations and said what is alarming to her is the CIA's involvement in the affairs of other countries around the world. She said the U.S. has helped in overthrows of other countries that have turned around to cause problems for America.
"For me, the thing that really hits you is how we in the United States have been involved in the genocides, either directly or indirectly," Ms. Matthews said.
By GEORGE AUSTIN
Editor
Editor
The Spectator, 11/07/2007
SOMERSET — For the past year and a half, many members of the different churches around Somerset have come together to raise money for the refugees fleeing a genocide in the faraway country of Sudan.
On Sunday, a lot of those people got to hear a firsthand account of what life is like in that African country by a man who says he was tortured for 18 months (118 days) before leaving Sudan.
Mohammed Ibrahim Elgadhi, the co-founder of the Darfur Alert Coalition, told those in attendance at the Congregational Christian Christian Church that he had been on the run for three years before being arrested in 1992 and put in one of the "Ghost Houses," which the president of Sudan had said did not exist.
"There were more than 50 methods of torture they used," Dr. Elgadhi said of what occurred in the Ghost Houses where he said guards beat prisoners.
Dr. Elgadhi said there was both physical and mental torture in the Ghost House, from threats with trained dogs to electric shock. After the torture, he said prisoners would be put in small cells where they underwent ultrasound that made them forget tortures they had endured (made them forget what they had said under torture).
"They used a lot of sophisticated techniques because they have a lot of medical people who supervise the tortures with them," Dr. Elgadhi said.
Dr. Elgadhi said he was arrested for documenting human rights violations in Sudan and that is why he was put in a Ghost House. He said he had been talking to people who had been tortured in prisons in the country (before he got arrested).
Dr. Elgadhi was released from the Ghost House under the conditions that he would be an informant or a spy. At that time in 1993, he said he fled the country to Yemen to be with family members.
Dr. Elgadhi said Ghost Houses still exist in Sudan. He said the CIA from the United States has been using informants from Sudan (Security Agency)for what they say is information to help them fight terror.
"You can not use a terrorist to help you," Dr. Elgadhi said. "You can not use torture (you can not work with torturers). That is wrong."
Dr. Elgadhi talked about torture and genocide not only in Sudan, but also in other parts of the world and the U.S. He said torture is used in more than 150 countries, including the U.S. Dr. Elgadhi said the definition of genocide that is provided by the United Nations needs to be reconsidered. He said the definition only includes the genocide of groups because of nationalities, ethnicities or religion.
Dr. Elgadhi talked about other genocides over world history, including the Armenian genocide in Turkey during World War I, the Holocaust and genocides in Rwanda, Kosovo and Iraq. He said there was genocide in the U.S. when many Native Americans were killed off and (millions of African Americans) during slave trade times that included not only the U.S., but also European countries and the Ottoman Empire.
Before Dr. Elgadhi spoke, Holocaust survivor Janet Applefield gave a presentation. She told about surviving the Holocaust as a young girl in Poland where anti-semitism was severe. She talked about how her mother was killed and her father was put in a concentration camp while she stayed with a cousin who was cruel to her. She said when her cousin was arrested for being part of the Polish resistance, she was taken in at a farm where there were eight children. Ms. Applefield was put in an orphanage, but in time her father found her and brought her back to Poland. When they figured out they would not have a future in Poland, they moved to the United States.
The two speakers were sponsored by the Christian Congregations of Somerset and Swansea. The title of the program was called "Holocaust and Genocide: What Lessons Will We Learn? What Can We Do?"
Dr. Elgadhi also discussed the "forgotten genocides," which he said have included Palestinians who can not go back (to Palestine and) live (with no rights) in the oil rich countries, the Japanese in America during World War II, Chinese and Soviet genocides (in the 1930s) and the genocide in East Timor in 1975. He said under the definition of genocide, the large number of people who are killed after a war is not included. He said more than 500,000 Germans were killed in the five years after World War II.
Dr. Elgadhi said the U.S. recognized genocide in the Sudan in 2004, but despite a peace agreement, atrocities and violence are continuing in the country. He showed photographs that demonstrate the impact of genocide which can include malnutrition and contaminated water. He said rape is used as a form of torture, especially in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Dr. Elgadhi said the attorney general in the U.S. has also tried to change the definition of torture. He said CIA "enhanced interrogation techniques" can include attention slaps, belly slaps, making a prisoner stand for hours, cold treatment and water boarding which the Bush Administration has denied is torture. Dr. Elgadhi displayed the names and photographs of torturers in Sudan on a screen at the church. He said people need to support U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy on his strong stance against genocide and torture (regarding the Atorney General nominee, Michael Mukasey).
"It was a very moving presentation and very informative, very sad to hear the stories they had to tell," Somerset resident Shirley Denison, who has been raising money to help refugees in Sudan, said of the remarks of Dr. Elgadhi and Ms. Applefield.
Sheila Matthews attended the presentations and said what is alarming to her is the CIA's involvement in the affairs of other countries around the world. She said the U.S. has helped in overthrows of other countries that have turned around to cause problems for America.
"For me, the thing that really hits you is how we in the United States have been involved in the genocides, either directly or indirectly," Ms. Matthews said.
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