Posted on 04/29/2009 6:14:59 PM PDT by Liberty Ship
The British government operated a secret torture centre during the second world war to extract information and confessions from German prisoners, according to official papers which have been unearthed by the Guardian.
More than 3,000 prisoners passed through the centre, where many were systematically beaten, deprived of sleep, forced to stand still for more than 24 hours at a time and threatened with execution or unnecessary surgery.
Some are also alleged to have been starved and subjected to extremes of temperature in specially built showers, while others later complained that they had been threatened with electric shock torture or menaced by interrogators brandishing red-hot pokers.
The centre, which was housed in a row of mansions in one of London's most affluent neighbourhoods, was carefully concealed from the Red Cross, the papers show. It continued to operate for three years after the war, during which time a number of German civilians were also tortured.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
placemark
Hmm, so somewhere Obama claimed Britain to be torture free. I don’t doubt it, but would be curious when Obama said it.
oops my bad, missed the headline.
He asserted it in his 100 day press conference just now. He also said the stock market had gone from 14 MILLION to 9 MILLION!
God, I knew the quality of education at Harvard was slipping, but my word...
The British government operated a secret torture centre during the second world war to extract information and confessions from German prisoners... was carefully concealed from the Red Cross, the papers show. It continued to operate for three years after the war, during which time a number of German civilians were also tortured.These weren't torture centers, they were provided to ensure good hygiene for the POWs. /sarc
Hanged, drawn, and quartered not too awful long before that?
(not that there's anything wrong with either in certain circumstances....IMO)
The UK had and has harsh interrogation techniques which is probably why they can get better and more information regarding terrorist attack plans.
He said it today.
It may help to recall that they were living in the modern’’ of times, and hitler was lobbing V2s and carrying out air raids. Wonnerful times they were.
40 years without capital punishment.
I’m pretty sure the Brits were using hanging as their sole means (other than firing squad for military stuff) of execution before 1900. The Germans, however, used the guillotine for executions(among other methods) until the end of WWII.
Facts are that interrogators got better info from detainees in WW2 through so-called soft techniques. Let’s face it - torture sucks. It sucks becaue it does not work. It also is a great recruiter of enemies. It is shameful on the one hand and ineffective on the other.
Stay on the high ground folks.
Works better every time.
Conservatives should ALWAYS be on the hign ground.
Always.
And homeowners jailed for defending themselves.
Sorry, but torture does work. And guys like KSM were already recruited.
Normally I would agree with you but you must remember these terrorisys are nucking futs!
“Hmm, so somewhere Obama claimed Britain to be torture free. I don’t doubt it, but would be curious when Obama said it.”
Obama made a point of it in his recitation of his lines tonight.
You're right. Also the main form of execution in France, it seems. I remember seeing grainy footage of a beheading and I mistakenly remember it being England.
My bad.
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