Posted on 12/14/2005 2:41:02 PM PST by kellynla
HOLD THE PRESSES. I've discovered that the use of torture by the U.S. government is far more pervasive than previously believed. There are major facilities all over the country where thousands of men and women who have not committed any crime are held for prolonged periods while subjected to physical and psychological coercion that violates every tenet of the Geneva Convention.
They are routinely made to stand for long periods in uncomfortable positions. They are made to walk for hours while wearing heavy loads on their backs. They are bullied by martinets who get in their faces and yell insults at them. They are hit and often knocked down with clubs known as pugil sticks. They are denied sleep for more than a day at a time. They are forced to inhale tear gas. They are prevented from seeing friends or family. Some are traumatized by this treatment. Others are injured. A few even die.
Should Amnesty International or the International Committee of the Red Cross want to investigate these human-rights abuses, they could visit Parris Island, S.C., Camp Pendleton, Calif., Ft. Benning, Ga., Ft. Jackson, S.C., and other bases where the Army and Marines train recruits. It's worth keeping in mind how roughly the U.S. government treats its own defenders before we get too worked up over the treatment of captured terrorists.
With all the uproar over torture, you would think we handled prisoners the way Saddam Hussein did. The former dictator's trial has featured copious testimony on how his goons raped, mutilated, beat or murdered those who fell under suspicion of disloyalty. This type of treatment — fingernails pulled, electric shocks applied, sharp objects put where they don't belong — is what the word "torture" commonly connotes. That's not what American operatives are up to.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
no stress cards at Ft. Benning, Ft. Sill or Ft. Knox either....
I don't know about Jackson, but I am pretty sure that is a rumor....
I went to Benning. We never had them there....
We always "heard" that it was Ft. Jackson, but snopes says that it's all BS.
Later i heard the same guy tried to tie the cord around his neck and jumped out the window but broke his legs on the way down!
I would imagine if these stress cards were actually used it was limited to one or two companies to see how it worked. If true, i would think with all the negative rumours flying around TRADOC would quickly discontinue the idea.
try "Wartime SERE school" at Camp McKall...:))
Wow... LA Times?? Thanks for the ping! ;-)
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
I positively can't stand McCain. His liberal proposals like his Campaign Finance Reform serve to undermine the Bush administration and to gain favor with the left and our critics overseas. Torture is illegal in America, we already know that, but what the McCain amendment will do is to stop the use of coercive interrogation tactics to extract vital information. This “torture” ban will give terrorists like Al-Qaeda the right to convince the courts to interfere with the conduct of the war on terror. Imagine if a terrorist is caught, and and he and other terrorists plan to carry out another attack like 9/11, the McCain ban will allow the attack to take place, since the only one caught wouldn't willingly provide any information.
McCain ping.
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