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The CIA's latest "ghost detainee"
Salon ^ | Mark Benjamin

Posted on 05/22/2007 4:12:41 AM PDT by ZacandPook

The CIA's latest "ghost detainee" http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/05/22/cia_prisoner/

New details confirm a CIA prisoner disappeared in U.S. custody for months, renewing suspicions the agency could be violating the law and using torture.

By Mark Benjamin ? Salon composite picturing Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi.

May 22, 2007 | WASHINGTON -- In late April the Pentagon announced with fanfare that Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, a former top advisor to Osama bin Laden, was in custody at the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Although al-Hadi was "one of al-Qaida's highest ranking and experienced senior operatives" and may have been planning attacks on Western targets at the time of his capture, he would be treated humanely, the Pentagon said. Military officials had alerted the International Committee of the Red Cross that al-Hadi was in their custody, and said they would grant the Red Cross access to monitor his treatment.

But as the Pentagon also noted in late April, al-Hadi was not a new prisoner; he had been in CIA custody since the fall of 2006. And Salon has discovered that, in contrast to the protocols followed by the Pentagon, the CIA kept al-Hadi's months-long detention a secret -- not only from the public but from the Red Cross as well, raising new questions about the CIA's treatment of prisoners in the war on terrorism. While the U.S. military recently adopted new rules for interrogation in the wake of the Abu Ghraib torture scandal, legal and human rights experts say the CIA may be continuing to flout the law -- potentially using abusive interrogation tactics at secret prisons known as "black sites" -- at the direction of the Bush White House.

(Excerpt) Read more at salon.com ...


TOPICS: Anthrax Scare; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alhadi; binladen; cia; torture
Certainly it should be appreciated that there is great tactical reason not to issue a press release upon a capture of a senior leader. That would prevent the capture of other operatives. Not giving authorities time to act on the information, such as occurred with the capture of KSM, would be highly regrettable.

Of course, apart from the moral questions raised, there are some self-interested reasons for being against "torture". For example, we don't want our troops tortured.

See also Why Senator Leahy Was Targeted With Anthrax -5/22/2007

http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2850&cid=1&sid=107

But Mr. Benajamin seems to miss this point about the critical importance of concealing the fact of capture while other networks are rolled up

This al Hadi capture seems hugely important -- he reportedly has had a longstanding deep understanding of AQ operations and extensive contact with OBL and Ayman. At one time, he was said to be Ayman's "caretaker."

1 posted on 05/22/2007 4:12:42 AM PDT by ZacandPook
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To: ZacandPook

waaaahhh he’s having underware put on his head.


2 posted on 05/22/2007 4:16:54 AM PDT by mrmargaritaville
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To: ZacandPook

What prisoner? What torture? I didn’t see anything.
Keep up the good work guys.


3 posted on 05/22/2007 4:21:15 AM PDT by BuffaloJack
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To: mrmargaritaville

At least he still has his head. Their captives frequently don’t.


4 posted on 05/22/2007 4:21:49 AM PDT by Dumpster Baby ("Hope somebody finds me before the rats do .....")
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To: ZacandPook

If we are torturing prisoners that have information that will save American soldiers lives then I’m all for it.
Still not up to the standards they are using against us.
Hell I think we should nuke Iran for killing our troops and some worry about a little torture?


5 posted on 05/22/2007 4:23:34 AM PDT by Joe Boucher
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To: ZacandPook

Benajamin have to excuse the U.S. authorities for not running to the press every time they do something. They might be busy carrying out their duties and protecting this country. No wonder Benajamin is miffed.

That article sure did have a lot of “maybes” and “could bes” in it. Talking about getting a lot of writers cramps not knowing anything.


6 posted on 05/22/2007 4:26:54 AM PDT by Tut
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To: ZacandPook

Why Senator Leahy Was Targeted With Anthrax -5/22/2007

http://globalpolitician.com/articledes.asp?ID=2850&cid=1&sid=107

“The [Leahy Law] has been interpreted to permit continued appropriations to security units under “extraordinary circumstances” — such as, say, the Global War on Terror. Senator Leahy separately was head of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, the panel in charge of aid to Egypt and Israel. The other Senator targeted was Senator Daschle, who as Senate majority leader had a key role in all appropriations. The media and public has superficially understood Leahy and Daschle as “liberals” without seeing things through the eyes of the head of Al Qaeda’s anthrax weaponization program, Ayman Zawahiri. That has led to a situation where the public has been less strident than they might have been in insisting that the United States do the one thing that might avoid additional anthrax — treat all detainees according to the Geneva Convention and cut off appropriations to the military and security units of any ally that continues to torture detainees.”

The Salon article notes that last year the US Supreme Court held that aspects of the Geneva Convention applied to even high-level detainees.


7 posted on 05/22/2007 4:33:19 AM PDT by ZacandPook
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To: ZacandPook

For example we don’t want our troops to be tortured...

They aren’t tortured really, beheaded yes, mutilated yes (to include cutting off genitals and extremities—fingers, noses, ears, etc.)

Hung naked from bridges and burned, but no torture here; nothing to see, move along.

The Pentagon PC warriors, Rats in Congress and their RINO allies, State Department Losers, and the intentionally deceived and deceiving MSM are surely destroying the morale of our deployed forces.

I am convinced those who are destroying the morale of our fighting forces do so with malice aforethought and are proud of the very sick things they do when they lie and distort and template according to their hatred of AMERICA.

May all who engage in this effort to demonize and marginalize the best troops ever fielded in favor of the sub-humans they courageously face, be captured by the islamist sub-humans and given the humane treatment they so deserve.


8 posted on 05/22/2007 4:33:59 AM PDT by the anti-mahdi
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To: ZacandPook
Oh please, why would we waste our time torturing for the sake of torturing? Just to be cruel? To be mean? Who would it benefit if done in secret?

It’s nonsense.

Obviously the US is interrogating terrorists for vital info, and will do whatever gets the best results.

9 posted on 05/22/2007 4:43:06 AM PDT by roses of sharon
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To: ZacandPook
And Salon has discovered

And we all know how important Salon discoveries are.

Salon is saving us (and poor terrorists) from evil.

10 posted on 05/22/2007 4:51:59 AM PDT by Tom Bombadil
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To: ZacandPook
"Of course, apart from the moral questions raised, there are some self-interested reasons for being against "torture". For example, we don't want our troops tortured.

What moron actually thinks if we treat the enemy POWs nice they will treat our POWs nice. These folks need to get into reality.

11 posted on 05/22/2007 5:03:03 AM PDT by mosaicwolf
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To: mrmargaritaville

Oh the humanity!! /sob /sob


12 posted on 05/22/2007 5:24:14 AM PDT by true_blue_texican (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...)
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To: ZacandPook

Oh yes, I see the signature on the Geneva Conventions.

Al Queada - signing for global terrorism.

Idiots - This is not a Geneva Convention war. As a matter of fact Al Queada is he kind of armed force the Geneva Conventions were drawn up to abolish. No uniforms, attacks on civilian targets, no recognized controlling authority... the list goes on. Rabid dogs aren’t handled the same as dogs that have a collar and rabies shots. Why should the dogs of Al Queada be treated as soldiers when they are thugs violating the rules of civilization.


13 posted on 05/22/2007 6:07:20 AM PDT by Waverunner
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To: ZacandPook
Well, since he was in good health when they made his detention public, it seem obvious that no real forms of torture were used.

I'm sure he was aggressively questioned. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for him.

He should have considered that before planning to murder innocents.

When keeping him alive no longer serves a useful military purpose, he should be tried by a military tribunal and if convicted, he should be executed.

14 posted on 05/22/2007 6:41:54 AM PDT by untrained skeptic
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