A new report by the Human Rights Watch
has recently brought new questions around official C.I.A. reports
regarding the extent of waterboarding conducted by the united states,
specifically upon Libyan prisoners. The agency has repeatedly gone on
record stating that waterboarding was only ever used in three cases
(on Abu Zubaydah, who ran a terrorist camp; on Khalid Shaikh
Mohammed, who organized the Sept. 11th attacks, and on Abd
al-Nashiri, who was suspected of planning to bomb the destroyer Cole
in 2000), but this new report indicates that there may have been
another prisoner who was waterboarded. Mohammed Shoroeiya stated that
one time while imprisoned in Afghanistan, his captors put a hood over
his head, strapped him to a wooden board (which they could spin
around to disorient him), and poured water over his head until he
felt like he was drowning. While he did not use the word
“waterboarding”, this description closely matches well-known
descriptions of that term. When questioned about this, a C.I.A.
spokesperson stated that the agency has already gone on record with
its official statements of three cases, and that the Justice
Department had looked into the treatment of over 100 detainees and
“declined prosecution in every case”. However, it is possible
that Libyan prisoners were not a part of the detainees whose cases
were investigated.
This case is very difficult to analyze
and prosecute. While the Human Rights Watch is a well-regarded
institution whose word is highly respected, without the cooperation
of the C.I.A. it is very hard to corroborate these claims. If any
further leeway is to be made into this case, it must involve either
some form of spying or subterfuge, or a power higher than the C.I.A.
must mandate investigation. As it is, it is highly unlikely that this
mandate will be put into effect (especially with it being election
season in the United States right now). Therefore, it is unlikely
that much progress will be made, since conducting illegal
investigations into the C.I.A. would be very challenging, very risky,
and highly punishable. So while Mr. Shoroeiya's story coming to light
is a small triumph for him in its own right, it is highly doubtful
that any real prosecution will be made or that retribution or at
least apology will be had for him.
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