The Admin. of G W Bush has threatened the UK in a email. The email was read in open court to what should be the embarrassment of every American.
In an email to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which was sent on to the court, Stephen Mathias, a legal adviser to the US state department, said that the disclosure of information would cause "serious and lasting damage to the US-UK intelligence-sharing relationship and thus the national security of the UK, and the aggressive and unprecedented intervention in the apparently functioning adjudicatory processes of a longtime ally of the UK, in contravention of well-established principles of international comity."
This is the ongoing story of Binyam Mohamed, the detainee that was Rendered to Morrocco and had his penis sliced with scalpels. A British Court has ordered the release of documents that may prove that both the Brits and the US knew of this torture and more.
One of the interesting facts of this case goes a long way to make one wonder just exactly what it is they are trying to hide. It would appear some of it is very serious when you read the following paragraph.
Last week, in the initial hearing of the case, the high court found that MI5 had participated in the unlawful interrogation of Mohamed. It emerged that one MI5 officer was so concerned about incriminating himself that he initially declined to answer questions from the judges even in private. Although the judges said that "no adverse conclusions" should be drawn by the plea against self-incrimination, it was disclosed that the officer, Witness B, was questioned about alleged war crimes, including torture, under the international criminal court act. Disclosure of prisoner details would harm national security, says US
Mohamed, a UK resident, is facing the death penalty. He is quoted as saying when his Torturers were done with him he confessed to anything they want him to. I know they guys will understand why as they cross their legs in a instinctual reaction.
Mohamed claims he was transferred illegally from Pakistan to Morocco after his arrest and alleges he was tortured during his 18 months in detention. Neither the United States nor Britain has disclosed any information about his time in custody until he arrived at Guantánamo Bay in 2004.
His lawyers have argued any evidence the United States has for holding Mohamed came through ''medieval'' torture in Morocco.
According to Mohamed's account, filed in a U.S. Supreme Court affidavit, torturers sliced his penis with a scalpel and threatened to sever his private parts. Mohamed claims he was beaten, deprived of sleep and given mind-altering drugs. Guantánamo detainee's case back in UK court
Just the other day there was a diary pondering if what Bush says isn't torture, but that McCain said was torture is or is not torture. I don't think there can be any question if what Mohamed claims happened, is torture or not. I hope someone will ask McCain how he feels about Americans using scalpels to Fillet Detainees penises?
Update: I just ran across this new release about a American Judges concerns about Detainee trials you may be interested in reading.
U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon, who has said he wants to resolve the 24 cases assigned to him before the next president is sworn in, urged President Bush's administration to find a way for at least part of those cases to be held in public.
"If it can't be done, I have great concern that these hearings will be virtually or exclusively classified, closed to the public and, I might add, to the detainees," Leon said. Judge fears secret hearings over Guantanamo Bay