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April 2, 2013

British Forces Recount Abuses at Secret U.S. Prison in Iraq 
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British forces who helped operate a secret U.S. prison in Baghdad have
spoken out for the first time about abuses they witnessed there. The
Guardian reports former British soldiers and air force personnel say
prisoners at the secretive Camp Nama were held for prolonged periods in
cells the size of large dog kennels, subjected to electric shocks,
routinely hooded, and taken to sound-proofed shipping containers for
interrogations, after which they emerged in a state of physical
distress. One British servicemember recalled seeing a man's prosthetic
leg pulled off and used to beat him about the head before he was thrown
onto a truck. Many said they complained about the abuse to no avail. The
latest report follows revelations years ago about torture and abuse at
the secret facility at Baghdad International airport following the
U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Human Rights Watch has said prisoners there
were subjected to beatings, extreme cold and death threats while The New
York Times recounted how prisoners were beaten with rifle butts and used
as paintball targets.

 

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