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Der Speigel article on detainee who "died in his sleep"
In response to my complaint about his links on this thread here, Aris sent me, by private e-mail, the link to the interview from which the photo came. It’s in german, but the link points to an english translation. Not exactly up to Rantburg standards, but I don’t speak German, and assume most readers here don’t either.

Interviewee Abid: I can’t remember the date, I was already in prison for 25 days... They brought 3 people on that day, Asad was one of them... I was the last one in the row, he stood next to me, I asked him where he came from. He said his family came from Dulab... we warned him to stop talking, talking brings immediate punishment and beating. They picked him up and put him in a single cell. on the second day they began to interrogate him. it was always the same, they began by two days of sleep deprivation... normally you can get some sleep, but those being interrogated aren’t allowed to sleep at all.
On the third day the interrogation begain. They pick you up and keep you all day, the following night and another day. Then one is dragged back. When you’re picked up you can still walk, but when you come back, you;re dragged on the floor.
When they brought Asad back to his single cell it already seemed like a funeral. It was normal, that anyone who did something wrong would be mistreated the entire day. They let us stand the entire day, sprinkled us with water, or put us in chains. Or they would handcuff our hands behind our backs and tie our feet together, so that you could only lie on the floor on your stomach. And when someone kicks you, you turn like a carousel. And you were always being sprinkled with water and kicked - for an hour, two or three. As long as they felt like it. Then they might leave you alone for a while, so that you can recover somewhat, and then they would begin again. They did that especially with those they were getting ready to interrogate.
Did you see it with your own eyes?
Yes with my own eyes... there are no walls there, only wire fencing between the prisoners. And it was all being done right next to us.
Who was involved? How many soldiers and officers?
I couldn’t differentiate soldiers from officers. They all looked the same to me. But there were a lot. The interrogators were 10 to 15. They came and picked the prisoner up. And not only Asad. Asad is only the one who died. Many others were tortured.
Can you describe how the torturers looked? Do you know any names?
When you look at Americans they all look alike. You can;t tell the difference between them. Of course we don;’t know the names either. They pick the people up, torture them for a day, a night, and another day, and then bring them back from the interrogation.,
Were the interrogators Americans?
Yes, they were Americans.

snip. Includes strange questions as to who was white and black. Digging for a racial angle?

Was Asad’s death investigated by the Americans?
Yes. A commission came. They picked up one of the prisoners and asked him questions. He said he didn’t know anything, but someone near him knew. That was me. Then they asked me questions for two days. Four and a half hours on the first day, only about Asad. They said: we only came to ask about the death of Assad. There is no connection to anything else. I reported the facts to them, like I’m doing now. From the moment they began to torture Asad until the moment of his death. There was a high General there, and I told him all that.
Do you know the General’s name?
No, I don’t know it.

Check out the photos at the original article. Its hard to make out the details of the death certificate, but it appears to be dated January 9, 2004. The sidebars were not translated, but using Bablefish, I take it this information came from official autopsy reports. The accusation is that someone tried a cover-up. What Aris didn’t mention was that the JAGs clearly smelled something fishy too, and began to ask around. Not enough information at my fingertips to figure out what may have prompted them, but it appears their mandate in this case was somehow limited. Unacceptable. One NEVER limits one’s watchdogs! Assuming similar bureaucratic delays, we should see some action by July/August taken on the assholes who did this. If not, heads should roll.
Posted by: Ptah 2004-05-23
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=33807