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| Great White North |
| Canadian sues U.S. army for alleged torture |
| 2004-05-05 |
| A Canadian man who was taken prisoner by American forces in Iraq last year is suing the U.S. army for $350,000 US because he claims he was tortured. Hossam Shaltout, 57, says he was taken to the Camp Bucca detention centre shortly after the invasion began in March 2003. There, he claims to have been beaten, and saw other prisoners being abused. Born in Egypt, Shaltout moved to Canada in 1971 and became a citizen. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he has a business distributing U.S.-made global positioning devices in Saudi Arabia. When he was released by the army, he was taken to Egypt, he claims. His lawyer, Thomas Nelson of Portland, Ore., said a suit detailing the allegations was filed with U.S. Army Claims Office on April 30. In his statement of claim, Shaltout says he went to Iraq to work for a group called Rights and Freedom International. He claims he was arrested on April 9, 2003 and accused of being a speech writer for Saddam Hussein. He says he was beaten after protesting his arrest, and more than $100,000 taken from his hotel room was never returned. In an interview with The Associated Press, Shaltout said he was abused less than Iraqis in the same detention centre. "They did unspeakable things to Iraqis," he said in a telephone interview from Saudi Arabia. Shaltout says he can’t return to his Los Angeles home because U.S. authorities won’t return his green card. Maybe I should sue as well. I just have to come up with a believable story. Oh wait, I’m thinking out loud again... |
| Posted by:Rafael |
| #11 Hossam Shaltout, 57, says he was taken to the Camp Bucca detention centre shortly after the invasion began in March 2003. How does he know where he was taken? Do we tell the prisoners the name of the camp? |
| Posted by: eLarson 2004-05-05 7:06:03 PM |
| #10 I SHOULD sue. I spent eight weeks on Parris Island in the summer of 1966. You want torture? |
| Posted by: Sgt.DT 2004-05-05 5:40:32 PM |
| #9 I feel your pain, Steve--- I wake up screaming the theme from "The Four Fabulous Food Groups"! |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-05-05 4:18:58 PM |
| #8 I wonder if subversives at CBC left the remark re "they got my green card 'n they won't let me back, WAAAA" without comment. Talk about Irony! |
| Posted by: Michael 2004-05-05 2:19:09 PM |
| #7 Bill - nothing could be worse than Ham and Mothers. . . |
| Posted by: Doc8404 2004-05-05 12:16:42 PM |
| #6 Hey! I worked for AFRTS, and I resent that remark, Steve! Me too; AFSN 79-81, AFN-E 89-91, HQ FEN 95-98, HQ AFNEWS 98-01. I still get flashbacks. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-05-05 11:39:08 AM |
| #5 Hey! I worked for AFRTS, and I resent that remark, Steve! They weren't that bad... oh, yeah. Some of them were. Never mind. |
| Posted by: Sgt. Mom 2004-05-05 11:11:24 AM |
| #4 Not to mention the greatest unspeakable torture of all, Armed Forces Radio and Television Service info spots. |
| Posted by: Steve 2004-05-05 10:52:35 AM |
| #3 I remember when I was in the Army...they tortured me....that is they made me eat Mess hall food. |
| Posted by: Bill Nelson 2004-05-05 9:46:30 AM |
| #2 Born in Egypt, Shaltout moved to Canada in 1971 and became a citizen. Any bets that he's really a dual citizen of Canada and Egypt? |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-05-05 7:19:42 AM |
| #1 So unspeakable he wants a green card so he can go back to LA. And where did he get the $100K? Sorry buddy, you hate us, we hate you. Entry denied. |
| Posted by: RMcLeod 2004-05-05 1:13:13 AM |