'Dissmissal on grounds of torture'

Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) reported existence of video and audio tapes which have recorded 'coercive interrogation techniques' experienced by Mohamed al-Kahtani.

Alleged member of al-Qaeda known as '20th hijacker' was subject of guidelines and methods implemented, approved and supervised by former US Secretary and worldwide sought criminal Donald Rumsfeld with knowledge and support of Guantánamo commanding officer, Major General Geoffrey Miller.

In October 5th press release CCR expressed bitter disbelief for the fact that government failed to disclose existence of the tapes in seven years.

'The government’s interrogation of him has been the topic of multiple military, Justice Department and congressional investigations. These tapes should have been acknowledged long ago,' said CCR Attorney Gitanjali S. Gutierrez.

'Non-prosecutable'

Charges against al-Kahtani were dropped on May 12, 2008, although there was no official explanation for dismissal, reason was summarized by Susan J. Crawford, 'convening authority of military commissions' with mission to review practices in Guantánamo.

'We tortured [Mohammed al-]Kahtani,' she said during the interview  with Washington Post's Bob Woodward.

Crawford dismissed the case without prejudice, leaving the room for prosecutors to reinstate and re-swear the charges on later date.

No 'credible' suspect left

Existence of long sought interrogation tapes serve as reminder about common denominator of suspects for 9/11 attacks. In 2007 CIA admitted cover up and destruction of visual evidence concerning torture of alleged conspirators Zacarias Moussaoui and Abu Zubaydah.

On June 15, 2009 Agency released 'highly redacted' transcripts made during Combatant Status Review Tribunal. Disclosed information provides some insight into possible nature of destroyed tapes.

'After a few months went by, during which I almost lost my mind and my life, they made sure I didn't die, - Zubaydah testified, adding that he 'nearly died four times' and claiming that abuse 'helped' interrogators to conclude how he is not high ranking al-Qaeda operative they've believed to have in custody.

Lack of suspects not compromised by torture becomes more apparent with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, self-proclaimed 'mastermind' of 9/11 attacks whose 'lack of creativity' (and credibility) was questioned by both, mainstream media and alleged co-conspirators Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. In March 2007, Sheikh Mohammed took responsibility, 'I was responsible for the 9/11 operation from A to Z,' he wrote in statement issued around the same time as he stood in front of the 'Tribunal' sharing another confession. 

'I make up stories,' he said.

Further reading:

Details about unearthed tapes and 'coercive interrogation tactics' al-Kahtani endured are provided in CRC press release.

Verbatim Transcript of Combatant Status Review Tribunal (CSRT) Hearings provided by ACLU. 

FOIA: Fulfillment of 'forgotten role'

You can say a lot about employee if you keep an eye on his first working day efforts, and so there was comfort to be seen, for the first act of the Renegade was the fulfillment of the oath, it was the true act of change.

History has shown that, apart from occasional rupture, FOIA Vault was sealed during the Trailblazers blaze; information was not merely withheld, it was thrown into oblivion. Administrate used each and every mean to deny the requests, the Freedom of Information was so suppressed that we have an outstanding backlog and people, or rather public, which is still waiting after all these years (pdf). As a matter of fact, Summary of Annual FOIA Reports for 2008 shows that out 'of the fifteen federal departments, six reported that their oldest request dated from the 1990', in one case, DOD has not made a decision about disclosure since December 1, 1992. Similarly, CIA has a case pending from May 1, 1992, while the reactions to the administrative appeals have same, poor record.

'Servants of the public'

Presidential Memorandum of January 21, 2009, Attorney General's Memorandum on the Freedom of Information Act and resulting 2009 Edition of the Department of Justice Guide to the Freedom of Information Act together constitute remarkable frame for transparent and open government.

First of the mentioned documents doesn’t just ask for proactive and 'unprovoked' disclosure of information, it also reminds about the 'forgotten role' of administrate, for administrate is here to serve the public, to obey and heed upon the will of the electorate.

Presumption of disclosure is made clear by the President Obama who states 'that agencies should take affirmative steps to make information public. They should not wait for specific requests from the public. All agencies should use modern technology to inform citizens about what is known and done by their Government. Disclosure should be timely.'

Rupture

Did agencies and departments took notice and accepted the change in policy? Is the sought proactive disclosure via modern technology discernible? Indeed it is, rupture is there to be seen, although with slow pace, all sort of disturbing information is finding its way out of the 'dark Vault'. However, most noticeable destinations for examination of the first steps in new course are not official resorts, but such contemporary depositories as 'Scribd', where one can perceive that there is more than 'few good men' who are acting upon presidential directives.

Number of documents which recently surfaced to offer insights in inner works of certain agencies is encouraging, to say the least. Further more, some of the information provided about such historical events as the omission and 'stonewalling' of the 9/11 Commission were clearly not sought, but provided pro bono and with transparency on mind.

In future, this blog will carefully examine and explore many of the documents which surfaced just to be missed by the blinded eye of the mainstream media.

Stay tuned.