http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0217-09.htm

Published on Thursday, February 17, 2005 by the Associated Press

Iraqi Died While Hung From Wrists

by Seth Hettena

SAN DIEGO - An Iraqi whose corpse was photographed with grinning U.S.
soldiers at Abu Ghraib died under CIA interrogation while suspended by his
wrists, which had been handcuffed behind his back, according to
investigative reports reviewed by The Associated Press.

The death of the prisoner, Manadel al-Jamadi, became known last year when
the Abu Ghraib scandal broke. The U.S. military said back then that it had
been ruled a homicide. But the exact circumstances of the death were not
disclosed at the time.

The prisoner died in a position known as "Palestinian hanging," the
documents reviewed by The AP show. It is unclear whether that position -
which human rights groups condemn as torture - was approved by the Bush
administration for use in CIA interrogations.

The spy agency, which faces congressional scrutiny over its detention and
interrogation of terror suspects at the Baghdad prison and elsewhere,
declined to comment for this story, as did the Justice Department.

Al-Jamadi was one of the CIA's "ghost" detainees at Abu Ghraib - prisoners
being held secretly by the agency.

His death in November 2003 became public with the release of photos of Abu
Ghraib guards giving a thumbs-up over his bruised and puffy-faced corpse,
which had been packed in ice. One of those guards was Pvt. Charles Graner,
who last month received 10 years in a military prison for abusing

Al-Jamadi died in a prison shower room during about a half-hour of
questioning, before interrogators could extract any information, according
to the documents, which consist of statements from Army prison guards to
investigators with the military and the CIA's Inspector General's office.

One Army guard, Sgt. Jeffery Frost, said the prisoner's arms were

behind him in a way he had never before seen. Frost told investigators he
was surprised al-Jamadi's arms "didn't pop out of their sockets,"

to a summary of his interview.

Frost and other guards had been summoned to reposition al-Jamadi, who an
interrogator said was not cooperating. As the guards released the shackles
and lowered al-Jamadi, blood gushed from his mouth "as if a faucet had

turned on," according to the interview summary.

The military pathologist who ruled the case a homicide found several

ribs and concluded al-Jamadi died from pressure to the chest and

breathing.

Dr. Michael Baden, a distinguished civilian pathologist who reviewed the
autopsy for a defense attorney in the case, agreed in an interview that

position in which al-Jamadi was suspended could have contributed to his
death.

Dr. Vincent Iacopino, director of research for Physicians for Human

called the hyper-extension of the arms behind the back "clear and simple
torture." The European Court of Human Rights found Turkey guilty of

in 1996 in a case of Palestinian hanging - a technique Iacopino said is

worldwide but named for its alleged use by Israel in the Palestinian
territories.

The Washington Post reported last year that after the Abu Ghraib scandal
broke, the CIA suspended the use of its "enhanced interrogation

including stress positions, because of fears that the agency could be
accused of unsanctioned and illegal activity. The newspaper said the White
House had approved the tactics.

Navy SEALs apprehended al-Jamadi as a suspect in the Oct. 27, 2003,

of Red Cross offices in Baghdad that killed 12 people. His alleged role in
the bombing is unclear. According to court documents and testimony, the
SEALs punched, kicked and struck al-Jamadi with their rifles before

him over to the CIA early on Nov. 4. By 7 a.m., al-Jamadi was dead.

Navy prosecutors in San Diego have charged nine SEALs and one sailor with
abusing al-Jamadi and others. All but two lieutenants have received
nonjudicial punishment; one lieutenant is scheduled for court-martial in
March, the other is awaiting a hearing before the Navy's top SEAL.

The statements from five of Abu Ghraib's Army guards were shown to The AP

an attorney for one of the SEALs, who said they offered a more balanced
picture of what happened. The lawyer asked not to be identified, saying he
feared repercussions for his client.

According to the statements:

Al-Jamadi was brought naked below the waist to the prison with a CIA
interrogator and translator. A green plastic bag covered his head, and
plastic cuffs tightly bound his wrists. Guards dressed al-Jamadi in an
orange jumpsuit, slapped on metal handcuffs and escorted him to the shower
room, a common CIA interrogation spot.

There, the interrogator instructed guards to attach shackles from the
prisoner's handcuffs to a barred window. That would let al-Jamadi stand
without pain, but if he tried to lower himself, his arms would be

above and behind him.

The documents do not make clear what happened after guards left. After

a half-hour, the interrogator called for the guards to reposition the
prisoner, who was slouching with his arms stretched behind him.

The interrogator told guards that al-Jamadi was "playing possum" - faking
it - and then watched as guards struggled to get him on his feet. But the
guards realized it was useless.

"After we found out he was dead, they were nervous," Spc. Dennis E.

said of the CIA interrogator and translator. "They didn't know what the

to do."

--
The greater the leader, the greater the follower. Personalities who as
individuals are particularly narcissistic are the most qualified to fit

function. The narcissism of the leader who is convinced of his greatness,
and who has no doubts, is precisely what attracts the narcissism of those
who submit to him. The half-insane leader is often the most successful one
until his lack of objective judgment, his rage reactions in consequence of
any set-back, his need to keep his image of omnipotence may provoke him to
make mistakes which lead to his destruction. But there are always gifted
half-psychotics at hand to satisfy the demands of a narcissistic mass.

Erich Fromm

'The Heart of Man - It's Genius for Good and Evil'

--
"Of course the people don't want war. But after all, it's the leaders of

country who determine the policy, and it's always a simple matter to drag
the people along whether it's a democracy, a fascist dictatorship, or a
parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can
always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you

to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for
lack of patriotism, and exposing the country to greater danger."

-- Herman Goering at the Nuremberg trials

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.htm

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