Guantanamo Detainee Says Beating Injured Spine

An Egyptian-born teacher imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the past 3 1/2 years recently convinced the U.S. military that he is not an enemy combatant, but rather what he said he was: a pro-democracy English teacher swept up when the military seized fighters and suspected terrorists from the battlefields of Afghanistan.

In newly declassified records of statements to his attorney, Sami Al-Laithi said that as a result of his detention at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, he is now confined to a wheelchair with two broken vertebrae. He said military personnel and interrogators stomped on his back, dropped him on the floor and repeatedly forced his neck forward soon after his arrival at the prison.

A spokesman for the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees Guantanamo, declined to discuss Al-Laithi's case and said the Defense Department does not discuss transfers until they are completed. He said the department "operates a safe, humane and professional detention operation" and provides state-of-the-art medical care.

"This is barbarism," Al-Laithi said of his treatment in the statement. "Why, even if I was guilty, would they do this?"

"I am in constant pain," he continued. "I would prefer to be buried alive than continue to receive the treatment I receive. At least I would suffer less and die."

"Once they stomped my back," Al-Laithi wrote. "An MP threw me on the floor, and they lifted me up and slammed me back down. A doctor said I have two broken vertebrae and I risk being paralyzed if the spinal cord is injured more."

"They'd rather have them in detention in a country where there'll likely never be heard from again," said Jumana Musa, Amnesty's director of advocacy for domestic human rights. "It seems to be an effort to keep them from suing and to keep their cases and claims underground." Claims that detainees received serious injuries from their captors are becoming common, she said.

Washington Post

Guess what - Another Guantanamo Abusement and Torture Thread!

And they just keep getting more and more Violent.

I guess this Terrorist, I mean this TEACHER, Deserved it, Right - even if he is not Guilty, he sure won't try to do anything "Funny" in Future now.

From his Wheelchair, he won't do much stuff now...

Great Job guys!

And they say that, department "operates a safe, humane and professional detention operation" and provides state-of-the-art medical care.

Originally posted by Souljah
Great Job guys!

Yeah, they are doing a great job. This guy's no Boyscout Souljah..he was picked up in Afghanistan during combat operations. What the Hell was he doing there? Selling Amway?

We shoulda fed him to our attack dogs and saved him the misery of living life in a wheelchair.

PS: Your souce is Biased also....Washingtonpost.

Maximu§

I love articles like this because we all know prisoners are way more believable than soldiers. Its like San Quentin....

Prisoner: He broke my nose
Gaurd: He attacked me.....

I believe their probably is some injustice going on in GB but its suppose to be a prison, prisons arent meant to be nice places IMO.

Originally posted by LA_Maximus

Originally posted by Souljah
Great Job guys!

Yeah, they are doing a great job. This guy's no Boyscout Souljah..he was picked up in Afghanistan during combat operations. What the Hell was he doing there? Selling Amway?

We shoulda fed him to our attack dogs and saved him the misery of living life in a wheelchair.

PS: Your souce is Biased also....Washingtonpost.

Just Beacuse he was in Afganistan makes him a Terrorist?

Does that make anybody that is in America a Redneck?

You know what he WAS in Afganistan?

a pro-democracy English teacher swept up when the military seized fighters and suspected terrorists from the battlefields of Afghanistan.

A friggin' English Teacher!

Apparently in Afganistan there ARE People who are not "in Bed with the terrible terrorists" you know!

[edit on 15/8/05 by Souljah]

I sure would like to hear the "other side" of this story Souljah. Im sure there is one that has this guy firing an AK-47 at American Soldiers and than being found to be one of the graduates from a terrorist camp.

It also Sounds like his abuse claim is exagerated, to say the least....heres a good one: "Once they stomped my back," Al-Laithi wrote. "An MP threw me on the floor, and they lifted me up and slammed me back down"

Maybe he was slapped around, but I don't beleave he was beaten and if he was...he probably deserved it.

Max

PS: Your souce is Biased also....Washingtonpost.

Washington Post is one of the last few major media sources in the US to be relatively honest. They told us when the anthrax that was mailed to DC came from our own military, and that the US had been producing it against UN treaties. That's the sort of stuff that right wingers will come out and yell "bias!" for, when it's just journalism. It's true. If you want bias, watch Fox. They'll never tell you anything bad about your country, unless it's about liberals from your country. Otherwise, you keep your mouth shut and don't ask questions, seek truth or deny ignorance if you don't want to be labelled biased, apparently.

Just because these guys were picked up in Afghanistan during battles doesn't mean anything. Hell, that's just what we're told. These people haven't had fair hearings or sh&t; they've just been abducted, herded together like animals and imprisoned.

Maybe he was slapped around, but I don't beleave he was beaten and if he was...he probably deserved it.

"Probably deserived it"? Wtf? What if just one of these people were really innocent? What if just one of them were being treated unjustly in ways that no human being should have to be treated, and especially for no good reason? I doubt you would care. If you have such disregard for justice, you would've done Hitler's cause well, and I'll leave it at that. I don't suppose compassion can be taught with words.

What was this guy doing on a battlefield in afghanistsan if he was an 'english teacher'. Im sure he taught english, to terrorists and the taliban. Im sure a few stress positions would straighten his back out. I have no pity for these people, they attacked us and they are receiving their punishment. At least he poses no real danger as a terrorist from a wheelchair.

That's so terrible! The poor guy! It's so sad that so many lives are being ruined and taken because of this worthless war! I just hate it! Compassion seems to be very short around here.

Yeah, it's interesting that even though Washington Post is an extremely reputable organization, if the story doesn't fit with the' right's' picture of things they attack the source. And say he deserved it! That's a load!

This guy was totally innocent!

And when all of this is said and done, they'll find a way to blame the 'left' for everything that has happened!

bsbray11, our soldiers picked up this guy for a good reason Im sure. He sure did not get tossed into GB for walking his donkey down the road. Like I said, theres another side to this story.

So, You can scream and rant all you want, but I think this POS is a Liar and if he really was a terrorist....than he deserved to get his back broken. Lifes a B**ch huh? Like XphilesPhan said...what was an English teacher doing on a battlefield in Afghanistan?

Maximu§

Are we realy supposed to care? i mean seriously Souljah, are we?

Your own government attacked you and you still can't see it. Cheney is going to do it again and then you will really be against the Arabs and will nuke them back. They are using your aggression to their advantage, how long will it take for your brains to start functioning properly.

Our soldiers have stood by in Afghanistan as thousands of prisoners were shot dead and buried. They were transported in overheated containers for days without water. The stench was unbearable, decaying flesh, urine, feces. They had to lick each others sweat to survive, some even bit others to drink their blood.

They surrendered on the condition they would not be harmed but over 4000 of the some 8000 were slaughtered. I don't have a problem with knocking some real terrorists around but i do have a problem with murdering and paralyzing them. Some of the people in the prisons were arrested just because they spoke a certain language.

I hope you people will pay attention the next time Cheney attacks you, probably September 7'th of this year. Before you let your aggression take over your thoughts please analyze the situation.

Many of these terrorists are some serious killers and we should kick their ass to set them straight while interrogating them. One movie you should watch is Septem8er tapes, it's so crazy i still doubt its authenticity. It will help you get in the minds of these terrorists and also show you how the Afghans are hunting the bad guys down.

Originally posted by C0le
Are we realy supposed to care? i mean seriously Souljah, are we?

I'll second that! I dont care souljah.

Originally posted by Dreamz
I love articles like this because we all know prisoners are way more believable than soldiers. Its like San Quentin....

Prisoner: He broke my nose
Gaurd: He attacked me.....

I believe their probably is some injustice going on in GB but its suppose to be a prison, prisons arent meant to be nice places IMO.

Great one Dreamz!

You just got a way above from me for that brief but totally accurate summing up of the situation.

Guantanamo Detainee Says Beating Injured Spine

Not possible, I know its false before I finished the title:

Its widely know that terrorists have no spine. How could they? Blowing up innocent people including women and kids?


Good find....

Read back through this thread. Look for those who use the words "probably" and "I'm sure". No proof required here I guess.

I suppose if you are of Irish decent, Catholic, and in Ireland, you must be IRA.

Flagrant hypocricy of ATS. And ATS is it's members, all sides. This place goes nowhere fast, 24/7/365.


[edit on 15-8-2005 by cargo]

Originally posted by Souljah
Does that make anybody that is in America a Redneck?

a pro-democracy English teacher Afghanistan.

A friggin' English Teacher!

Apparently in Afganistan

are you implying red necks are bad people? if you are, youre quite ignorant.

and pro-democracy english teacher in taliban afghanistan? you dont find that odd?

You implied red necks were bad people not him, don't try put words in his mouth, he was just conveying a point. It is amazing how much anger is filled inside each one of you right wing neo-conservatives. I thought you were supposed to be Gods chosen people? God never said that you should constantly spread hate and death around the globe did he? You might want to read that dusty Bible of yours.

Obviously conduct like that is unacceptable regardless of the circumstances.

However, I would like a bit of clarification.

You state, in your own words, that the prisoners in Gitmo were picked up on "the battlefields of Afghanistan."

What, may I ask, was this "pro-democracy English teacher" as he is called doing on the "battlefields of Afghanistan?"

Teaching the Taliban fighters English?

Something does not add up with this man.

Just Beacuse he was in Afganistan makes him a Terrorist? Terrorist = bad
Now look at his next line,
Does that make anybody that is in America a Redneck? Hes equating a Reneck to a Terrorist in the sense that both are bad, so yes, NinjaCodeMonkey, Souljah did imply it.

Originally posted by LA_Maximus
bsbray11, our soldiers picked up this guy for a good reason Im sure...So, You can scream and rant all you want, but I think this POS is a Liar and if he really was a terrorist....than he deserved to get his back broken.

I never realized I was "screaming and ranting," but I can tell you that you don't know what this guy was doing there, and it's neither is it any of your or anyone else's business. Unless he was caught with a gun in his hand, screaming to Allah and shooting down our troops, I have my reasonable doubts, and this man was never given a hearing. There is no law against walking around a battlefield as far as I know, and yet these are the kinds of total bs reasons our troops are using to drag people into custody, ship them overseas, and abuse them and beat them time and again.

The fact that you NeoCons don't give a rats ass about Arabs is nothing new. Congrats, and I really hope you're proud. Personally, I get sick of hearing about it. You're no better than the people over there that want you dead, but you're too ignorant to realize it, or somehow think you're still better. Again, congrats. I hope that you'll grow up eventually.