Gitmo logbook for prisoner proves mistreatment.

[Arlos]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is drawing fresh criticism following a Time magazine report on a logbook tracing the treatment of a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Time's report on the treatment received by Mohammed al-Qahtani prompted a quick defense from the Pentagon along with outrage from several members of Congress.

Al-Qahtani was denied entry to the United States by an immigration officer in August 2001 and later captured in Afghanistan and sent to the detention camp at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay. (Full story)

The 84-page logbook obtained by Time and authenticated by Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita is the "kind of document that was never meant to leave Gitmo," a senior Pentagon official told the magazine.

Citing the logbook, which covers al-Qahtani's interrogations from November 2002 to January 2003, Time reports that daily interviews began at 4 a.m. and sometimes continued until midnight.

The interrogation techniques included refusing al-Qahtani a bathroom break and forcing him to urinate in his pants.

A Republican senator from Nebraska criticized the techniques.

"It's not appropriate," Sen. Chuck Hagel said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition With Wolf Blitzer." "It's not at all within the standards of who we are as a civilized people, what our laws are.

"If in fact we are treating prisoners this way, it's not only wrong, it's dangerous and very dumb and very shortsighted," Hagel said.

"This is not how you win the people of the world over to our side, especially the Muslim world."

In an interview set to air Monday on Fox News Channel's "Hannity & Colmes," Vice President Dick Cheney said there was presently no plans to close Guantanamo Bay.

"The president says we review all of our options on a continuous basis," Cheney said. "The important thing here to understand is that the people that are at Guantanamo are bad people."

During the period covered by the logbook, Time reported, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved 16 additional interrogation techniques for use on certain detainees.

Afterward, interrogators began their sessions with al-Qahtani at midnight and awakened him with dripping water or Christina Aguilera music if he dozed off, the magazine article reported.

The magazine said the techniques approved by Rumsfeld included "standing for prolonged periods, isolation for as long as 30 days, removal of clothing, forced shaving of facial hair" and hanging "pictures of scantily clad women around his neck."

Hagel said such treatment should offend the sensibilities of "any straight-thinking American, any straight-thinking citizen of the world."

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, said on the same program that the treatment outlined in the article presents "a kind of ludicrous view of the United States."

"I don't know what tree we're barking up," Feinstein said. "It is a terrible mistake.

"I don't know why we didn't learn from Bagram," she added, referring to a U.S. base in Afghanistan. "I don't know why we didn't learn from Abu Ghraib [prison in Iraq], but here we are in Guantanamo with many of the same things surfacing."

Hagel raised questions about the quality of leadership that would allow such things to happen, drawing a comparison to his own experience fighting in Vietnam.

"We've been reassured for the last two years it's not happening when in fact it is happening," he said.

"There's either a culture of leadership or there's not. This kind of stuff will fill the vacuum, and it needs to stop."

Hagel and Feinstein said they weren't sure whether the facility should be closed and were looking forward to Senate Judiciary Committee hearings this week on whether detainees had adequate legal protection.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee also is planning hearings later this month.

Guantanamo defended
Other lawmakers, however, said they did not see the treatment as abuse.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, defended the Guantanamo facility and flatly rejected suggestions that prisoners are mistreated.

"I think that's accepting a falsehood and giving to the American people that somehow we don't treat prisoners right," said Hunter, a Republican from California.

Hunter cited a menu of food served to prisoners Sunday -- including oven-fried chicken, rice pilaf, fruit and pita bread -- as a sign that they are treated well.

"These are the people who tried to kill us," he said. "It includes the guy -- the 20th hijacker, that was Mr. Qahtani who was caught coming in -- who didn't make it to the planes that drove into New York," Hunter said following an appearance on "Fox News Sunday."

Earlier on the program, Hunter said the "legend" of Guantanamo Bay is "different than the fact" and repeatedly cited the menu.

"Here you have a guy who was on his way to kill 5,000 Americans," he said. "And we have people complaining because he had a dog bark at him in Guantanamo."

Nineteen hijackers commandeered four commercial airliners on September 11, 2001, piloting two into the World Trade Center towers and one into the Pentagon. Another, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a Pennsylvania field. The death toll from the attacks was just under 3,000.

All the planes were hijacked by five men except Flight 93, which was commandeered by four. Some officials have speculated that al-Qahtani might have been the missing hijacker on Flight 93.

According to the Time article, lead hijacker Mohammed Atta was waiting for al-Qahtani outside the airport in Orlando, Florida, when an immigration officer detained him a month before the attacks.

Hunter defended the use of certain techniques as special to al-Qahtani.

"Secretary Rumsfeld for Mr. Qahtani -- the hijacker who had important information on us, perhaps who was going to hit us next -- approved for about two weeks the so-called new techniques for Mr. Qahtani," he said.

The new techniques were in use from December 2, 2002, to January 15, 2003, when public outcry helped lead Rumsfeld to revoke them.

A senior Pentagon official told Time the Defense Department wasn't sure how effective such treatment was. At times, the logbook notes that al-Qahtani was more cooperative when interrogators eased up on him, according to the Time report.

Defense touts information gained
The Defense Department issued a news release Sunday touting the information gained from interrogating al-Qahtani.

According to the Pentagon, al-Qahtani told interrogators that he "had been sent to the U.S. by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the lead architect of the 9/11 attack; that he had met Osama bin Laden on several occasions; that he had received terrorist training at two al Qaeda camps; that he had been in contact with many senior al Qaeda leaders."

Additionally, the department said, al-Qahtani "clarified Jose Padilla's and Richard Reid's relationship with al Qaeda and their activities in Afghanistan, provided infiltration routes and methods used by al Qaeda to cross borders undetected, explained how Osama bin Laden evaded capture by U.S. forces, as well as provided important information on his health, [and] provided detailed information about 30 of Osama bin Laden's bodyguards."

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that none of the detainees at Guantanamo is entitled to treatment under the Geneva Conventions, which govern the treatment of prisoners of war because they did not follow rules of war.

Closing the facility -- as suggested by some Democrats such as Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Patrick Leahy of Vermont -- "would be an overreaction," he said.

"We need a place like Guantanamo Bay to house people we take off the battlefield in the war on terror," said Graham, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "We've had problems at Guantanamo Bay, but I don't think we need to close it."

Leahy said on the CBS program that the United States has "created a legal black hole there."

"Right now they have no particular legal framework with it," Leahy said. "We want other countries to adhere to the rule of law, and at Guantanamo, we are not."

President Bush last week refused to rule out closing the prison, but Rumsfeld has played down the idea.

The United States has said detainees receive protections consistent with the Geneva Conventions, and the International Committee of the Red Cross visits regularly.

News reports have said the Red Cross told the United States in a 2004 report that some of its handling of detainees is "tantamount to torture," but the organization does not publicly confirm or deny such information.

Last month, Amnesty International called Guantanamo "the gulag of our time," sparking a storm of protests from administration supporters.

The Washington director of Human Rights Watch agreed with Leahy that "Guantanamo is a legal black hole," but said it wasn't necessary to shut it down.

"You can fix that problem by applying the Geneva Conventions, and the humane rules of interrogation there," Tim Malinowski said. "But if you don't mend it, people are going to increase their calls to end it."

[Harrison]

I shed a tear for terrorists...

....nevermind.

[Arlos]

Oh sure, proof that we're torturing people does us SO much good when we attempt to claim the moral high ground. Oh, and proof of torture does SO much to improve our national image in the world. Oh, and it SO helps the effort to prevent a new generation of terrorists from springing up. Oh yes, it's a GREAT thing, we should do more of it!

Moron.

-Arlos

[Drem]

wow this country is stupid

[Harrison]

We torture the people trying to kill us?!

Fuck we're so evil...

[Lyion]

Nowhere in that article does it detail any torture.

We are using proper interrogation techniques and if you choose to be an enemy of the U.S., then you should expect such treatment.

The left people will rail about it, but the simple truth is these people are probably living better in Gitmo than they did at home.

Nothing to see here.

[Drem]

you seriously think those techniques are legit?

who calls up donald rumsfeld and goes "hey dude i got this great interrogation technique. we'll make him pee his pants and then he'll probably tell us where osama bin laden is hiding. if he doesn't, we'll take his clothes off."

this is all our government can come up with for interrogation techniques? these people take money out of my paycheck so they can come up with seriously genius techniques such as "make him stand for a long time, then he'll talk"?

gosh this guy isn't saying anything... i bet if we shave his beard...

[Arlos]

Lets see here:

The interrogation techniques included refusing al-Qahtani a bathroom break and forcing him to urinate in his pants.

standing for prolonged periods

isolation for as long as 30 days

removal of clothing

forced shaving of facial hair

interrogators began their sessions with al-Qahtani at midnight and awakened him with dripping water

Oh yes, so entirely humane. Forced nakedness, forced standing for hours, making him piss on himself and sit in it for hours, sleep deprivation combined with dumping water on him.... Oh yeah, lets treat ALL our prisoners like that, even in US prisons, since Lyion has dubbed it as completely humane!

-Arlos

[Harrison]

You want us to give them fucking milk and cookies?

You people are ridiculous, they'd slit your children's throats because they're american...and you whine because we make them FUCKING STAND A LONG TIME?!

[Lyion]

Given these people promote attacking and killing Americans, I'm all for this treatment. There is no dismemberment. There is no real danger. Its safer than a US Prison.

Contrary to your belief, the prisoners in Gitmo are treated fairly. We use valid interrogation techniques. If you had served, you would know we go through worse than this for training, but again its easy to discuss from the safety of ones couch.

Feel free to compare it with how our prisoners were treated by Al Qaeda.

I don't see a problem here, even with the exacerbating of things and the typical CNN propaganda spin.

You don't like it, fine. I personally don't have a problem with it, and if anything we should be able to do more.

[Harrison]

We do any more than that and you fuckers cry bloody murder.

War is not pretty, war isn't about candy rainbows and sunshine. Get over it.

[Gidan]

So you would be just fine with this in other countries holding american prisoners.

[Ganzo]

we do worse to every US citizen who comits a crime, we put him in jail to be assraped and put through insane tortures by other inmates, and face high probability of being killed for a pack of cigarets

[Themosticles]

Oh sure, proof that we're torturing people does us SO much good when we attempt to claim the moral high ground. Oh, and proof of torture does SO much to improve our national image in the world. Oh, and it SO helps the effort to prevent a new generation of terrorists from springing up. Oh yes, it's a GREAT thing, we should do more of it!

Moron.

-Arlos

You're so fast to defend these pieces of shit yet never utter a single word about the cowardly and pathetic acts perpetrated by the very people you're here defending. Where is your outrage for the American CIVILIANS (read that again to make it fucking sink in) when they are beheaded, tortured, and KILLED? What about your outrage that a group of assholes hijacked some planes and killed thousands of people by flying them into buildings? What about your outrage at those who make it their goal in life to kill as many AMERICAN's (soldiers and civilians) as they can with home-made car bombs? (I'm sure you feel its our military's fault) Maybe you and our favorite professor from CU can get together and pow-wow about how we deserved it.

This turd your story references was one of those guys who actually got caught BEFORE he was able to participate in the slaughter of 3,000 of YOUR COUNTRYMEN. Don't forget that as you rush to aid in saving his honor. Excuse me if I don't give a flying fuck about him or the other fuckers like him at Gitmo.

I know this asshole is still breathing...Nick Berg and many others aren't.

I not defending the crap that occured at Abu Graib, b/c you and I and everyone else knows that is wrong and should, and is, being dealt with. However, how you sit in your comfy fucking computer chair and defend these fuckers who would like nothing more than to cut your throat or blow up you, me, and both our families, is beyond me.

[Harrison]

So you would be just fine with this in other countries holding american prisoners.

American soldiers as prisoners, yes.

American citizens as prisoners, no.

[Arlos]

And you don't see how this a) completely destroys our ability to claim the moral high ground to the rest of the world, b) further erodes our national image to the rest of the world, and c) serves as a rallying cry to the terrorists to recruit a whole new generation? "Look how they're treating this man, because he's islamic!"

Regardless of what you think of that particular scum, treating *ANYONE* like that HURTS THE UNITED STATES.

And if it's so mild, Lyion, why don't we enact such policies in ALL of our prisons? Hmmm?

I can't believe I'm hearing condoning of torture. I'm sure you were A-OK with everything that happened in Abu Gharib, right? This is the same damn thing. Naked, check. Humiliations, check. Religious beliefs trampled on. Check. Anything missing? Oh yeah, an ugly american chick with a leash and a thumbs up picture.

I may not have served, but I have friends who did, including in the first gulf war, and they were SICKENED by Abu Gharib, and I can guarantee you they are JUST as sickened by what's going on at Gitmo.

-Arlos

[Harrison]

serves as a rallying cry to the terrorists to recruit a whole new generation?

You have to be shitting me...you can't be that dumb.

They don't NEED ammo for their "rallying cry" they make shit up if they don't have anything.

[Agrajag]

Anyone that defends a terrorist in this situation is the same as someone trying to defend a murderer who is sentenced to death row.

In both cases, they get what they deserve!

[Arlos]

Wait a sec, Themo. I have plenty of outrage about american civilians getting tortured and killed. By all means, find the ones perpetrating those acts and deal with them. Show me *ANYWHERE* where I said I sympathized with the people that blew up the world trade center. I think you'll actually find many posts from me being in COMPLETE support of going over to Afghanistan and kicking the crap out of the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

What I do *NOT* support is compromising the basic ethics of this country SIMPLY because we happen to be holding people that hate us. Ever hear of two wrongs not making a right? TORTURING PRISONERS HURTS THE UNITED STATES. What is happening at Gitmo is *JUST* as bad as Abu Gharib. It's the SAME DAMN SHIT. I couldn't give a flying fuck about this guy as an individual either. But that is IRRELEVANT. Torture is WRONG. Period.

-Arlos

[Drem]

agree w/ arlos. this situation is bad PR. i don't care who they do it to, but fuck, it's global news now that donald rumsfeld okayed a bunch of gay techniques that involve such terrible acts as making him stand up for a long time and playing christina aguilera music really loud to wake him up.

IT'S RIDICULOUS

[Harrison]

Solution?

Gag the fucking piece of shit media causing harm to our soldiers over inconsequential media-hyped bullshit.

OHNOZ WE DRIP WATER ON PEOPLE TO WAKE THEM UP FOR INTERROGATION

He planned on killing thousands of innocent people, fuck him right in his ass with a knife.

[Themosticles]

Wait a sec, Themo. I have plenty of outrage about american civilians getting tortured and killed. By all means, find the ones perpetrating those acts and deal with them. Show me *ANYWHERE* where I said I sympathized with the people that blew up the world trade center. I think you'll actually find many posts from me being in COMPLETE support of going over to Afghanistan and kicking the crap out of the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

What I do *NOT* support is compromising the basic ethics of this country SIMPLY because we happen to be holding people that hate us. Ever hear of two wrongs not making a right? TORTURING PRISONERS HURTS THE UNITED STATES. What is happening at Gitmo is *JUST* as bad as Abu Gharib. It's the SAME DAMN SHIT. I couldn't give a flying fuck about this guy as an individual either. But that is IRRELEVANT. Torture is WRONG. Period.

-Arlos

You are correct and I over dramatized it to show you the other side. You have to be more careful about how you present arguements like these b/c at times it seems as if you are ignoring their actions all together. There is a reason he and the others are at Gitmo. Where we differ in opinion is what constitutes torture and mistreatment. This, in my OPINION, is not torture when you place it side by side with how ANY American POW is treated by the other side.

[Drem]

it's not torture at all, it's little kid stuff. there's no way you can defend stupid, petty, image-ruining things like this

[Arlos]

Oh, so Harrison is condoning media censorship now! Way to go! Yeah, that first amendment is so inconvenient, lets just do away with it!

-Arlos

[Harrison]

The media needs to shut the fuck up when it's saying shit that causes people to die, period.

They do it for the money, not to get information out there for the people. Fuck them too.