Guantanamo detainees lodge complaint against California doctor

[Kadie]

Posted on Sat, Jul. 16, 2005


Guantanamo detainees lodge complaint against California doctor

Associated Press


SACRAMENTO - Four detainees at the U.S. Naval prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have lodged a complaint against a California-registered doctor, John S. Edmondson, who commands the Naval Hospital there.

The four Yemenese men filed a complaint with the Medical Board of California alleging unprofessional conduct and violations of medical ethics. They claim Edmondson and others under his command refused medical treatment to detainees unless they cooperated with interrogators, participated in physical abuse, and shared personal medical information with interrogators at the detention center.

The complaint was filed by the New York law firm Allen & Overy on behalf of military prisoners Saeed Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Sarim, Ali Yahya Mahdi Al-Raimi, Abdul Khaliq Ahmed Saleh Al-Baidhani and Abdulaziz Abdu Abdullah Ali Al-Swidi, all of whom have been detained for more than three years.

Medical board spokeswoman Candis Cohen said the board can't investigate a complaint against a doctor licensed in California who practices medicine at a federal facility, unless the federal government does first.

The military has denied any ill treatment of the detainees, who officials say receive proper medical care.

more...
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/12151026.htm

[asianmale]

1. complaint

Well, boo hoo.
I wonder what kind of medical care they would give one of us if the tables were turned? Head-ectomy?

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[asianmale]

3. "goodbye"

Wow, who's side are YOU on anyway.
Whats up with that response?

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mojorabbit]

5. It doesn't matter

what kind of treatment they would have given us. It is against medical ethics to participate in harming a patient... period.

[noonwitch]

8. I get so sick of the "How would they treat us" argument, don't you?

If we are truly fighting for freedom and democracy, and all those enlightened concepts, than shouldn't our standard of behavior toward others be higher?

The right is using the very situational ethics in war that they decry when liberals use them in excusing personal sexual behavior.

[Kool Kitty]

6. What kind of a doctor is this?

Whatever happened to "first, do no harm"?

[BlueIris]

7. Getting a link to that story has proven really, really difficult.

Yikes.

[othermeans]

9. On edit here's the whole story

Guantanamo detainees lodge complaint against California doctor


Associated Press

SACRAMENTO - Four detainees at the U.S. Naval prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have lodged a complaint against a California-registered doctor, John S. Edmondson, who commands the Naval Hospital there.

The four Yemenese men filed a complaint with the Medical Board of California alleging unprofessional conduct and violations of medical ethics. They claim Edmondson and others under his command refused medical treatment to detainees unless they cooperated with interrogators, participated in physical abuse, and shared personal medical information with interrogators at the detention center.

The complaint was filed by the New York law firm Allen & Overy on behalf of military prisoners Saeed Ahmed Mohammed Abdullah Sarim, Ali Yahya Mahdi Al-Raimi, Abdul Khaliq Ahmed Saleh Al-Baidhani and Abdulaziz Abdu Abdullah Ali Al-Swidi, all of whom have been detained for more than three years.

Medical board spokeswoman Candis Cohen said the board can't investigate a complaint against a doctor licensed in California who practices medicine at a federal facility, unless the federal government does first.

The military has denied any ill treatment of the detainees, who officials say receive proper medical care.

Military spokesmen said claims of mistreatment are common, but that the Army surgeon general found no evidence of abuse in medical care for detainees.

Al-Baidhani alleged that when he complained of constipation, "the doctor said he would treat me when I talk to the interrogators."

Sarim alleged that a medical staff member directed military personnel as they beat him. "One of the detainees who understands English heard him saying, 'Hit him around the eye - don't poke him in the eye,'" he said in the complaint.


http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/12151026.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp