The postwar photographs that British authorities tried to keep hidden

[Jcrowley]

The postwar photographs that British authorities tried to keep hidden


· Treatment of suspected communists revealed
· Four court martialled after police inspector's inquiry

Ian Cobain
Monday April 3, 2006
The Guardian


 For almost 60 years, the evidence of Britain's clandestine torture programme in postwar Germany has lain hidden in the government's files. Harrowing photographs of young men who had survived being systematically starved, as well as beaten, deprived of sleep and exposed to extreme cold, were considered too shocking to be seen.

As one minister of the day wrote, as few people as possible should be aware that British authorities had treated prisoners "in a manner reminiscent of the German concentration camps".

Many other photographs known to have been taken have vanished from the archives, and even this year some government officials were arguing that none should be published.

The pictures show suspected communists who were tortured in an attempt to gather information about Soviet military intentions and intelligence methods at a time when some British officials were convinced that a third world war was only months away.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,,1745662,00.html

[Briar]

1. I'm glad someone has found this story again

These are the atrocities we should be avoiding, not repeating.

[karash]

2. .

Good food for thought for the slice of the progressive crowd that always thinks "Western Europe is a haven untouched by the problems of American arrogance."

[Possumpoint]

3. I Think

that every time a government starts fearing for it's existence or potential attacks, that it can justify in it's collective mind the abuse of fellow human beings. We've seen this justification used both by our adversaries and by the two biggest "free" countries of the world. So long as the common man buys the government line "We are doing this for your protection", they will get away with it.

We as free men and women need to fight the abuse, torture, and suspension of constitutional rights every time they rear their ugly heads. Otherwise, who knows who will be next? In a hypothetical scenario someone on this forum could post something that makes this administration feel threatened and they could disappear. Under the rules and laws as interpreted by GWB, that person could disappear and be tortured. In all honesty, I don't think that will happen but the door is unlocked.

[On the Road]

4. Wow, That is Shocking!

I had never heard of this. It is difficult for a government to claim to claim moral superiority when something like this is not only on record, but has been kept hidden for so many years.