14,000 detainees in secret overseas prisons

[Generic Other]

U.S. war prisons legal vacuum for 14,000

BAGHDAD, Iraq - In the few short years since the first shackled Afghan shuffled off to Guantanamo, the U.S. military has created a global network of overseas prisons, its islands of high security keeping 14,000 detainees beyond the reach of established law.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060917/ap_on_re_mi_ea/in_american_hands


Very disturbing.

[ConcernedCanuk]

1. If we know about 14,000 - how many are they REALLY??

.
.
.

I'm POSITIVE we have no idea of the REAL numbers . .

I'd say 14,000 is a low estimate . . .

Just my Canuk Opinion . .

[Solly Mack]

2. How many have died? Been tortured to death?

How many more we will never know about?

:(

[MissWaverly]

3. excuse me, didn't Bush say there were "14" secret prisoners

did he misplace 3 decimal places or what?

[Generic Other]

5. Oh my! I think you're right

He makes it up as he goes along! He said 14 prisoners were being transferred from secret prisons to Gitmo. That leaves 13,986 unaccounted for!

[MissWaverly]

13. well, GITMO won't hold 14,000 prisoners

I have no idea how we are going to handle this, it reminds me of the house that Jack built.
I remember Bush said repeatedly that these prisoners would not be held on American soil.

[WCGreen]

4. We still have a long way to go to catch Stalin....

Keep it up Georgie and maybe you can pass Milosevic as despot of the new millenium...

[Generic Other]

6. Speaking of which...

[WCGreen]

7. Good one.....

[NNN0LHI]

8. Anyone who thinks there are no American citizens...

...being held in these Gulags are deluding themselves.

Hate to be the bearer of bad news y'all.

Don

[texanwitch]

9. If not now there will be.

Got to get the trouble makers out of the way.

[gulliver]

10. "Seventy to 90 percent...mistakes" in Iraq

The United States has 14,000 prisoners in a secret prison system. I hope Republicans are proud.

[Generic Other]

11. Here's one: U.S. holds AP photographer in Iraq 5 mos

The U.S. military in Iraq has imprisoned an Associated Press photographer for five months, accusing him of being a security threat but never filing charges or permitting a public hearing.

Military officials said Bilal Hussein, an Iraqi citizen, was being held for "imperative reasons of security" under United Nations resolutions. AP executives said the news cooperative's review of Hussein's work did not find anything to indicate inappropriate contact with insurgents, and any evidence against him should be brought to the Iraqi criminal justice system.

Hussein, 35, is a native of Fallujah who began work for the AP in September 2004. He photographed events in Fallujah and Ramadi until he was detained on April 12 of this year.

"We want the rule of law to prevail. He either needs to be charged or released. Indefinite detention is not acceptable," said Tom Curley, AP's president and chief executive officer. "We've come to the conclusion that this is unacceptable under Iraqi law, or Geneva Conventions, or any military procedure."

Hussein is one of an estimated 14,000 people detained by the U.S. military worldwide - 13,000 of them in Iraq. They are held in limbo where few are ever charged with a specific crime or given a chance before any court or tribunal to argue for their freedom.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Photographer_Detained.html

[Generic Other]

12. 70 to 90% mistake rate!!

"Many say they were caught up in U.S. military sweeps, often interrogated around the clock, then released months or years later without apology, compensation or any word on why they were taken. Seventy to 90 percent of the Iraq detentions in 2003 were "mistakes," U.S. officers once told the international Red Cross."