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CID Report: 0180-04-CID259-80227

July 28, 2004 | CID | ACLU-RDI 28

An investigation into a detainee's allegation that he was "tortured" at a U.S. facility in Mosul in March 2004. Detainee indicated that after being arrested but before arriving at the facility, his captors -- American men in civilian clothes -- bent his thumb backwards, kicked him, and hit him with the butt of a weapon in the back of the neck. At the facility, which was very cold, he was stripped; allowed only two limited periods of sleep in seven days, and prevented from sleeping by being subjected to loud recordings and being doused with cold water; given only eight biscuits to eat in seven days; assaulted by a translator; and pressed on his joints by U.S. personnel in a manner causing severe pain and temporary paralysis. After his head was hit against a wall, causing him to bleed from his nose and mouth, and causing permanent loss of balance, he was taken to a hospital. However, he was later retreived by the same team of captors and "I had the same ways of previous torturing, as well as pouring hot liquid on my back, and sitting me close to fire, which resulted in burning a part of my right leg, and they put a very hot lamp on my thigh for a very short time. At the end they threatened me that they would bring my wife and my mother and that they would rape them if I did not confess. When I asked them to bring a paper and write whatever they want, I would sign it without any objection." Detainee displayed healed burn scars on knees and "unusual scars" on feet, and an interviewer noticed that he "walked with a wobble". Investigation revealed that the detainee had been arrested and initially detained by Navy SEALs from Naval Special Warfare Squadron 7. Notations in the investigative file indicate that a medical screening record generated on the day of capture showed several abrasions and bruising consistent with a "rough capture" and that a medical record generated thirteen days later showed second degree burns and singed tissue "after being interrogated the evening prior." Moreover, the Army NCO who initially processed the detainee on his arrival at the Mosul facility noted that the detainee "was scared, crying, and upset," and that when he made a hand gesture that the detainee interpreted as indicating that he would be sent back to the SEAL team, the detainee said "I am not going back with them, you might as well kill me now." The NCO said that he suspected that the SEALs may have abused the detainee. The SEALs denied abusing the detainee, stating that he threw himself on rocks and rubbed himself against walls, and faked illness. A 15-6 investigation concluded that there was no wrong doing by any of the persons involved in the apprehension and subsequent detention and (inconsistent with other reports in the file) indicated that the alleged burns were not consistent with thermal burns. CID similarly concluded that the "[i]nvestigation did not develop sufficient evidence to prove or disprove the allegations made by Mr. [REDACTED]."

AUTHORING AGENCIES:
RECEIVING AGENCIES:
OFFICIALS MENTIONED:
INCIDENTS OF ABUSE MENTIONED:
  • 2004-03-08, Mosul, Iraq
    • A detainee alleged that he was "tortured" at a U.S. facility in Mosul in March 2004. Detainee indicated that after being arrested but before arriving at the facility, his captors -- American men in civilian clothes -- bent his thumb backwards, kicked him, and hit him with the butt of a weapon in the back of the neck. At the facility, which was very cold, he was stripped; allowed only two limited periods of sleep in seven days, and prevented from sleeping by being subjected to loud recordings and being doused with cold water; given only eight biscuits to eat in seven days; assaulted by a translator; and pressed on his joints by U.S. personnel in a manner causing severe pain and temporary paralysis. After his head was hit against a wall, causing him to bleed from his nose and mouth, and causing permanent loss of balance, he was taken to a hospital. However, he was later retrieved by the same team of captors and "I had the same ways of previous torturing, as well as pouring hot liquid on my back, and sitting me close to fire, which resulted in burning a part of my right leg, and they put a very hot lamp on my thigh for a very short time. At the end they threatened me that they would bring my wife and my mother and that they would rape them if I did not confess."