I got the following in an email from Michael Peroutka (fringe wingnut who ran for President on the Constitution Party ticket). He used this as an argument on why women should not serve in the armed forces. Whatever. All I know is that we must stop the sexual torture of Iraqi inmates.
The following quotes are from a recent issue of "Time" magazine (2/21/05). The story was headlined "Impure Tactics."
This story is about a prisoner held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay who was believed to have taken flying lessons in Arizona before 9/11, just like one of the hijackers. During his interrogation, a female Army interrogator, when he would say nothing, took a break and stepped into the hall. As "Time" reports it:
"When [she] returned, the interrogator shed the top of her camouflage battle-dress uniform, revealing a tight Army T shirt. The prisoner looked away. She rubbed her breasts against his back, taunting him about his [being aroused]. She stood in front of him touching her breasts. He spit in her face.
"During another break, the interrogator said she wanted to shame the devout Muslim captive in order to break his connection with God, which was giving him the strength to stonewall. After asking advice from a different translator, this one a Muslim, she went into the bathroom, taking a red marker with her. When she and the first translator re-entered the interrogation booth, she told the detainee [that it was that time of the month for her.] She stuck her hands in her pants, then withdrew a hand and showed the detainee what appeared to be blood on it.
"She asked again who had sent him to Arizona, and he glared at her silently. When she wiped the red ink on his face, he let out a shout, spit at her and lunged forward so forcefully that an ankle came loose from its shackle. The Saudi began sobbing uncontrollably, and the interrogator left, telling him the water in his cell had been shut off. He would not be able to wash, as Muslims are supposed to do before they pray.
"Sexually loaded torment by female interrogators is the latest chapter in the prisoner-abuse scandals that will not fade away."
"Time" says: "The military has acknowledged that two female interrogators were reprimanded in 2003 for improper, sexually tinged behavior at Guantanamo. In one case, an interrogator took off her uniform top, revealing a T shirt underneath, sat in a detainee's lap and ran her fingers through his hair. A supervisor monitoring the session immediately stopped it and gave the woman a written rebuke. Another female interrogator received a verbal warning after she wiped red dye on a detainee's shirt, saying it was blood."
PLEASE CALL YOUR CONGRESSPERSON TODAY AND IMPLORE THEM TO DO ANYTHING THEY CAN TO STOP THE SEXUAL TORTURE OF IRAQI PRISONERS.
Please pass this on.