This is a series of diaries written about torture written from the perspective of the one enduring it, with as many first hand accounts as I can find.
This is a continuation of the re-start of the series, which I first published here about two years ago.
Here is the link of the restart of the series: http://www.dailykos.com/....
Here is the link to the second diary in the restart of the series :
http://www.dailykos.com/....
Here is the link for the third diary in the series: http://www.dailykos.com/....
Here is the link for the fourth diary: http://www.dailykos.com/....
Here is the link for last night's diary: http://www.dailykos.com/...
Ordinarily, I will publishing at 7:30pm EST. I apologize for being late tonight. I will be publishing the series for the next 40 days, and perhaps continue after that as well.
Tonight, I will continue the story of the Tipton Three,
Ruhal Ahmed, Shafiq Rasul and Asif Iqbal
Today, I will continue the story of the Tipton Three, three young men born in England of Middle Eastern descent who had gone to school in the United Kingdom. They were arrested in Afghanistan on November 28, 2001. Thus began a horrific 18 hour journey, in a container with 200 other prisoners, only 20 of whom survived to arrive at Sherbegan Prison.
Here are more excerpts of Shafiq, Asif and Iqbal's statement:
Shafiq says:
"during the plane journey the shackles had been on so tight that they really cut into me. I still have scarring on my left arm from them and I lost the feeling in my right hand for a long time because they were on so tight".
Shafiq explains that:
when the soldiers would come into the tents in Kandahar they came with dogs. If you made any sudden movements the dogs would be brought right up to you snarling and barking very close to your face".
Asif states that:
...
After the shower I was taken over to a table and told to bend over (I was naked). Again somebody prodded up my anus. I don't know what they possibly could have thought I had hidden since I had been completely shackled since the last cavity search.
Shafiq describes a similar experience when he was processed (as does Rhuhel):
After this I was walked naked to another table where a cavity search was conducted. It was both painful and humiliating. Having been subjected to the same search before we left Kandahar and having been kept shackled throughout the time we were transported, there can have been no purpose to this search other than to further humiliate or punish us. I was taken, naked, to a woman who processed me as Asif describes.
Asif states that:
on the first night after I arrived from Afghanistan at Camp Xx-Ray I weighed 120 pounds, I am normally 165 pounds.
Rhuhel says:
"I have problems with my eyes and need special lenses to correct my vision. If untreated this condition can cause permanent damage, I would get severe headaches because it would strain my eyes to read the Koran. After one and half years I got the lenses but it was considered a comfort item which they would threaten to take unless I co-operated. In any case they never gave me the solution I needed for the lenses so it was pointless".
(Rhuhel's eyesight is now permanently severely damaged as a result.)
The move to the block with the Chinese (possibly Uighurs) was very difficult for Asif.
There was no one to talk to. As a result he explains,"I started to suffer what I believe was a break down. I couldn't take it any more. I asked to speak to a psychologist but all they said was that I should be given Prozac which I didn't want to have. The other prisoners who had this were just like zombies and put on loads if weight. I was having flash backs and night mares about the containers and couldn't sleep at night.
Rhuhel says:
The ERF team would come into the cell, place us face down on the ground then putting our arms behind our backs and our legs bending backwards they would shackle us and hold us down restrained in that position whilst somebody from the medical corps pulled up my sleeve and injected me in the arm. They left the chains on me and then left. The injection seemed to have the effect of making me very drowsy. I was left like that for a few hours with my legs and arms shackled behind me. If I tried to move to get my legs to get into a more comfortable position it would hurt. Eventually the ERF team came back and simply removed the shackles. I have no idea why they were giving us these injections. It happened perhaps a dozen times altogether and I believe it still goes on at the camp. You are not allowed to refuse it and you don't know what it is for".
Asif and Shafiq describe similar experiences but they were not left shackled.
There is more to tell of Rhuhel, Asif and Shafiq's story, so I will continue it tomorrow.
These things were done in YOUR name.
Please, stand up for these men. Call your President. Call your Senators. Call your Congressional Representatives. There MUST be accountability.
Standing for justice and accountability,
For Dan,
Heather