Report: Abuse of Gitmo Detainees Skyrockets Under Obama (Wizbang)

This is just breaking from Reuters. Keep in mind the accusations come from a human rights lawyer who undoubtedly has motive for shutting down Gitmo, and the report just released a few days ago that says Gitmo conforms to the Geneva Conventions undermines this gentleman's goal. There's ground to make up:

Abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has worsened sharply since President Barack Obama took office as prison guards "get their kicks in" before the camp is closed, according to a lawyer who represents detainees.
Abuses began to pick up in December after Obama was elected, human rights lawyer Ahmed Ghappour told Reuters. He cited beatings, the dislocation of limbs, spraying of pepper spray into closed cells, applying pepper spray to toilet paper and over-forcefeeding detainees who are on hunger strike.

The Pentagon said on Monday that it had received renewed reports of prisoner abuse during a recent review of conditions at Guantanamo, but had concluded that all prisoners were being kept in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

"According to my clients, there has been a ramping up in abuse since President Obama was inaugurated," said Ghappour, a British-American lawyer with Reprieve, a legal charity that represents 31 detainees at Guantanamo.

"If one was to use one's imagination, (one) could say that these traumatized, and for lack of a better word barbaric, guards were just basically trying to get their kicks in right now for fear that they won't be able to later," he said.

"Certainly in my experience there have been many, many more reported incidents of abuse since the inauguration," added Ghappour, who has visited Guantanamo six times since late September and based his comments on his own observations and conversations with both prisoners and guards.

If this is true, then it's another case of the unintended consequences resulting from Obama's policies. His decision to announce the closing of Guantanamo Bay without any clearly defined process ready to put in place was a foolish mistake committed by an inexperienced executive. As Karl Rove said, the Obama administration is winging it.

Comments (21)

Why should taxpayers be the... (Below threshold)

1. Posted by epador | February 25, 2009 9:19 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

epador:

Why should taxpayers be the only ones feeling new pain, huh?

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:19

Suddenly accusations made b... (Below threshold)

2. Posted by Bill Jempty | February 25, 2009 9:27 AM | Score: 5 (7 votes cast)

Bill Jempty:

Suddenly accusations made by detainees and their lawyers are true and not lies?

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:27

To quote your old post-... (Below threshold)

3. Posted by Bill Jempty | February 25, 2009 9:29 AM | Score: 1 (7 votes cast)

To quote your old post-

http://wizbangblog.com/content/2009/01/21/barack-obama-to-close-overseas-interrogation-sites.php

"And another thing: we did not torture anyone. Those who say we tortured people like Khalid Sheik Muhammad are flat out lying."

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:29

Bill, did you read the intr... (Below threshold)

4. Posted by Kim Priestap | February 25, 2009 9:33 AM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)

Kim Priestap:

Bill, did you read the introduction to my post? I didn't say I believed it. In fact, I am saying I don't believe him. This guy has motive for making these accusations. He wants to close Gitmo, and the report that Cassy cited says we don't abuse or torture undermines his goal, so he's got ground to make up.

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:33

I don't believe any of this... (Below threshold)

5. Posted by fustian | February 25, 2009 9:35 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)

fustian:

I don't believe any of this for a minute.

This idiot is simply trying to put a little pressure on Obama. Like everyone else, the lawyer probably figures Obama will fold at the earliest opportunity.

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:35

I agree, fustian.... (Below threshold)

6. Posted by Kim Priestap | February 25, 2009 9:36 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

I agree, fustian.

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:36

BS before and it's BS now.<... (Below threshold)

7. Posted by SillyPuddy | February 25, 2009 9:36 AM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)

SillyPuddy:

BS before and it's BS now.
But here's a solution, put a bullet in all them and call it a day.

Kim,Your headline ... (Below threshold)

8. Posted by Bill Jempty | February 25, 2009 9:39 AM | Score: 0 (8 votes cast)

Kim,

Your headline screams Abuse skyrockets, if you don't really believe that, why use that in the title. It reminds me of a post last week by a wizbang contributor who said the guy in OKC with the bumper sticker was arrested, but he wasn't.

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:39

You could have posed the he... (Below threshold)

9. Posted by Bill Jempty | February 25, 2009 9:42 AM | Score: 0 (6 votes cast)

You could have posed the headline as a question. Your first paragraph when combined with the headline doesn't make a impartial reader conclude you don't believe the accusations.

Bill

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:42

That's what the Reuter's re... (Below threshold)

10. Posted by Kim Priestap | February 25, 2009 9:44 AM | Score: 1 (5 votes cast)

That's what the Reuter's report is saying. I provided commentary in reaction to the report in the body of my post. I'll change it, though, so it's clearer.

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:44

This confirms my theory tha... (Below threshold)

11. Posted by Adrian Browne | February 25, 2009 9:48 AM | Score: -4 (8 votes cast)

Adrian Browne:

This confirms my theory that Kim is really a writer for The Onion:

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/beaten_bloodied_t_j_houshmandzadeh

Posted on February 25, 2009 09:48

Bill Jempty, as a loyal dem... (Below threshold)

12. Posted by WildWillie | February 25, 2009 10:05 AM | Score: -1 (7 votes cast)

WildWillie:

Bill Jempty, as a loyal democrat I expected you to scream your indignation although you misinterpreted what was conveyed. Knee jerk reaction, emphasis on the jerk.

You and your demo's firmly believed that GW tortured the detained terrorists with no proof whatsoever, but being factually correct was not your goal, was it.

Stick to writing about golf. ww

Posted on February 25, 2009 10:05

As usual sarcasm flies scre... (Below threshold)

13. Posted by Falze | February 25, 2009 10:21 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)

Falze:

As usual sarcasm flies screaming over Bill's head. Pret-ty lame, Milhouse.

On another note...I don't think I've ever head military guards called "traumatized guards" before.

Posted on February 25, 2009 10:21

In regards to:"If ... (Below threshold)

14. Posted by Franklins Locke | February 25, 2009 10:43 AM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)

Franklins Locke:

In regards to:

"If one was to use one's imagination, (one) could say that these traumatized, and for lack of a better word barbaric, guards were just basically trying to get their kicks in right now for fear that they won't be able to later," he said.

Here some "imagination" they are lying because they are trained to. It is in their training manual. This is guy is a dope like all the rest that defend these terrorists.

http://franklinslocke.blogspot.com/

Posted on February 25, 2009 10:43

Careful where you step, Kim... (Below threshold)

15. Posted by Peter F. | February 25, 2009 11:46 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Peter F.:

Careful where you step, Kim. That defense lawyer bullshit is a bugger to scrap off.

Posted on February 25, 2009 11:46

...er, scrape...... (Below threshold)

16. Posted by Peter F. | February 25, 2009 11:46 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

...er, scrape...

"If one was to use one's im... (Below threshold)

17. Posted by GarandFan | February 25, 2009 12:06 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

GarandFan:

"If one was to use one's imagination...."

And I can believe that this lawyer is doing just that......using his imagination.

Posted on February 25, 2009 12:06

Bill's right. Fairly typica... (Below threshold)

18. Posted by Parthenon | February 25, 2009 1:23 PM | Score: 0 (6 votes cast)

Parthenon:

Bill's right. Fairly typical of the conservative media. Swirly questions and whatnot.

And Karl 'my middle name is exit strategy' Rove accusing anyone of winging anything is frankly a little too ironic. The universe may collapse in on the irony.

Posted on February 25, 2009 13:23

Well if I learned anything ... (Below threshold)

19. Posted by LiberalNitemare | February 25, 2009 1:46 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)

LiberalNitemare:

Well if I learned anything from the lib-o-tards over the last eight years, I learned that Obama should be held personally responsible for each and every count of abuse hat happens on his watch.

I eagerly await the investigations and protests that are surely on the way.

Posted on February 25, 2009 13:46

How convenient this lawyer ... (Below threshold)

20. Posted by marc | February 25, 2009 2:40 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

marc:

How convenient this lawyer ran to al-Reuters to get his accusations published.

There's a reason the news service was dubbed as "al-Reuters during the Lebanese war, they published a long line of fake photos and stories the were quickly sown to be just that.

Two other points: 1. Note not a single mention in the story of this co-called lawyer going to the Red Cross unit stationed at Gitmo. The should have been his second stop, after the local command structure, in reporting this alleged "abuse."

2. Is this bit: "Ghappour [the lawyer] said he had spoken to army guards who, unsolicited, had described the pleasure they took in abusing prisoners"

That's just flat-out horse shit. To believe anyone would openly admit to this and open themselves to a Court Marshal is to also believe in Nazi UFO stories and Grassy Knoll nonsense.

Posted on February 25, 2009 14:40

I'd heard that there is a h... (Below threshold)

21. Posted by Synova | February 25, 2009 6:55 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)

Synova:

I'd heard that there is a hunger strike and I had the impression that it *was* in response to Obama being president. After all, it wouldn't have worked with Bush, the meanie, but it might work with Obama, so why not try?

I really *can't* believe that the people working at Gitmo would suddenly treat the detainees differently just because the people working there (obviously... the military) don't like Obama. And "getting their kicks in before Gitmo closes" is simply irrational because the people working there would transfer out if the base closes or not. Do they all get abusive the week before they go to their next post? That's just silly.

I *can* believe that the detainees see this as an opportunity and have changed their behavior, hoping to get world attention at an opportune time by going on hunger strike. If the detainees act up, and if they need to be force-fed (personally... I figure someone on a hunger strike should be allowed to do it) force-feeding *always* means some pretty invasive sh*t. It means physical restraints. It means tubes. It means wrestling uncooperative detainees into the restraints. And if enough people are doing it, it means over-worked, frustrated guards who leave them there because they're having to deal with some other *sshole.

That's the beauty of a hunger strike.

Let them starve and you're a monster.

Force-feed them and you're a monster.

Win-win.

Posted on February 25, 2009 18:55