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Army probes whether U.S. put Iraqis in lion cage
The Army said on Tuesday it was looking into whether U.S. forces in Iraq put prisoners in a cage with lions in 2003.
...
The men contend U.S. jailers took them to a cage containing lions on the grounds of a presidential palace in Baghdad during an interrogation seeking some sort of a confession, forced them into the cage entrance then pulled them back and shut the cage door when the lions approached.
Army spokesman Paul Boyce said officials were trying to determine whether such an incident took place, but added that the Army had not launched a formal criminal investigation.
"We are just somewhat perplexed that some 800 days after this incident allegedly occurred and these individuals were detained that this is the first time there's been any reference to a lion," Boyce said.
Asked about the lion allegations, Rumsfeld told a Pentagon briefing, "It seems quite far-fetched. Obviously everything that everyone alleges is looked into."
The United States faced international condemnation last year after photographs emerged showing American forces physically abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail. The U.S. military has acknowledged numerous instances in which American forces abused detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has said no policy allowed for such treatment.
NEVER CHARGED
Asked about the lion allegation, Rumsfeld said terrorists were trained to lie about how they were treated while imprisoned.
Asked by a reporter whether he was saying the lion incident never happened, Rumsfeld responded, "I didn't say that. You heard precisely what I said. I spoke very precisely. And you can get a transcript of it if you really want to know what I said."
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that as far as he knew U.S. personnel had never used lions with detainees.
Some of the Abu Ghraib abuse involved U.S. forces terrifying Iraqi prisoners with snarling military working dogs. A Pentagon policy directive this month specifically prohibited using dogs in such a manner.
Khalid was held for two months by U.S. forces; Sabbar was held for six months. Both say they did nothing to warrant their detention and stated they faced routine severe beatings and sexual abuse while imprisoned by U.S. forces. They were never charged with a crime.
More
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15501848.htm
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The US military said Tuesday that it won't formally probe into the allegations by two former Iraqi detainees that they were once thrust by US soldiers into a cage of lions in Baghdad.
US Army Spokesman Paul Boyce said there will be no formal investigation, adding that he has never heard of lions being used in any detainee operations.
He said that no mention of lions has ever come up in any of over 400 investigations into detainee abuse conducted by the military over the past three years.
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the allegations seem "quite farfetched," and documents have been found that "train people, terrorists, to lie about their treatment, and they do it consistently and it works."
The two former detainees, Thahe Mohammed Sabbar, 37, and Sherzad Kamal Khalid, 35, are in the United States this week to talk about the lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties Union andHuman Rights First filed on their behalf against Rumsfeld and other military officials.
The two described a day in July 2003, when they were arrested by US troops with guns and armored vehicles.
They said they were covered with plastic hoods and repeatedly struck by soldiers using the butt of their guns.
They both described standing in front of a lion cage, and said they could hear other prisoners screaming as the metal cage door creaked open and slammed shut.
"They threatened that if I did not confess they would put me inthe cage," said Khalid, adding that US soldiers kept asking him where Saddam Hussein was.
Failing to give an answer, he was then pushed into the cage three times, but were pulled out as the lions moved toward him.
Sabbar said he was also pushed into the cage. "The lions came running toward me and they (US soldiers) pulled me out and shut the door. I completely lost consciousness."
Both men said they suffer continuing physical and psychologicaltrauma, such as pain, ulcers, nightmares and insomnia.
After the incident, Sabbar was held by US forces for six months,while Khalid was held for about two months.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/16/content_3786127.htm
The men contend U.S. jailers took them to a cage containing lions on the grounds of a presidential palace in Baghdad during an interrogation seeking some sort of a confession, forced them into the cage entrance then pulled them back and shut the cage door when the lions approached.
Army spokesman Paul Boyce said officials were trying to determine whether such an incident took place, but added that the Army had not launched a formal criminal investigation.
"We are just somewhat perplexed that some 800 days after this incident allegedly occurred and these individuals were detained that this is the first time there's been any reference to a lion," Boyce said.
Asked about the lion allegations, Rumsfeld told a Pentagon briefing, "It seems quite far-fetched. Obviously everything that everyone alleges is looked into."
The United States faced international condemnation last year after photographs emerged showing American forces physically abusing and sexually humiliating Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib jail. The U.S. military has acknowledged numerous instances in which American forces abused detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has said no policy allowed for such treatment.
NEVER CHARGED
Asked about the lion allegation, Rumsfeld said terrorists were trained to lie about how they were treated while imprisoned.
Asked by a reporter whether he was saying the lion incident never happened, Rumsfeld responded, "I didn't say that. You heard precisely what I said. I spoke very precisely. And you can get a transcript of it if you really want to know what I said."
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said that as far as he knew U.S. personnel had never used lions with detainees.
Some of the Abu Ghraib abuse involved U.S. forces terrifying Iraqi prisoners with snarling military working dogs. A Pentagon policy directive this month specifically prohibited using dogs in such a manner.
Khalid was held for two months by U.S. forces; Sabbar was held for six months. Both say they did nothing to warrant their detention and stated they faced routine severe beatings and sexual abuse while imprisoned by U.S. forces. They were never charged with a crime.
More
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N15501848.htm
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (Xinhuanet) -- The US military said Tuesday that it won't formally probe into the allegations by two former Iraqi detainees that they were once thrust by US soldiers into a cage of lions in Baghdad.
US Army Spokesman Paul Boyce said there will be no formal investigation, adding that he has never heard of lions being used in any detainee operations.
He said that no mention of lions has ever come up in any of over 400 investigations into detainee abuse conducted by the military over the past three years.
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the allegations seem "quite farfetched," and documents have been found that "train people, terrorists, to lie about their treatment, and they do it consistently and it works."
The two former detainees, Thahe Mohammed Sabbar, 37, and Sherzad Kamal Khalid, 35, are in the United States this week to talk about the lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties Union andHuman Rights First filed on their behalf against Rumsfeld and other military officials.
The two described a day in July 2003, when they were arrested by US troops with guns and armored vehicles.
They said they were covered with plastic hoods and repeatedly struck by soldiers using the butt of their guns.
They both described standing in front of a lion cage, and said they could hear other prisoners screaming as the metal cage door creaked open and slammed shut.
"They threatened that if I did not confess they would put me inthe cage," said Khalid, adding that US soldiers kept asking him where Saddam Hussein was.
Failing to give an answer, he was then pushed into the cage three times, but were pulled out as the lions moved toward him.
Sabbar said he was also pushed into the cage. "The lions came running toward me and they (US soldiers) pulled me out and shut the door. I completely lost consciousness."
Both men said they suffer continuing physical and psychologicaltrauma, such as pain, ulcers, nightmares and insomnia.
After the incident, Sabbar was held by US forces for six months,while Khalid was held for about two months.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/16/content_3786127.htm
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Thahe Mohammed Sabbar, 37, and Sherzad Kamal Khalid, 35, said in Washington yesterday that on the day of their arrest in July 2003 they were covered with plastic hoods and repeatedly struck by soldiers before being hauled in front of a lion cage.
Mr Sabbar said: "One of the soldiers would open the door and two soldiers would push me in. The lions came running toward me and they pulled me out and shut the door." Mr Khalid claimed that the soldiers kept asking him where Saddam Hussein was. "They threatened that if I did not confess they would put me in the cage," he said.
"I laughed, I thought they were kidding me. They asked where are the weapons of mass destruction."
When he laughed, he said, he was only beaten more. They pushed him into the cage three times.
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on behalf of the men and others against senior American officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, the defence secretary.
It detailed alleged sexual abuse, mock executions, water and food deprivation, electric shocks and other forms of torture and maltreatment. It did not mention lions.
Saddam's eldest son, Uday, kept lions at the presidential palace, which was taken over by American forces.
# Iraq's prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, yesterday ordered an investigation into the discovery of 173 detainees found at a clandestine underground prison run by the interior ministry. American troops rescued the prisoners in a raid on Sunday night. Mr Jaafari said that some of the prisoners, most of whom were Sunni Arabs, had been tortured or starved.