Police launch Guantanamo 'torture' probe

By GottaLaff

Here I go again, writing about seeking justice. Color me stubborn. And forgive me just this millionth time once:

The Metropolitan Police Service(MPS) said Friday they had launched a criminal investigation into allegations made by former Guantanamo Bay detainee Binyam Mohamed that he was tortured with the help of British agents.

Hey kids! Torture's not just for the CIA any more! Tell your friends!

"The papers were reviewed by the MPS and the investigation accepted. A team of detectives... has now been selected and vetted to appropriate levels. As a result a criminal investigation has now begun," a police statement said.

Dear ObamAdministration: Please follow suit. Love, Laffy

Ethiopian-born Mohamed, 30, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002 while trying to return to Britain and spent six and a half years either in US custody or that of countries taking part in the US-run rendition programme of terror suspects.

After a lengthy campaign orchestrated by his supporters in Britain, he became the first prisoner to be released from the US-run Guantanamo camp under President Barack Obama and returned to Britain in February.

On his journey through the rendition system, Mohamed was first held for three months in Pakistan, during which time he claims he was tortured and questioned by US and British agents.

The rendition system is still intact. But now there's serious pinky swearsies that torture won't happen, and the stays at the Holiday Inn Rendition Express will only be short ones.

He says he was then taken to Morocco with the explicit knowledge of Britain's Security Service, where he alleges he was subjected to further torture, including sexual mutilation. [...]

In January 2004, he was transferred to US facilities in Afghanistan for five months before being taken to Guantanamo, where he was never charged or faced trial.

Does all this sound familiar? It should:

All my previous posts about Gitmo detainee Fayiz al-Kandari, and his military attorney Lt. Col. Barry Wingard, can be found here; That link includes audio and video interviews with Lt. Col. Wingard, one by David Shuster, one by Ana Marie Cox, and more. My guest commentary at BuzzFlash is here.Our system of justice is broken. Military commissions rely on coerced confessions and hearsay, something Jane Mayer covers in great detail in her book..

If you are inclined to help rectify these injustices: Twitterers, use the hashtag #FreeFayiz. We have organized a team to get these stories out. If you are interested in helping Fayiz out, e-mail me at The Political Carnival, address in sidebar to the right; or tweet me at @GottaLaff.

If you'd like to see other ways you can take action, go here and scroll down to the end of the article.

Then read Jane Mayer's book The Dark Side. You'll have a much greater understanding of why I post endlessly about this, and why I'm all over the CIA deception issues, too.