Page 4 - aruba-today-20170624

A4 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 24 June 2017
Senators ask military to clarify U.S. role in Yemen torture
By DESMOND BUTLER and
MAGGIE MICHAEL
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pres-
sure mounted on the U.S.
Defense Department Fri-
day after multiple U.S.
senators called for inves-
tigations into reports that
U.S. military interrogators
worked with forces from
the United Arab Emirates
who are accused of tortur-
ing detainees in Yemen.
John McCain, Republican
chairman of the Senate In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Senate Armed Services Commit- that its personnel were not that any such facilities are
Armed Services Commit- tee Chairman Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. speaks on Capitol Hill
tee, and the ranking Dem- in Washington.
ocrat, Jack Reed, called
the reports “deeply disturb-
ing.”
The reports were re-
vealed in an investiga-
tion by The Associated
Press published Thursday.
That same day, McCain
and Reed wrote a letter
to Defense Secretary Jim
Mattis asking him to con- tions as extremely troubling personnel may have been
duct an immediate review
of the reported abuse and
what U.S. forces knew.
“Even the suggestion that
the United States toler-
ates torture by our foreign
partners compromises our
national security mission
Associated Press ficials confirmed that the thorities.”
by undermining the moral he wrote that forbids fund- the Emiratis and receives sites are run by either the
principle that distinguish- ing to known human rights
es us from our enemies— violators.
our belief that all people “Reports of acts of torture
possess basic human by agents of a govern-
rights,” the senators wrote ment that is supported by
Mattis . “We are confident the United States, and the
that you find these allega- possibility that U.S. military
as we do.” aware of it, should ring
Democratic Sen. Patrick alarm bells at the Depart- Salem al-Bahsani, com-
Leahy, Vice Chairman of ment of Defense,” Leahy
the Senate Appropriations said in a statement to the
Committee, also called for AP.
an investigation and noted The AP’s report detailed a
that support for the UAE network of secret prisons
forces could violate a law across southern Yemen
where hundreds are de- abuse. One witness, who is
tained in the hunt for al- a member of a Yemeni se-
Qaida militants and held curity force, said American
without charges. American forces were at times only
defense officials confirmed yards (meters) away.
to the AP that U.S. forces The UAE Ministry of Foreign
have interrogated some Affairs said in a statement
detainees in Yemen but Friday that the allegations
denied any participation are “completely untrue”
in, or knowledge of, human and a “political game” by
rights abuses. Yemeni militias to discredit
Defense officials told the a Saudi-led coalition that
AP that the department includes the UAE. It says
had looked into reports it does not run or oversee
of torture and concluded any prisons in Yemen, and
involved or aware of any under “the jurisdiction of
abuse. The American of- the Yemeni legitimate au-
U.S. provides questions to Most of the clandestine
transcripts of their interro- Hadramawt Elite or Secu-
gations. The officials said rity Belt, Yemeni forces that
the U.S. also provides in- were created, trained and
formation to the UAE on financed by the UAE. Of-
suspected al-Qaida mili- ficially, they are under the
tants that the U.S. believes authority of Yemen’s inter-
should be picked up or nationally recognized gov-
questioned. ernment, but multiple Ye-
Yemeni Brig. Gen. Farag meni government officials
told the AP they have no
mander of the Mukalla- control over them and they
based 2nd Military District, answer to the Emiratis.
told the AP that many of At least three of the pris-
those men were later ar- ons, however, are directly
rested. run by the Emirates, along
“I’m troubled by the Pen- with a fourth prison housing
tagon’s legalistic responses Yemenis at an Emirati base
to these reports that U.S. in Eritrea, according to four
officials worked in facilities senior Yemeni government
where torture was wide- and military officials, former
spread,” Democratic Sen. detainees and families of
Ron Wyden said in a state- prisoners.
ment. At Riyan Airport prison in
“U.S. allies have an obli- the southern Yemeni city
gation not to torture and of Mukalla, six former de-
the bar for the U.S. is high- tainees described hun-
er than ‘torture is OK if we dreds of prisoners held in
don’t see it.’” shipping containers and
The American Civil Liberties gave extensive accounts
Union also said Friday that of abuses, saying the of-
it had filed a Freedom of ficers in charge and those
Information Act request for conducting interrogations
U.S. records related to the were Emiratis. Families held
interrogations. frequent protests outside
The 18 lock-ups are run by Riyan seeking news about
the UAE and by Yemeni loved ones imprisoned
forces it created, accord- there. Several relatives of
ing to accounts from for- prisoners told the AP that
mer detainees, families of they spoke repeatedly with
prisoners, civil rights lawyers the Emirati officer in charge
and Yemeni military offi- of the site, who identified
cials. At the Riyan airport himself only by a pseud-
in the southern Yemeni city onym, Abu Ahmed, trying
of Mukalla, former inmates to secure their relatives’ re-
described shipping con- lease.
tainers smeared with feces The former detainees and
and crammed with blind- the relatives of prisoners
folded detainees. They said spoke on condition of ano-
they were beaten, roasted nymity fearing retaliation
alive on a spit and sexually against themselves or their
assaulted, among other loved ones.q