My friend Stephen Grey’s long-awaited book on extraordinary renditions is out.
Stephen is one of Britain’s top investigative reporters, who did, in my view, some of the best reporting pieces on the current “War on Terror.” His new book is a must read.
Some statistics from AP on the US-run global gulag…
A look at the U.S. overseas detention system that has developed since 2001:
NUMBERS OF DETAINEES
Iraq (Camp Bucca, Camp Cropper, Fort Suse) – 13,390
Afghanistan (Bagram air base) – Estimated 500
Guantanamo Bay – 455
NATIONALITIES
Iraq – U.S. command last year counted 325 “foreign fighters” but overwhelming majority Iraqi.
Afghanistan – Afghans, Arabs, central Asians, possibly others.
Guantanamo Bay – 48 nationalities (past and present), vast majority from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Pakistan, Algeria, China, Morocco, Kuwait, Tajikistan and Tunisia.
CONSTRUCTION
Iraq – U.S. Army opened $60 million detention center in August at Camp Cropper, near Baghdad’s airport.
Guantanamo Bay – This fall U.S. Navy plans to open new $30 million maximum-security wing.
DETAINEE ABUSE
Allegations – About 800 investigations of alleged mistreatment in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Punished – More than 250 service personnel punished, many via loss of rank or pay, or discharge from service.
Courts-Martial – At least 103
Convictions – 89 service members convicted; 19 sentences of one year or more.
DETAINEE DEATHS
Total Deaths – At least 98 in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo, as of February.
Homicides – At least 34.
Unknown/Undetermined Causes – At least 48.
Prosecution – Punishment in 14 death cases.
Does anybody remember the “Victorious Group?” That first of its kind “Salafi Takfiri” group in Egypt a la Zarqawi style, as the state-owned press and self-described counter-terrorism pundits told us?
These were 22 young Egyptians, picked up last April. The security then proudly stated that “Information, documents and interviews … confirmed that they were studying carrying out terrorist operations against tourist targets, the gas pipeline on the Greater Cairo ring road and some sensitive sites through bombings,… They were also studying targeting some Muslim and Christian religious figures and … what they called degenerate youth in tourist areas.”
The arrest of that “group” was announced–surprise, surprise–11 days before the extension of the emergency law.
Some pro-democracy activists, who were detained last spring for their solidarity with the Egyptian judiciary’s fight for independence said they met “Victorious Group” guys during visits to the State Security prosecutor. One of them, leftist blogger Alaa Seif, wrote the VG suspects appeared to have received brutal tortured by State Security agents, to extract confessions.
Well, guess what? The State Security Prosecutor has just dismissed the case saying the evidence is bogus, and ordered the release of the 22 men.