Covering up Newsweek’s Mess
Apparently, the ACLU is trying to redeem Newsweek’s fall into the credibility quagmire by lauding another potential Koran flushing after reviewing documents recently released by the FBI in response to the ACLUers lawsuit against the DOD.
And what does the ACLU rely on inside the FBI reports? Not the conclusions of the FBI agent, but mere allegations made by the terrorist thugs (aka “detainees”) imprisoned at Guantánamo Bay:
According to the FBI documents, a detainee interviewed in August 2002 said that guards had flushed the Koran in the toilet. Others reported the Koran being kicked, withheld as punishment, and thrown on the floor, and said they were mocked during prayers.
. . .
In the documents released today, one detainee informs his FBI interviewers that using the Koran “as a reprisal or as an incentive for cooperation has failed,” and that the only result would be “the damage caused to the reputation of the United States once what had occurred was released to the world.” While another detainee acknowledged that there might be “a legitimate need to search the book for hidden items,” he objected to the abusive manner in which the searches were conducted.
So one detainee alleges a Koran was flushed down the toilet, another it was kicked, thrown, and “mocked.” Geez, I wonder what mocking means? A soldier reading the Bible during his watch duty? A soldier staring at the Koran?
Here is the redacted text of the FBI interview of the Gitmo terrorist thug that provides the evidentiary basis for “Koran flushing” allegation:
God tells Muslims to do a jihad against non-Muslims and countries that are not Muslim. Also, Muslims should fight a jihad against non-Muslims and countries who are not Muslim, who come to a Muslim country to start trouble. [Mohammad the Terrorist] is not currently in jihad.
Prior to his capture, [Mohammad the Terrorist] had no information against the United States. Personally, he has nothing against the United States. The guards in the detention facility do not treat him well. Their behavior is bad. About five months ago, the guards beat the detainees. They flushed a Koran down the toilet. [page 3878]
Are you convinced that “Mohammad the Terrorist’s” unsubstantiated allegation proves that U.S. soldiers flushed the Koran down the toilet? The ACLU is, but I think the detainee might have just a few credibility problems. One allegation does not prove abuse of the Koran. It’s just like the Newsweek story–an uncorroborated allegation.
Also, it is useful to read the documents to understand the ACLU’s spin of the detainees statements. The ACLU is very descriptive where advantageous to promote their agenda of torture (i.e., the toilet example) and creates vagaries where a detainee’s allegation of abuse is coupled with his expressed hatred of America. For example, the ACLU writes the following description of transcript pages 3957 and 3958: “Records detainee’s responses to questions.” Here’s an interesting statement by “Makfud the Terrorist” on page 3958:
He does not like how the detainees are being treated at Camp Delta, saying the strip searches are humiliating and the food is bad. He feels that the United States is making war on the Islamic religion. He says that by imprisoning him, the United States is making war [redacted] and if the United States makes war against them, they will make war against the United States.
Thus, an allegation of abuses are made (humilating strip searches, bad Froot Loops) coupled with his statement declaring war on America. Credible? Yeah right.
Newsweek is still defending its trashing of America and her troops–on Al Jazeera. Go figure.