An American Torture Story

An American Torture Story

Dear Tracy, This is an American Torture Story. Gul Rahman had spent 48 hours alone, in total darkness, in a place called the Salt Pit. When his captors came to him, they cut off his clothes, placed a hood over his head and ran Mylar tape around his body as a crude restraint. Slapping and punching him, they dragged him up and down a long hall, until his body was bruised and cut up. They put him under a cold-water shower that was so cold, he could barely utter a word. Then, they took him to a cell designed for sleep deprivation, chained his hands above his head, and left him shivering and half-naked. The next day, he was discovered dead. He had literally frozen to death. While many readers will find this story horrifying, what shocks me more is that Rahman is far from alone. From 2002 to 2008, the U.S. government disappeared more than 100 men and subjected dozens of them to torture using the same "interrogation methods" they used against Gul Rahman. These human rights violations were ordered at the highest level of the U.S. government, carried out by the Central Intelligence Agency, and overseen by dozens of doctors, psychologists and lawyers. Crimes have a consequence. Tell U.S. authorities that no one gets away with torture. Now, the Senate has issued a report providing new evidence about these horrific crimes. But the U.S. Justice Department -- charged with enforcing the law and prosecuting misconduct -- is trying to bury the truth. It is keeping the full report in a sealed envelope and refusing to read it, let alone take action on it. This sends a message to would-be torturers: They got away with torture once, and they could get away with it again. The door to torture is still open, but it's important that we insist on an end to this horrifying chapter in U.S. history. The Justice Department won't read the Senate report, so join me in sending it to them so that they can't escape the facts. We can't turn a blind eye to torture. This is a story that needs telling. Sincerely, Naureen Shah Director, Security and Human Rights Program Amnesty International USA