Health workers violated medical ethics when they helped interrogate terrorism suspects who were tortured at secret CIA prisons overseas, the International Committee of the Red Cross said.
The medical workers, thought to be doctors and psychologists, monitored prisoners while they were mistreated at CIA prisons and advised interrogators whether to continue, adjust or halt the abuse, the ICRC said in a report based on interviews with 14 prisoners in 2007.
One prisoner alleged that medical personnel monitored his blood oxygen levels while he was subjected to waterboarding, a simulated drowning designed to induce panic and widely considered to be torture, the ICRC said.
Other prisoners said that as they stood shackled with their arms chained above their heads, a doctor regularly measured the swelling in their legs and signaled when they should be allowed to sit down.
The ICRC interviewed 14 men who had been held in secret CIA prisons overseas before being sent to the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2006…
The ICRC monitors compliance with the Geneva Conventions governing the treatment of war captives and keeps its reports secret, sharing them only with the detaining government…
A previously undisclosed portion of the report concluded that medical workers who monitored or took part in the interrogations had violated their ethical duty to do no harm, preserve dignity and act in patients’ best interest…
Bush administration officials have said the “enhanced interrogation” of those prisoners produced information that helped thwart attacks but have never provided specifics.
Politicians defending torture now fight to keep the truth under wraps.
Don’t waste too much time distracted by the barrage of rationales. There is only one question under consideration – and that will be judged by the record. When the records are allowed into the light of day.
One obvious change needed is ending the complicity of succeeding governments in the cover-up of crimes committed by their predecessors.
We all understand why they do it. No honest justification.
So a “moral” doc would not have participated in the torture and unskilled people would have monitored the O2 level in the blood==probably just as accurately as any doc could do–ie==its just reading a number on a scale.
Well, that assume anyone at the time would have known the UPCOMING procedure was legally/morally torture. Some believe torturing terrorists is moral. Gonzales gave written opinions it was legal.
The crime was committed at the highest levels, not the lowest ones.
“Health workers violated medical ethics when they helped interrogate terrorism suspects who were tortured at secret CIA prisons overseas,”
So, it’s bad for a doctor to monitor someone being tortured but good to suck the brains out of a baby? Hmmm… I think I’d stick with the doctor who tries to preserve life…
The information was supplied by the terrorists…
And this “alleged” information is supposed to be believable?
The medical workers, thought to be doctors and psychologists,…
the Red Cross does not know? WTF?
I thought this was well known. I guess someone needs to see the Red Cross report to believe it.
Mr. President, this is why we need a Special Prosecutor to investigate crimes committed during the Bush tyranny.
On the one hand, the doctor is doing his/her job ensuring the tortured person person is not injured.
On the other hand, I read something about the Hippocratic Oath saying something about ethical practice of medicine.
I’m so confused! Rush Limbaugh, please explain!!
It’s a good thing Obama has closed Gitmo and this can’t happen any more.
Oh wait – Gitmo is still operating? Prisoners are still be held without trial?
How many terrorists were beheaded by the US? Mutilated? Crippled? Deliberately KILLED by other methods? None. Zero. Zip.
How many US and allied prisoners of terrorists were treated to all of the a fore mentioned? Too many to count and that doesn’t take into account the thousands of Iraqi citizens killed by terrorist thugs and murderers.
You Peace, Love and Understanding Idiotic Infidels will be the first ones thrown into an industrial-sized people chipper some day by these same terrorists you sooooo love and want to protect their rights.
#8. “How many terrorists were beheaded by the US? Mutilated? Crippled? Deliberately KILLED by other methods? None. Zero. Zip.”
Are you naive or just an imbecile. I’ll forgive that statement if your just an imbecile. Mommy, protect me from those bad terrorists.
lol.
#4 said
And this “alleged” information is supposed to be believable?
That depends. They could be lying and saying anything to stop being water boarded.
Or you could water board two terrorists in separate rooms and tell them that it doesn’t stop until their stories match. Much more accurate results one would guess. Just hope your buddy breaks at the same point as you.
Water boarding is not torture unless everyone here was tortured as a kid when their older brother dunked them underwater. Seriously, grow up people.
# 9 Thomas said, “Are you naive or just an imbecile. I’ll forgive that statement if your just an imbecile. Mommy, protect me from those bad terrorists.”
The true sign of the terminally owned: ad hominem attack while refusing to address the actual point…
#10 Benjamin. Water boarding is not torture unless everyone here was tortured as a kid when their older brother dunked them underwater. Seriously, grow up people.
Good point. If waterboarding is not torture, then what’s the big fuss about? Stoopid liberals.
I took an Hippocratic oath. Funny, I don’t recall anywhere it said do not protect the health and well-being of persons being tortured. Seems to me the ethical violation would have been to NOT monitor the “victims.”
By the way, a key point in the article is: “The medical workers, THOUGHT to be doctors and psychologists…” Medical workers, probably. Doctors and psychologists? Hmmm. Not so sure. There’s a real problem with getting accurate, non-self-serving information from prisoners.
And, I can tell you from personal experience, the ICRC is not exactly neutral in some of these cases. I witnessed them asking very leading questions of victims in Kosovo and Angola. Not saying atrocities did not occur, I know they did.
The Red Cross also has the Red Crescent, but no Red Star of David. Only when the US withheld money did they bring in a Red Crystal. A black mark on the organization, caving in to Muslims like that.
I always though the symbol of the red crescent spoke very poorly of the Muslims.
All informed and intelligent people know the red cross represents two blood stained bandages crossed over a wound. Nothing to do with Christianity or Jesus.
But the Muslims (or at least the Arab Muslims) are so rabidly anti-Christian that they could not see the obvious.
>> Paddy-O said, on April 8th, 2009 at 6:37 am
>> So, it’s bad for a doctor to monitor someone being tortured but good to suck the brains out of a baby?
Goodness, what crimes CAN’T you justify with your opposition to abortion?
(BTW, you mean embryo, blastocyst zygote, etc. but you know that. )
>> Ah_Yea said, on April 8th, 2009 at 8:51 am
>> All informed and intelligent people know the red cross represents two blood stained bandages crossed over a wound. Nothing to do with Christianity or Jesus.
Really? Link, please, before you start insulting all Muslims.
I, too, was under the impression that the Red Cross symbol came from the Swiss Flag, because of their neutrality. It’s origins are likely Christian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Switzerland
Muslims are hardly alone in not liking to use the religious symbols of others. Come to think of it, who does?
But are Muslims more sensitive than most? That case could be argued, IMO, but your broad criticism based on dubious “facts” is unfair.
#3, Cow-Patty, Ignorant Shit Talking Sociopath, Retired Mall Rent-A-Cop, Pretend Constitutional Scholar, Fake California Labor Law Expert, Pseudo Military Historian, Phony Climate Scientist, Real Leading Troll Extraordinare, International Copyright Specialist and now World Renown Geologist.
So, it’s bad for a doctor to monitor someone being tortured but good to suck the brains out of a baby?
Can you link to ONE case of a doctor sucking the brains out of a baby? I’m not asking for two, or three, or 104,598, just one effen case of a doctor sucking the brains out of a baby. Oh, and no fictional works either.
As for this specific issue, I’m greatly bothered by it.
If these professional boards, like the AMA, want to have quasi-legal status, then they need to step-up and police their members and the profession in general.
My personal angle on this was the use of mental health facilities in the Soviet Union as a form of torture.
I personally know people who were horribly detained and abused my mental health workers as a form of religious and political oppression.
It sickens and infuriates me that doctors and other medical professionals participated in this.
A few declarations against it were made, but nothing even close to justice or even basic professional standards.
Now, thanks to the Bush Administration, America has become like our former enemy.
#18 conFusion, I don’t normally answer Qs where the answer is known by 99% of the population but, I sometimes take pity on that 1% who are retarded.
http://state.sd.us/applications/ph17abortioninfo/inlet/Abort.htm
Third Trimester Abortion Methods (26 – 40 weeks of pregnancy)
Abdominal hysterotomy
# See above
Intact dilation and extraction (partial birth abortion)
* In this procedure, the physician pulls the fetus feet-first out of the uterus into the birth canal, except for the head which is kept lodged just inside the uterus.
* The base of the fetus’s skull is punctured with a sharp instrument such as a long scissors or pointed metal tube.
* A catheter is inserted into the wound and removes the fetus’s brain with a powerful suction machine. This causes the skull to collapse, and allows for the expulsion of the fetus.