US Navy’s most senior legal official – US guilty of warcrimes. Brother of Guantanamo prisoner on spe

national | anti-war / imperialism | press release

Wednesday May 24, 2006 13:26

by Irish Anti War Movement - Irish anti War Movement

US Navy’s most senior legal official, Dr Albert Moro, says the US administration is guilty of war crimes over the use of torture at Guantanamo Bay.
The current Irish government by extension is also guilty of war-crimes by facilitating CIA ‘rendition programmes’ and refusing to search CIA planes carrying people to torture sites.

Irish Anti War Movement
Po Box 9260, Dublin 1. Tel: (01) 872 7912
Press Release
24/05/06

US Navy’s most senior legal official – US guilty of warcrimes. Brother of Guantanamo prisoner on speaking tour of Ireland.

US Navy’s most senior legal official, Dr Albert Moro, says the US administration is guilty of war crimes over the use of torture at Guantanamo Bay.

Tthe current Irish government by extension is also guilty of war-crimes by facilitating CIA ‘rendition programmes’ and refusing to search CIA planes carrying people to torture sites.

Dr Moro is a staunch republican who supported the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 during the attack.

In an interview with BBC Newsnight programme on the 22 May 2006 Dr Moro said that “behaviour in Guantanamo Bay amounted to criminal activity on the part of our officials”.

He continued, “I was told by interrogators in Guantanamo Bay that these techniques had been authorised by higher officials. When I investigated I found a series of memoranda from the Secretary of State, Donald Rumsfeld, to Guantanamo Bay officials authorising severe interrogation techniques”.

“In some instances these techniques crossed over into torture”.

Dr Moro said, “This was a mistake but it was not inadvertent, it was officially sanctioned. In August 2002 the administration redefined torture to equal pain that would amount to major organ failure or even death”.

“Officials in the administration believed that the President had the authority to authorise torture. These officials, including the President are now open to charges of warcrimes.”

A brother of a current Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Omar Deghayes, is speaking at a national tour of meetings organised by the Irish Anti War Movement in the coming week. Omar has endured these ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ practiced by the US military. He was left completely blind in one eye.

The Irish Anti War Movement calls on the Irish government to uphold its obligations as a neutral state under the Hague Convention, under the UN Convention against Torture and under Irish legislation that incorporates the Convention against Torture. The government has accepted worthless assurances from the White House that Ireland has not been used for purposes of torture. This is the same government that lied to the world about WMD in Iraq.

Given the US record of lies about Iraq and torture the Irish government should immediately withdraw the use of Shannon airport from the US Military.

The tour details are:

Belfast Thursday 25th May 8pm Peter Froggit Centre, Queens University.

Dublin Friday 26th May 8pm in the ATGWU Hall, Middle Abbey St.

Tralee Saturday 27 May 3pm in the Grand Hotel, Tralee

Cork Sunday 28th May, 12pm in the Kino screening of the film The road to Guantanamo, followed at 3pm by meeting in An Spailpin Fanach.

For interviews and comment contact Donal Mac Fhearraigh 0876838746