Is U.S. Still Torturing Suspects ?

One of the most damaging things to the United States' reputation worldwide, was when the Bush administration resorted to using torture against captured and arrested suspects. It was the policy of that administration that torture was permitted as long as it was not called torture.

When Obama was elected, many of us had hoped that the days of torturing suspects were behind us, and that we could return to living by rule of law and a belief in the supremacy of human rights. Obama assured us that was the case and we wanted to believe it was true. But that may have just been wishful thinking.

Two Afghani teenagers who have just been released from U.S. custody after no ties could be found with the Taliban, are saying they were tortured at a United States military "black" prison in Bagram. They are 17 year-old Issa Mohammad and Abdul Rashid, who is yet to turn 16.

The two say they were stripped naked and photographed, beaten, kept in solitary confinement, denied sleep, kept in a concrete cell, interrogated daily, and shown pornography while being forced to look at a picture of their mother. While this treatment can't be confirmed, it is consistent with stories told by other releasees.

The facility they were held at appears to be one run by American Special Forces that is separate from the regular Bagram prison facility. Their treatment contravenes both the Army Field Manuel, the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005 and the Geneva Conventions.

This is very troubling. This kind of prisoner treatment was dastardly and totally unacceptable when George Bush was president, and it still is. A Democrat being in the White House doesn't make this type of behavior any better or more acceptable. Torture is still torture no matter who is president or what you call it.

President Obama had promised us this type of thing would cease to happen. If he's serious about that, he needs to take immediate and forceful action. Otherwise, he will be no better than Bush.

NOTE -- Picture above is of torture in Iraq - not Afghanistan.