Interrogation In Iraq
You were tortured in Iraq for 6 weeks, what do you think about the abductions and torture that are taking place in Iraq at the moment?
It's quite a difficult one for me, actually, because I understand the reason for interrogations. I understand the reasons for, what we call, tactical interrogations where you want real-time information that may effect what you're doing on the ground. So, therefore, if you don't interrogate those guys, some of our guys might get killed. I understand the reasons for that. What I find difficult is the longevity of some of these interrogations conducted in other countries. I've actually been back to Baghdad on a number of occasions, period, as part of my job, now, with the security company and I went to Abograde prison where I was kept, just after the American abuse was exposed and I must say that was totally tyranny on us out there and what it was all about, was uncontrolled power. When you've got these guys, where there's no limits of exploitations, there's no checks and commands. So these people just let you run riot to interrogate these people for no information, because they just wanted to and that's the thing that doesn't need to happen.
What's your opinion about the photographs of US soldiers torturing prisoners in Iraq?
There was a difference between, certainly, what was happening to me and what was happening to the Iraqi's in Abu grade by the Americans. But actually, it doesn't really matter, though, it's what goes on in their heads, and, in fact, some of them were electrocuted, and some were bitten by dogs and beaten. What people forget is even during the Gulf War, the first Gulf War, and I was a prisoner in Abu grade, there was Iraqi's that were there as well, getting exactly the same torture and a lot of the Iranians, as well, because the Iraqis had, obviously, fought that long war with Iran. So it just wasn't us that were getting that torture. And a lot of them were in there just because they spoke out against Saddam, and they were in there for years. So, it's a very difficult one because I do understand the reasons for torture, and for that tactical information. And whether we like it or not, soldiers do it in the field because they've got their own people to think about. So it goes on.
Where do you draw the line for an acceptable level of interrogation?
What do you think of Guantanamo Bay?
Can you describe what happened to you when you were interrogated and how you dealt with it?
What injuries did you sustain during your torture by the Iraqi army?
What would you do if you had the chance to spend 5mins in a room with your main torturer?
