A military officer stands near the entrance to Camp VI at the U.S. military
prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in 2013. Abu Zubaydah remains imprisoned at
Guantanamo. (photo: Joe Raedle/Getty)
US Government Attempts to Prevent Abu Zubaydah From Testifying
By Joseph Hickman, Reader Supported News
18 May 17
On May 19, 2017, Guantanamo detainee Abu Zubaydah is scheduled to speak for
the first time in a courtroom at Guantanamo Bay. According to Abu Zubaydah's
attorney, the prosecution is attempting to stop him from testifying by
presenting evidence claiming he is biased against the United States. The
evidence the prosecution will be presenting is a videotape that Abu Zubaydah
made of himself in October 2001 during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. In
the video Zubaydah speaks extremely critically about the United States.
According to Abu Zubaydah's attorney Mark Denbeaux, "the Government stacked
the deck. We stipulated to bias against the U.S., but the court is giving
virtual free reign to the prosecution in search of proving bias- while
extremely limiting my client's ability to respond meaningfully about his
experience. Faced with overwhelming evidence that they tortured the wrong
man, the Government wanted to cherry-pick statements to paint a picture of
prejudice under this cloak of "bias" without telling the whole story. We
invaded this man's country, waterboarded him 83 times and tortured him for 4
years in secret prisons where he lost an eye. The CIA officially directed
that he be silenced as long as he lived, forever and without fail. And if
that wasn't enough, if he died while in CIA custody they ordered his body
cremated-assuring his silence even beyond the grave. Of course he's biased."
Abu Zubaydah was captured by the CIA in Pakistan in on March 28, 2003.
Immediately after his capture, US government officials made the announcement
that Abu Zubaydah was a top lieutenant in the Al-Qaeda organization and
number three in their chain of command. Abu Zubaydah spent the next three
and a half years in CIA custody, moved around to several top-secret
locations around the world. During that time he was subject to several of
the CIA's newly created "enhanced interrogation techniques" including being
confined to a small box that he barely fit into for hours at a time,
isolation for long periods of time, sensory deprivation, sleep deprivation,
and being waterboarded 83 times.
After being tortured for three and a half years in CIA custody, on September
9, 2006 he was moved to Guantanamo Bay Cuba, and put in the custody of the
Department of Defense. By 2007 the U.S. government had changed their
accusations to say Abu Zubaydah was never a member of Al-Qaeda. Yet he still
remains in Guantanamo today, and has never been charged with a crime, or
given the right of due process.
Abu Zubaydah is hoping to be heard for the first time since his capture in a
Military Commissions pre-trial hearing over the treatment of a fellow
detainee Ramzi bin al-Shibh, who claims he has been subjected to
psychological torture at Guantanamo's Camp 7 where all the so called "high
value detainees" are housed. Al-Shibh claims disturbing sounds and
vibrations are purposely directed into his cell done to disturb his sleep.
Abu Zubaydah is scheduled to testify about the sights, sounds and smells in
the secret camp, but because of the unusual evidence that may be presented
against Abu Zubaydah, and how it is presented by the prosecution, Zubaydah
may be advised by his attorney not to testify.
Joseph Hickman is a former Gitmo guard and freelance journalist. He is also
the author of the upcoming book 'The Convenient Terrorist: Two
Whistleblowers' Stories of Torture, Terror, Secret Wars, and CIA Lies.'
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JosephHickman0
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