New Revelations of Widespread Detainee Abuse by U.S. Call for Action

During December a number of new reports showed evidence of widespread abuse by the U.S. of detainees in military custody. On December 20, 2004, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released information on F.B.I. records obtained as a result of a lawsuit it and other public interest organizations (e.g., the Center for Constitutional Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans for Peace) filed against the government under the Freedom of Information Act. The documents call Defense Department methods "torture" and express concern that the F.B.I. might be tarnished by some of the abuses. On December 30, 2004, the U.S. Department of Justice released a revised memorandum containing a more expansive definition of torture...[more]