HRW Challenges Alleged Torture of Al-Qaeda Suspects

On December 26, the Washington Post reported that persons held at a CIA interrogation center in Bagram air base in Afghanistan were being subjected to "stress and duress" techniques such as "standing or kneeling for hours" and "being held in awkward, painful positions." The article also noted that thousands of persons have been arrested and detained with U.S. assistance in countries that routinely use torture, such as Uzbekistan and Morocco. Human Rights Watch immediately responded by sending a letter to President Bush asking that steps be taken to ensure that the United States does not engage in torture or become complicit in torture committed by other governments.