Amnesty International Calls on Bahraini Authorities to Reveal Whereabouts of Eight Arrested Human Rights Defenders

Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 9:04 PM

Washington, D.C.: Amnesty International today called on the Bahraini authorities to reveal the whereabouts of eight human rights defenders, political activists and Shi'a clerics arrested in a clampdown by the authorities. The human rights organization fears they could be prisoners of conscience.

“We are very concerned about the ongoing incommunicado detention of the detainees as this will increase their risk of being subjected to torture or other ill-treatment," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa program.

Muhammad Saeed, a board member of the banned Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was arrested at his home in Sehla, northern Bahrain, in the early hours Tuesday by security forces.

Two others, Abdulhadi al-Mokhoder and Mirza al-Mahrus, both clerics, were arrested at the same time at their homes in Sanabis and Manama, respectively.

“The Bahraini authorities must make it clear why these eight men have been arrested, and either release them or charge them with recognizable criminal offenses. It is unacceptable for them to be held merely because of their human rights activism, non-violent political activities or criticism of the government,” said Hadj Sahraoui.

The latest arrests mark an increased clampdown on opposition and civil society activists in the lead-up to the parliamentary elections in October.

Jaafar Hisabi, a United Kingdom resident for the past 15 years who has been involved in political protests against the Bahraini authorities was arrested on Monday at Bahrain International Airport on his return to the country.

Three others were arrested on Sunday , including Abdulghani al-Khanjar, head of the Committee for the Defense of Martyrs and Torture Victims and spokesperson of the Coalition for Truth and Reconciliation. Mohammad Habib al-Miqdad, a cleric and head of the Al-Zahra’ charity, was also arrested on Sunday at his home in Sehla, and Saeed al-Nouri, a cleric and activist from the opposition movement al-Wafa, handed himself in to the Prosecutors Office in Manama, after security officials visited his home seeking his arrest.

Abdul Jalil al-Singaci, spokesperson for the Human Rights Bureau of the opposition movement Haq was arrested at Bahrain International Airport last Friday. His family told Amnesty International that they have not had any contact with him for the last six days and are concerned about this health.

Neither the families nor the legal representatives of the detainees have been informed of any formal charges.

“All of these detainees should be allowed to have immediate access to their lawyers, families and also to adequate medical care,” said Hadj Sahraoui. 
Many of the men have now been held for more than 48 hours without having been presented to the Public Prosecutor as required under Bahraini law. 

Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.8 million supporters, activists and volunteers who campaign for universal human rights from more than 150 countries. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

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Alternative Methods Premieres in NYC

A new play examining the role of psychologists in torture will be featured at the New York International Fringe Festival. The play, "Alternative Methods," follows the ethical struggles of a young psychologist working with interrogators in Iraq. An Iraqi doctor, suspected of treating an Al-Qaeda leader, is detained and interrogated.  U.S. forces want to know where the leader's safe house is.  Susan, a young psychologist, gains the doctor's trust. As her colleagues resort to brutal methods that still yield no intelligence, she takes matters into her own hands. 

Washington City Paper: “very well written and performed...very successful.“  DC Theater Scene: “interesting and thought-provoking...outstanding, all-equity cast.”  Winner, Social Consciousness Award.  With Hend Ayoub, Charlie Kevin, Julie Kline, John Greenleaf, and Alok Tewari. Director: Josh Liveright. Writer: Patricia Davis.

Performances:
 Sunday, August 15 at 8:15 PM
Friday, August 20 at 5:30 PM
Sunday, August 22 at 1:00 PM
Wednesday, August 25 at 8:15 PM
Saturday, August 28 at 9:45 PM

First Floor Theater at La MaMa

74A East 4th Street

Tickets $15 online or by phone (866.468.7619), $18 (cash only) at the door

On Sunday, August 22, at 3:00 in the Red Room, a panel discussion will follow the 1:00 performance of the play, featuring author Michael Otterman (American Torture and Erasing Iraq); Steven Reisner, an eminent psychologist who has led his field in opposing the involvement of psychologists in torture; and Nathaniel Raymond, director of Physicians for Human Rights’ Campaign Against Torture. (Courtesy:The Indypendent )

            

Face of Defense: Physician Mentors Afghan Doctors

By Army Sgt. Spencer Case
304th Public Affairs Detachment

PAKTIA PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2010 – Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Robert Sarlay Jr. has become fond of a quote by T.E. Lawrence: “Better the Arab do it tolerably than you do it perfectly.”

Air Force Maj. (Dr.) Robert Sarlay Jr., a mentor for the medical embedded training team at Forward Operating Base Lightning, Afghanistan, observes as Afghan army physicians conduct patient rounds at the Paktia Regional Medical Hospital, Aug. 15, 2010. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Spencer Case   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution imageavailable.

Not that he considers himself a modern-day Lawrence of Arabia.

Ordinarily, Sarlay -- a Dallas native who now resides in Dayton, Ohio -- is a man of less exotic tastes. When he’s not practicing emergency medicine at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Sarlay spends time with his wife, Betsey, and 3-year-old daughter, Carina, and plays catch with Raven, a German shepherd that fetches logs rather than sticks, he said.

Since his arrival to Forward Operating Base Lightning in June, Sarlay has worked as a mentor for his Afghan army counterparts at the Paktia Regional Medical Hospital. As a member for the medical embedded training team at the base, he describes his current job as equal parts administration and diplomacy.

In a nutshell, Sarlay’s job is to help his Afghan counterparts overcome bad habits that either are culturally ingrained or have accumulated after more than 30 years of war.
Sarlay, who is used to working 16-hour days that the uninitiated would find grueling, said his current assignment is much more taxing mentally and emotionally than any other assignment he’s ever done.
“It’s easy for me to do patient care, because I’m well-trained and well-versed,” he said. “It’s much more difficult to develop processes for the [Afghan army].”

Sarlay completed medical school through the military’s Health Profession Scholarship Program at the University of Texas at Houston. After his internship at Houston, he received his first job as a doctor with the 7th Bomb Wing’s 9th Bombardment Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, in 2000. After five years as a flight surgeon, he was transferred to Wright-Patterson, where he worked in emergency care.

Sarlay said his formal duties as a mentor for Afghan army medical personnel are only the tip of the iceberg. Most of his work is done on the informal side, he explained, where he expends effort trying gently and diplomatically to coax his counterparts into adopting standards that doctors in the United States take for granted.

“It’s a lot of sitting and drinking [tea] and talking about why it’s good to have standards,” he said.

Standards include things such as keeping proper records for patients. As Afghanistan’s political situation decayed, he said, so did Afghan doctors’ record-keeping habits.

“I’ll ask them, ‘What if you go to Kabul and don’t come back? Will [the other doctors in the hospital] know what was done with this treatment?’” he said. “They’ll say, ‘Because we all talk together in the morning.’ And I’ll say, ‘But what if one morning you don’t?’”

In the course of his planning and administrative work, Sarlay occasionally has the opportunity to practice hands-on medicine. A few weeks ago, the hospital received an Afghan border policeman who had to be treated for bruising of the lungs caused by being near a high-explosives detonation. With Sarlay’s help, the hospital staff learned how to manage ventilated patients.

“They’re slowly, progressively improving,” Sarlay said of his Afghan counterparts. “When you’re here for six months, you don’t necessarily see it, but when you talk to people who have been here two or three years ago, you do.”

One person who has seen it is Air Force Lt. Col. Bernard L. Vanpelt, a pharmacy mentor with the embedded medical team, who has been at Forward Operating Base Lightning since March.

“We’ve seen progress with providers becoming more proactive with regard to trauma issues,” said Vanpelt, who hails from St. Louis and is stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. He noted the addition of an intensive care unit since his arrival as one such improvement.

Vanpelt added that Sarlay’s efforts are helping the Afghan practitioners improve.

“By his being in that leadership room with the doctors, he’ll have an impact -- indirectly, mind you -- on how the doctors understand and adhere to the newly established standards,” he said.

Sarlay said he looks forward to returning home to Dayton in about six months, where he will resume his practice of emergency medicine. He also hopes to be selected for the residency in a two- to three-year aerospace medicine program that would allow him to be board certified to evaluate the health of pilots, among other things.

Meanwhile, he said, he’s making the most of his current assignment. “It’s unlike any other assignment I’ve ever had and probably ever will have,” he said.

Face of Defense: Officer Beats Suicide, Helps Others

By Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown  Army News Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2010 - Walking her cousin's dog past a cemetery on a winter day in 2009, Army Capt. Emily Stehr realized she envied the bodies buried there -- they had peace. Army Capt. Emily Stehr battled with suicide upon returning from her deployment to Iraq in 2008. She now uses her experience to help others. Courtesy photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. That was the day she recognized she was suicidal. "I started to fixate on death, especially my own death. ... I would think of different ways to kill myself," Stehr confessed. Enveloped in what she calls a "shroud of suicide," Stehr battled with a feeling of hopelessness upon returning from a 15-month deployment to Iraq. Stehr had struggled with depression prior to her deployment, she said, but this was different. A physical therapist, Stehr helped to nurse injured soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment back to health so they could return to the fight -- a job that she said caused her anger and grief when many of her former patients went on to be killed in combat. Stehr experienced accumulative trauma and compassion fatigue; she was jittery around crowds, having trouble sleeping, and her anxiety level increased. She kept waiting for her life to go back to "normal" after her deployment, but it didn't. What eventually pushed Stehr to her limit was reading an e-mail from a deployed co-worker who had witnessed the death of a combat medic -- the soldier had bled to death from shrapnel cutting a major artery in her neck. "For me, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. ... I thought, 'I'm done. Done with pain, done with life,'" Stehr said. That day, she added, she knew she was going to end up either in the hospital or dead. She chose the hospital. Stehr admitted herself to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Going in, she said, she was consumed with taking her life. But when she walked out, she was determined to live. "It was quite a transformation to happen in one week. ... I learned that I was sick, but not crazy or defective," she said. "Thankfully, I learned that there is something you can do if you are suicidal." Stehr began cognitive behavioral therapy, joined a depression-management group and is learning how to analyze and steer her thoughts. "I didn't really realize how angry I was," Stehr admitted. "I'm at such a healthier place now where I know how to cope." Stehr said part of the reason it was hard for her to ask for help is she knew the stigma associated with suicide would follow her. "No one would say the "s" word," she said. "The stigma tells us that people with mental health problems are crazy or weak or defective. ... I've actually been told that I am a less-quality person because I've had struggles with suicide." But Stehr wants soldiers to know that emotional injuries are just as legitimate as physical ones -- they are just invisible. She also said there are repercussions when a healthy person voluntarily elects to die. "It's like a candle going out and there's less light in the world. ... [It's] a representation of hope extinguished," she said. At her lowest point, Stehr said, she believed no one would miss her if she was gone, but she added that she now knows her suicide would have hurt many people -- especially her husband, who has been supportive throughout her struggle. "Don't believe the lies. ... Don't believe your thoughts and feelings. You don't have to kill yourself to escape your pain," she said. "There is a way out." Stehr's advice to friends and family members of a person who is battling suicide is to treat it as a medical emergency and to get their loved one to a mental-health professional or a hospital as soon as possible. Stehr has now made it her mission to tell her story in hopes that it will reach and stop those contemplating suicide. "I'll always tell my story if it will help someone not kill themselves," she said. And while she still struggles with depression, especially on death anniversaries of friends she has lost, Stehr said, suicide is no longer an option. Her story already has helped others. She recently received word that a social worker's patient accepted treatment after watching a video featuring Stehr. "That makes everything worth it," Stehr said of what she's been through. "That's my vindication."

Related Sites: Special Report: Warrior Care Army Suicide Prevention  “Real Warriors”  Military OneSource

Soldier Finds Strength in Family’s Support

by Elaine Wilson, AFPS
elaine.wilson@dma.mil

Retired Army Maj. Ed Pulido poses with his wife, Karen, and daughters, Kaitlin and Kinsley. Courtesy photo

I spoke with a veteran the other day whose inspiring story epitomizes the importance of family and peer support.

Army Maj. Ed Pulido was wounded in Iraq in August 2004 while driving into an area of Iraq known as “IED Alley.” The sport utility vehicle he was driving hit a bomb lodged in the asphalt and exploded, causing severe damage to his leg.

The moment he pushed aside the air bag and saw the injury is one he’ll never forget.

“I’ve had dreams about it all the time,” Maj. Pulido told me. “The night sweats and terrors — it was that moment right there when I put the air bag aside and saw the blood.”

His leg was broken in three places and partially on fire, but he felt no pain. He wasn’t concerned for himself, he said, but for his fellow soldiers and his family. “How will my family live without a father?” he asked himself.

Maj. Pulido was flown to Baghdad then on to the United States, where he underwent more than 18 surgeries. Struggling with infections, Maj. Pulido and his family made the tough decision to amputate his leg.

Maj. Pulido felt a tremendous sense of loss that caused him to spiral into depression, he said.

He worried about how he was going to live without a limb, how he was going to learn to walk again. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I just pull the plug on this thing?’” he said.

He drifted into sleep and woke up hoping it was all just a dream. “But it wasn’t,” he said. “It was a dark time.”

His wife, Karen, and his mother tried to encourage him to think positively. He leaned on them and on chaplains and other wounded servicemembers who came to visit him and slowly fought his way back.

Unknown to him at the time, his wife, mother and daughter, who was 2 at the time, were visiting other wounded warriors in the hospital, a memory that still stirs emotion in him. “I was in my deathbed, and they were taking time to visit other servicemembers and families,” he said. “My little girl still has that gift of giving.”

Maj. Pulido medically retired from the military and now dedicates himself to helping others. He’s passionate about his work for the Folds of Honor Foundation, which offers scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and wounded servicemembers, as well as information on counseling and benefits.

He also found healing in his participation in the “Real Warriors” campaign. The Real Warriors campaign is sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury  and features stories of servicemembers who sought psychological treatment and continued successful military and civilian careers. Maj. Pulido is the first veteran to participate.

Just the other day, Maj. Pulido put a new flagpole up in front of his new house. And when he looks at it, he no longer feels that cavernous feeling of loss, he said.

“I lost my leg on that day, but I don’t know if I’d want my life the way it was before,” he said. “It opened up a world and life that is different. I may have changed, but what I’ve changed to is a challenge that can be overcome with support.”

For more on Maj. Pulido, read my American Forces Press Service article “‘Real Warrior’ Loses Leg, Gains New Perspective.”

(Issued on:Aug. 9, 2010)

Al Qosi Sentence Announced

An artist’s drawing of Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al-Qosi appearing before a military commission on August 27, 2004. [Source: Art Lien/ Getty Images] {Courtesy:http://www.historycommons.org/}

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:09:00 -0500

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 718-10 August 11, 2010

Al Qosi Sentence Announced                 The Department of Defense announced today that Ibrahim al Qosi was sentenced to 14 years in confinement for conspiracy and providing material support to al Qaeda.                 The sentencing hearing took place in a military commission courtroom at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  It follows al Qosi's guilty plea in July.  During his guilty plea, al Qosi admitted that he engaged in hostilities against the United States in violation of the laws of war.  He admitted that he intentionally supported al Qaeda since at least 1996, when Osama bin Laden issued an order urging his followers to commit acts of terrorism against the United States.                At the sentencing hearing, the prosecutors presented evidence that al Qosi performed an important function within al Qaeda.  He provided key logistics support to bin Laden at various al Qaeda compounds in Afghanistan.  After the September 11, 2001, attacks, he helped bin Laden and other al Qaeda forces escape Afghanistan in anticipation of a U.S. invasion.  He was captured fleeing Afghanistan in December 2001.  The defense presented video testimony from members of his family in Sudan, including his father, cousin and brother.                At the end of the hearing, al Qosi was sentenced by a panel of military officers, known as "members" – the equivalent of a jury in civilian courts.  The defense and the prosecution asked the military judge to instruct the members to consider a sentence of 12 to 15 years of confinement.  Under the Manual for Military Commissions, al Qosi will not receive credit for the time he spent in law of war detention before his conviction.  The Convening Authority will defer his sentence for a period of 60 days in order to facilitate resolution of matters related to where al Qosi will serve his sentence.                After the military commission adjourns, the Office of Military Commissions will finalize the record of trial, including all the related documents.  The military judge must review the record to ensure it is accurate, after which it will be sent to the Convening Authority for Military Commissions.  The Convening Authority may reduce, but not increase, al Qosi's sentence.  After reviewing the record, the Convening Authority will take final action on the findings and sentence, announcing the sentence that al Qosi will serve.  -----------0000-------  (إبراهيم أحمد محمود القوسي) Al Qosi Military Commission Hearing Brings More of the Same August 2004: 15 Guantanamo Detainees Singled Out for Trial by Military Commission           Bin Laden Cook Accepts Plea Deal at Guantánamo Trial

Three States Draw Down Guard's Oil Spill Response

By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke  National Guard Bureau ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 11, 2010 - Now that the leak has been plugged and the oil has been stopped, three of the four states on duty are decreasing the number of National Guard members they have responding to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Soldiers from the Alabama National Guard build and maintain miles of barriers to protect Dauphin Island, Ala., beaches from the BP oil spill, July 23, 2010. More than 1,400 National Guard members are supporting Operation Deepwater Horizon in four Gulf states. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Jim Greenhill  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana still have more than 1,400 Guard members providing security, communications, aviation and administrative support to Operation Deepwater Horizon, but that number will be affected by the success of the recent static kill in the coming weeks, officials said. In Florida, where Guardsmen are patrolling beaches for tar balls on all-terrain vehicles, about 70 Guard members remain on duty today. The high point was about 100. An additional 30 Guard members from other states are also working in the air coordination center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. "We are maintaining current operations of primarily ground reconnaissance as well as aviation support, while also doing our planning and coordination for the right-sizing of our force," said Air Force Lt. Col. Ron Tittle, the state public affairs officer. If they are needed, "we have forces that have been and will be ready to respond to the needs of our nation," Tittle said. In Alabama, the claims action team ended its mission on July 30, said Army Lt. Col. Cynthia Bachus, the state public affairs officer. She said the state now has about 200 Guardsmen on duty, which is half the number that was on duty at the height of operations. About 200 Alabama Guardsmen went door to door in Baldwin and Mobile counties telling people how to file claims with BP. Other missions included erecting barriers on Dauphin Island, transporting state and federal officials with aviation assets, and coordinating air support for surveillance of the slick and skimming operations at the incident command post in Mobile. In Mississippi, Guard officials announced Aug. 3 that the number of soldiers supporting the oil spill response would be reduced by 75 percent. "We brought on a responsible amount of National Guardsmen when the task at hand required it," said Army Col. Lee Smithson, commander of Joint Task Force Vigilant Horizon, which oversees the Mississippi National Guard's response to the oil spill. "But this phased reduction matches the response needed." On Aug. 1, nearly 230 National Guard soldiers were activated, but only about 50 will remain on duty by Aug. 20, Smithson said. This announcement of troop reductions in Mississippi comes nearly two weeks after the decision to activate 30 additional troops to boost the communications link on cleanup vessels, and it coincides with the successful capping of the well. "With two weeks of no oil sighting, the time has come to right-size the force," Smithson said. "The light at the end of the tunnel is approaching." After the leak was plugged Aug. 5, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, said the clean-up effort has a long way to go. "There still is residual oil that is out there," he said. "It's not that visual. It's harder to find at sea, but we still know we have tar balls and mats that are showing up, ... so we have to be in a position to respond to that." In Louisiana, the number of Guardsmen on duty is holding steady at 1,030, said Army Col. Mike Deville, the state public affairs officer. "We are continuing the support by maintaining the current barrier projects that we have emplaced, and we continue to work with the parishes and local officials to assist with their needs," he said.

Related Sites: Special Report: Military Supports Federal Oil Spill Response  National Guard Bureau

Amnesty International Says Taliban Should be Prosecuted for War Crimes in Afghanistan

Washington: The Taliban and other insurgent groups should be investigated and prosecuted for war crimes, Amnesty International said today, following the release of a United Nations report showing a rise in targeted killings of civilians in Afghanistan by anti-government fighters.
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan leapt by 31% in the first half of 2010, driven largely by the Taliban and other insurgents’ rising use of improvised explosive devices, and their increased targeting of civilians for assassination, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).  Attacks by the Taliban and other anti-government forces accounted for more than 76% of civilian casualties and 72% of deaths.

In the first half of 2010, the executions and assassinations of civilians by the Taliban and other insurgent groups increased by over 95% to 183 recorded deaths compared to the same time last year. The victims were usually accused of supporting the government.
“The Taliban and other insurgents are becoming far bolder in their systematic killing of civilians,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director. “Targeting of civilians is a war crime, plain and simple.  The Afghan people are crying out for justice and have a right to accountability and compensation.”

“There is no practical justice system in Afghanistan now that can address the lack of accountability,” said Zarifi. “So the Afghan government should ask the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity that may have been committed by all parties to the conflict.”

Afghanistan is a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.  
Amnesty International has been told that tribal elders in various villages of Kandahar, Zabul, and Khost provinces have been fleeing rural areas, fearing systematic targeting by the Taliban.

“The elders are threatened and if they don’t cooperate with the Taliban they are killed,” said a Kandahar journalist.  “Then the Taliban will just tell the village that the elder was an American spy and that is why he was killed.” The journalist asked not to be identified out of fear of Taliban retaliation.
Amnesty International is urging the international and Afghan forces to ensure they comply with their legal obligation to protect civilians from harm, especially those who provide them with information about anti-government groups or cooperate during military operations.

According to UNAMA, NATO-led and government forces caused 29% fewer casualties than the previous year, which has been attributed to policy changes placing greater priority on civilian protection, borne out in a 64% decline in casualties caused by aerial attacks.  
Amnesty International welcomes the reported drop in deaths caused by NATO-led forces, but sounded a note of caution.   

“Pro-government forces were responsible for at least 223 deaths in six months, and NATO still has no coherent way of accounting for casualties,” said Zarifi.  “Special Forces in Afghanistan are still failing to be open about their actions when being called to account over civilian casualties.”

The UNAMA report singles out Special Forces in Afghanistan for acting without accountability, and calls for greater transparency over their operations, and for more information on forces are now operating under a new integrated command structure, so that casualties can be properly investigated and justice delivered to victims. 

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Female engagement team

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Mary Walls, right, an ammo technician, and Sahar, a linguist, speak with Afghan women during a patrol with Marines from 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment in Musa Qa'leh, Afghanistan, Aug. 2, 2010. The women are with a female engagement team and have been establishing friendly relations with locals by providing health assistance and hygiene supplies. (DoD photo by Cpl. Lindsay L. Sayres, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)