Thursday, March 5, 2009

Secret No Secret


Under the administration of GW Bush the United states operated secret prisons around the world. Some detainees were held on US soil, others were locked in nameless ships, and most were transported by rendition to military bases on foreign soil where they were subjected to a wide range of torture. The US government steadfastly denied the existence of these black holes and the American people blithely choose to accept that their country never tortured anyone.

The truth of the matter is that the Pentagon, the White House, and the Justice Department lied to the world and this week the Obama administration admitted to operating a wide network of torture cells around the world, one of them being in Thailand. Videotapes of the interrogations were routinely destroyed to avoid future incrimination of the participants under the guise of protecting national interest, since torture is in direct violation of the Geneva Conventions.

Thai officials denied such a set-up in Thailand, however it was a secret and secrets are best kept when those keeping the secrets don't tell anyone about the secret.
One general called the reports 'fiction' and that nothing like that would ever happen at an exercise like the annual Cobra Gold held at military bases throughout Thailand. Farang reporters were welcome to visit any of the supposed sites, such as Udon Thani airbase, Nakhon Phanon, Nakhon Ratchasima, U-tapao and Takhli in Nakhon Sawan, All were active US bases during the Viet-Nam War.

The deputy prime minister added that he has never heard of such place, and does not think it is possible for Thailand to have the secret jail.


wse can only hope the same is true one day for the USA.
Oner should hope that such places never graced the soil of Thailand.

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