Danish parliament investigates Kandahar abuse

Last week, the English-language Copenghagen Post reported that the Danish parliament has asked Defence Minister Søren Gade for a full explanation of what Danish military knew about reported abuses of prisoners at Camp Kandahar, a base they shared with American troops as early as 2002. Sources have alleged that Danish officers were alerted to abuses committed in interrogations conducted by American forces by a Danish interpreter as early as 2002. The Danish military has maintained until now that it only learned of alleged abuses in 2004, and they say that neither Danish nor American investigators have found 'evidence' of abuse. (Despite the graphic account of ex-Guantanamo detainees, especially Moroccan national Mohammad Mazouz.)

The interrogations were daily, conducted by Americans with Arab translators who collaborated with them. That took place in the tents, in the presence of all the other detainees and often, at the beginning we were beaten, face on the ground, by insane soldiers, before starting to answer the questions. There was a precise technique which consisted of throwing the detainee on the ground, to jump on his back and to crash his shoulder before beating him. Many among us had fractured scapulas and had to face cold and hunger, without medication until the departure for Guantanamo. The interrogation could go on for interminable hours. There, they used exceptional measures for torture. First of all there were the electric shocks that hurt us to an unparalleled degree. Then, they threw us in large water barrels to drown us. They had also the vice to put dirty trollops, filled with all that you can imagine of disgusting material, on the mouth and the face. We were held with no prayer, no food, no water, no clothes, without a blanket, for days.

The interpreter in question asked for psychological leave after claiming to have been disturbed by the abuses and tortures witnessed at Camp Kandahar.