Guantánamo Prisoner’s Graphic Details of US Torture

Born in Saudi Arabia, Zubaydah moved to the West Bank in Israeli-occupied Palestine as a teenager. He was captured by C.I.A., F.B.I. and Pakistani intelligence agents in Pakistan in late March 2002. Shot in the thigh, testicle and stomach during the raid that led to his capture, Zubaydah — who was mistaken for a high-ranking Al-Qaeda member — was transferred to C.I.A. “black sites” in Pakistan, Thailand, Afghanistan, Poland, Northern Africa and Diego Garcia. In September 2006, he was sent to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, where he remains imprisoned.

Zubaydah was the first so-called high-value detainee to be tortured by U.S. agents, who treated him as a human guinea pig.

“Everybody agrees, they tortured the wrong guy; they went ahead anyway so they could get permission to torture other people,” Denbeaux told The Guardian, which on Thursday posted the report along with an article by Ed Pilkington on Zubaydah’s experience.

Cheney, Rice & Tenet Approved Zubaydah’s Torture

Then-Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and C.I.A. Director George Tenet gave the green light for U.S. agents to torture Zubaydah — even after learning that the prisoner was cooperative. During one discussion on the matter, then-Attorney General John Ashcroft reportedly remarked: “Why are we talking about this in the White House? History will not judge this kindly.”