Opinion Editorials, February 2009

Guantanamo in Mumbai

By Ghulam Muhammed

ccun.org, February 13, 2009

While selling strategic relations with the US to his people, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has again and again reiterated that India's sovereignty, its integrity and its freedom will not be compromised. Now reports are in that FBI has been allowed to interrogate an Indian citizen on Indian soil and accusations by the victim, with factual proof offered, point to the use of psychological/sexual torture tactics of Guantanamo Bay prison on Faheem Ansari, a suspect in 26/11 terrorist attack case.

According to media report, 'Ansari's lawyer Ejaz Naqvi moved an application before the Metropolitan Magistrate N. Shrimangle, stating that during one of the meetings with his client last week, Ansari informed him that a lady officer from an international investigating agency was sexually harassing him in the (police) lock-up. The lady officer mostly carried out her interrogation/ harassment during night time, which mostly stretching the entire night. Due to this, he was suffering from itching and injury marks on his entire body including 'private parts', the application stated.

After another charge on FBI operator in Algeria on sexual aberrations, this is one more incident that should alert the US authorities and Obama administration in particular how, even though Guantanamo operations are suspended, FBI has yet to be cleansed of its weird sexual torture/harassment line of interrogation tactics.

Details of sinister nature of torture on Guantanamo Bay prisoners, in their interrogation procedures, are now public as to how pious Muslims, were attacked on their Islamic belief system, denied their right to five time prayers, forcibly exposed to pornographic movies, obscene nude pictures as well as to live sexual abuse, to challenge and thwart their Islamic morals in a most perverse way, with the excuse to extract information from them.

The question before the Indian administration looms large, as to how this 'reverse rendition' of its own citizen is being allowed without any qualms about the propriety and/or legality that would debar any outside country, be that the US or Israel, to take over the whole investigative procedures by subjecting prisoners in Indian jails or lock-up to be handed over to foreign custody or jurisdiction.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is duty bound to explain to the people, where India's sovereignty and integrity ends and its commitment to a strategic relationship with other countries begins.

Ghulam Muhammed, Mumbai

ghulammuhammed3@gmail.com