But in a military report pre sented before the Senate armed services committee, the investigators said the treatment of the Saudi man, described as the "20th hijacker" in the September 11 attacks, did not amount to torture. The man was not named during the hearing, but the Pentagon identified him as Mohamed al-Qahtani. The Senate panel heard that he was forced to wear a leash and subjected to investigations for up to 20 hours a day. He was also told by interrogators he was a homosexual, forced to dance with a male interrogator, and told his mother and sister were whores.
Lieutenant General Randall Schmidt, who headed the investigation into abuse of prisoners, concluded that the man was subjected to "abusive and degrading treatment". The Pentagon authorised the techniques used, he said. He added: "As the bottom line, though, we found no torture. Detention and interrogation operations were safe, secure and humane. Republican senator John McCain, who was taken prisoner and abused during the Vietnam war, responded: "Humane treatment might be in the eye of the beholder.
General Bantz Craddock, who was responsible for the prison camp in Cuba, told the hearing he declined to heed his investigators' recommendation to punish Major General Geoffrey Miller, the prison's commander. Gen Craddock said the interrogation "did not result in any violation of a US law or policy. Topics World news. Reuse this content. Most popular.
