U.S. Embassy in Bahrain Responds To Abuse Allegations
On November 9, 2005, the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain issued a statement to respond to the allegations that Dossary had been abused, and that his physical and mental health was at risk. The Embassy statement asserted:
- "The US government takes all allegations of abuse seriously. When a credible allegation of improper conduct surfaces, it is reviewed, and when factually warranted, investigated.
- "As a result of the investigation, administrative, disciplinary, or judicial action is taken as appropriate.
- "We have no evidence that substantiates that Mr Al Dossary was the subject of any sexual humiliation."
The statement denied that Al Dossary was kept in solitary confinement, and assured readers that Al Dossary had access to excellent medical care, and insisted that the treatment of detainees held in Guantanamo Bay were "humane".
Mark Sullivan, one of Al Dossary's lawyers, challenged the points in the Embassy's statement. The Gulf Daily News quoted Sullivan as saying he had no knowledge of any judicial action by US authorities following allegations of abuse.
Sullivan connected the incident described in Eric Saar's book, Inside the Wire, where interrogator Sergeant Jeanette Arocho-Burkart smeared a red liquid she claimed was her menses on to a detainee's face with Al Dossary. Sullivan claimed that Dossary was the detainee who was told he was being smeared with menses. However, in press reports that detainee was described as being a Saudi.
Read more about this topic: Juma Al-Dossary
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“Liberty is the air that we Americans breathe. Our Government is based on the belief that a people can be both strong and free. That civilized men need no restraint but that imposed by themselves against the abuse of freedom.”
—Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945)