Effort Underway in Germany to Prosecute High-Ranking U.S. Officials for Their Role in Torture, War Crimes

Interview with Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, conducted by Scott Harris

As more evidence, including photos, emerge documenting the abuse of prisoners in the custody of the U.S. military around the world, news reports revealed a devastating memorandum issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The Red Cross memo, leaked to the New York Times in late November, accused the U.S. military of using tactics "tantamount to torture" on prisoners held at the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The charges were made by an ICRC inspection team that had spent most of June at the American base in Cuba. More than 500 prisoners, many captured during the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, have been held at Guantanamo indefinitely without charge or access to attorneys.

Meanwhile the New York based Center for Constitutional Rights, on behalf of 4 Iraqi citizens who were victims of abuse, has asked the government of Germany to undertake a criminal investigation of high ranking U.S. officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who may be culpable for torture and war crimes committed at the American-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The action was taken under the doctrine of universal jurisdiction where suspected war criminals may be prosecuted irrespective of where they reside.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Michael Ratner, president of the Center for Constitutional Rights and a principal attorney for prisoners being held at the Guantanamo U.S. Naval Base. Ratner addresses the pattern of abuse that persists at Petnagon run- prisons and explains why his group felt it was necessary to go to Germany as a "court of last resort," to investigate the responsibility of Washington's political and military leadership for acts of torture and other serious war crimes carried out by lower level personnel.

Contact the Center for Constitutional Rights by calling (212) 614-6464. Letters can be sent to Germany in support of the litigation by visiting the Center's website at www.ccr-ny.org Michael Ratner, is co-author with Ellen Ray of the book: "Guantanamo: What The World Should Know."

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