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Dick Cheney 'cover-up' over Guantanamo innocents
Paul Thompson in Miami20 Mar 2009
A former White House official claims many prisoners at Guantanamo Bay are innocent.
Retired army colonel and Vietnam veteran Lawrence Wilkerson said former vice-president Dick Cheney and defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld deliberately suppressed the information.
The colonel was at the heart of former president George Bush's administration and his statement adds weight to the story of Guantanamo detainee Binyam Mohamed, who was arrested in Pakistan and claims he was held for seven years for no reason. Col Wilkerson said that Pakistan handed many over for $5,000 (£3,400) a head and that they were held to provide a "mosaic" of intelligence.
He said he had been spurred on to speak out because Mr Cheney had claimed President Obama was making America vulnerable to a new terror attack by closing Guantanamo Bay and he felt this claim was "really, really dangerous".
A spokesman for the Pentagon said they could not comment on Col Wilkerson's claims. Navy Commander Jeffrey Gordon said the military has always insisted those held at Guantanamo were enemy combatants and posed a threat to the US.
Reader views (2)
Evening Standard:
The Cheney-Bush-Rumsfeld cover-up pre-Iraq [911] intelligence track requested by Congress Select Committee on Intelligence was consolidated in verified report(s) [Senate and House].
For want of knowledge the Army Intelligence "Enable Danger" and special FBI task force units' reports, not noted in the verified Report, had Junw 2000 HUMINT nexus at US Department of State meeting following my return trip from Cairo.
Allegedly the three reports backed eight generals' call for the removal of Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld.
An alleged Fort Meade assigned "heart and mind" attack on the HUMINT messenger by angry Bush patterned his closing the Senate's Select Committee investigation of "domestic surveillance", one day, his Ohio visit, the next day, privately meeting with intelligence committee Congressman Mike DeWine---who privately meets with me later in the year, then, the following day, flies to Fort Meade.
60 MINUTES' "Pentagon Ray Gun" report followed my timely investigation. Noted, problematically, "I have a few old scores to settle" said Cheney at leaving the White House.
AVAILABLE REPORT to cover costs goes deeper, very deep.
Political Anthropologist for peace
- Concertgrandpianoman, Ohio USA, 20/03/2009 23:01
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False passport and trips to pakistan and afganistan; he was up to something!
- Nick Nack Paddy Mac, Kilburn, London UK, 20/03/2009 16:23
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