Bagram Ex-Medic Says Khadr Not Abused, But…
GUANTANAMO BAY -- Mr. M, a former Army National Guard medic at Bagram from August 2002 to spring 2003, testified that he never saw any fresh wounds on Omar
Jul 31, 202014.1K Shares642.9K Views
GUANTANAMO BAY — Mr. M, a former Army National Guard medic at Bagram from August 2002 to spring 2003, testified that he “never saw any fresh wounds” on Omar Khadr commensurate with any of the abuse in Khadr’s affidavit. No being used as a human mop or anything like that, and Mr. M saw him twice a day to change his bandages — Khadr was severely shot through the chest when captured in July 2002 — administer antibiotics for Khadr’s wounded eyes and check up on him. Instead, Khadr was “very cooperative” and “very cordial,” even offering during “the second half” of Khadr’s July-October 2002 time at Bagram to help translate for other detainees needing medical treatment.
But there are two noteworthy exceptions. On one occasion, Mr. M noticed Khadr was handcuffed to the door outside his cell, with his hands “slightly above eye level, about in line with his forehead,” and with a “some type of a cloth hood” over his head. Mr. M got a guard to take the hood off and saw Khadr was crying. He didn’t know why Khadr was punished in this manner, but said Khadr was “very frustrated. … He was not very cordial, you might say.” Khadr did not tell Mr. M he required medical treatment – ”his legs did not look weak,” Mr. M said, and he was standing upright — but the “frustrated” Khadr told Mr. M he would no longer help with translation.
“You don’t recall any medical problem with Mr. Khadr’s shoulder, is that your testimony?” Barry Coburn, Khadr’s attorney, asked.
“That is correct, sir,” Mr. M replied. Khadr’s shoulderwas wounded when he was captured to U.S. forces in Khost, Afghanistan, on July 27, 2002.
The last time Mr. M saw Khadr was in October 2002, on the final day Khadr spent in Bagram before he was shipped to Guantanamo Bay. “I remember him being** **very emotional, very scared, very nervous about being sent out,” Mr M testified. “I remember him saying everything he was taught about Americans was wrong and he knows now they were wrong.”
Mr. M testified that Khadr’s wounds had healed notably quickly and he would have recommended Khadr not be interrogated had he believed Khadr was not physically capable of interrogation. He testified he was not present for Khadr’s interrogations.
Hajra Shannon
Reviewer
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