A man detained by the CIA in Afghanistan was used by US interrogators teaching torture techniques, leaving him with brain damage, a declassified document has revealed.
The 2008 report, by the agency’s inspector general, stated that Ammar Al Baluchi, one of five men charged over 9/11, was repeatedly slammed into a plywood wall so trainees could receive “certification”.
All “the interrogation students lined up to ’wall’ Ammar” so the lead interrogator, identified only as “NX2”, could assess their techniques, the report said.
The documents, first reported by the New York Times’s Forever Wars team, were part of a court filing by lawyers for Mr Al Baluchi, who is held at the country's military prison in Guantanamo Bay.
They hope he will receive an independent medical examination, something they say the US government has denied him for years.
"This documents is fourteen years old, but was publicly released only now after a long struggle — and many more classified RDI (Rendition, Detention, and Interrogation) documents exist," Alka Pradhan, a lawyer for Mr Al Baluchi, told The National.
"The CIA's report proves our longtime theory that the purpose of holding military commissions offshore at Guantanamo is to illegally prosecute Mr Al Baluchi while continuing to hide his torture," she said.
Mr Al Baluchi is one of five inmates at Guantanamo charged with helping to plot the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The inspector general’s report noted that Mr Al Baluchi co-operated with Pakistani authorities before he was rendered by the CIA to the “black site” in Kabul in 2003, where he was immediately tortured.
The agency knew the rendition was conducted “extra-legally” because he was under Pakistani jurisdiction and no longer posed “a continuing, serious threat of violence or death to US persons or interests”, the document said.
CIA headquarters justified the use of its methods by claiming Mr Al Baluchi had information on imminent attacks, but the report concluded his torture did not lead to any new useful information. The report called the agency’s justification “fuzzy and unclear”.
Information he supplied did little to improve his circumstances. CIA officers were more concerned with him being compliant than with the quality of information he had provided, the report said.
Mr Al Baluchi would later say he was so terrified by the enhanced interrogation techniques that he made up stories.
In 2003, the lead interrogator invited students to observe and participate in Mr Al Baluchi’s torture for “on-the-job” practice.
The goal of the class was to employ enforced interrogation techniques during an “actual interrogation” that also included face-slapping.
One student was “too much into it”, a debriefer said in the report.
At the site, known as both Salt Pit and Cobalt, interrogators went beyond the approved methods used to torture Mr Baluchi, dousing him with iced water and forcing him into a stress position with a stick placed behind his knee joints.
He was also subjected to 82 hours of sleep deprivation, in excess of the 72-hour limit considered to be the maximum use.
During the “walling”, an enhanced interrogation technique approved by CIA headquarters, interrogators placed Mr Al Baluchi’s knees against a makeshift plywood wall, wrapped a towel around his head, grabbed the ends of the towel and shoved him against the wall.
The objective was to “bounce” his head off the wall, the report states. It notes he was “naked for the proceedings”.
Sessions typically lasted for less than two hours.
“Interrogators took turns because fatigue would set in for the interrogator doing the walling,” the report said.
Despite the medical staff repeatedly claiming he was mentally fit enough for the torture to continue, one debriefer said Mr Al Baluchi clearly had “major psychological issues”.
A 2018 head scan found “abnormalities indicating moderate to severe brain damage”, the report states.
Mr Al Baluchi was held at six detention sites from 2003 to 2006 before he was taken to Guantanamo Bay.
His case has been stuck in pretrial litigation for nearly a decade, but prosecutors last week initiated plea discussions that could resolve it.
The other defendants of the “9/11 Five” trial are Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid bin Attash, Ramzi bin Al Shibh and Mustafa Al Hawsawi. Each defendant in the case has been held at Guantanamo for 15 years.
All five defendants face the death penalty if convicted by military commission.
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Quick%20facts
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Januzaj's club record
Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals
Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals
Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
U19 WORLD CUP, WEST INDIES
UAE group fixtures (all in St Kitts)
Saturday 15 January: v Canada
Thursday 20 January: v England
Saturday 22 January: v Bangladesh
UAE squad
Alishan Sharafu (captain), Shival Bawa, Jash Giyanani, Sailles Jaishankar, Nilansh Keswani, Aayan Khan, Punya Mehra, Ali Naseer, Ronak Panoly, Dhruv Parashar, Vinayak Raghavan, Soorya Sathish, Aryansh Sharma, Adithya Shetty, Kai Smith
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
The Intruder
Director: Deon Taylor
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good
One star
Tour de France
When: July 7-29
UAE Team Emirates:
Dan Martin, Alexander Kristoff, Darwin Atapuma, Marco Marcato, Kristijan Durasek, Oliviero Troia, Roberto Ferrari and Rory Sutherland
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz S 450
Price, base / as tested Dh525,000 / Dh559,000
Engine: 3.0L V6 biturbo
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 369hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm at 1,800rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.0L / 100km
BABYLON
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
