>A letter from Guantanamo: In full
>
>Lawyers for the British Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam
>Begg say they have received the first uncensored letter
>from him in two-and-a-half years. Mr Begg, 36, is being
>detained at the US military base without trial. Three
>other Britons also remain there.
>
>The letter, seen by BBC Radio 4's Today programme,
>claimed he had been tortured, threatened with death and
>kept in solitary confinement.
>
>Below is Mr Begg's letter in full, dated 12 July 2004.
>
>*****************************************************
>
>12th July, 2004
>
>US FORCES ADMINISTRATION JTF/ JDOG, GUANTANAMO BAY,
>CUBA
>
>TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
>
>RE: Supplementary Exposition (of Statement dated 5th
>July, 2004)
>
>I, Moazzam Begg, citizen of The United Kingdom of Great
>Britain, attributed the number 00558 (camp Echo), have
>felt it necessary to augment, and further clarify the
>above noted statement, and to accentuate my grievances
>and intentions.
>
>After over two-and-a-half years in the custody of the
>US military without charge, and by extension, without
>jurisdiction, I have yet to be afforded basic rights
>normally granted under the constitution of the USA, and
>international law.
>
>I therefore demand, unconditionally and irrevocably,
>that I be released immediately and returned to my
>family and domicile in the UK, together will all
>possessions: including all items and monies confiscated
>by US/Pakistani "agents" from my residence in Pakistan
>on 31 January 2002.
>
>In the likely event that these demands are outrightly
>rejected or unnecessarily procrastinated, I demand the
>following rights under US law:-
>
>Interviews were conducted in an environment of
>generated fear, resonant with terrifying screams of
>fellow detainees facing similar methods.
>
>1. A thorough and peremptory explanation of all
>statutory rights available within U.S. legislature,
>particularly with respect to foreign nationals.
>
>2. Any and all charges/ allegations be presented
>unambiguously, and written.
>
>3. Full access to international phone calls in order to
>communicate with family and lawyers.
>
>4. Full access to legal representatives of my own
>choice and appointment.
>
>5. A fully inventoried list detailing all property
>seized (as mentioned above).
>
>6. Regular and timely access to postal communication
>with family and a halt to the obscuring and withholding
>of mail from home.
>
>Wife and children destitute
>
>In addition to the aforementioned rights, I make it
>known that I expect logical and reasonable answers for
>the following violations and abuses, and intend to seek
>justice and accountability:-
>
>i) The exact purpose for my abduction, kidnapping and
>false imprisonment on 31st January 2002, under the
>auspices of U.S. intelligence and law enforcement.
>
>ii) Subsequently, what legal jurisdiction they had for
>taking me forcibly to Afghanistan.
>
>iii) By what legal authority was property and money
>confiscated, leaving my wife and young children
>destitute and penniless, in their wake.
>
>Solitary confinement
>
>iv) Why I was brought into a designated war zone, and
>my life put at risk.
>
>v) Why I was physically abused, and degradingly
>stripped by force, then paraded in front of several
>cameras toted by U.S. personnel.
>
>vi) The reason for being held in Bagram detention
>facility for a year, and consequently, being denied
>natural light and fresh food for the duration.
>
>vii) The exact purpose for my incarceration in solitary
>confinement since 8th Feb, 2003!
>
>viii) Why all news pertaining to my own situation has
>been barred from me.
>
>ix) The justification for withholding most of my family
>mail, and incongruent obscurance of what little amounts
>have trickled through - even from 8 year olds!
>
>x) Why phone calls and legal representation have been
>continually denied, despite several reassurances to the
>contrary.
>
>xi) Why, despite copious requests, I have yet to meet
>with a chaplain during all this time.
>
>xii) What was the legality and purpose of extracting my
>signature on a statement, in early February 2003, by
>FBI and CITF agents, under threats of long term
>imprisonment, summary trials and execution - all
>without legal representation.
>
>Vindictive torture
>
>I state here, unequivocally and for the record, that
>any documents presented to me by US law enforcement
>agents were signed and initialled under duress, thus
>rendered legally contested in validity.
>
>During several interviews, particularly - though
>unexclusively - in Afghanistan, I was subjected to
>pernicious threats of torture, actual vindictive
>torture and death threats - amongst other coercively
>employed interrogation techniques. Neither was the
>presence of legal counsel ever produced, or made
>available.
>
>The said interviews were conducted in an environment of
>generated fear, resonant with terrifying screams of
>fellow detainees facing similar methods. In this
>atmosphere of severe antipathy towards detainees was
>the compounded use of racially and religiously
>prejudiced taunts. This culminated, in my opinion, with
>the deaths of two fellow detainees, at the hands of US
>military personnel, to which I myself was partially
>witness.
>
>In spite of all the aforementioned cruel and unusual
>treatment meted out, I have maintained a compliant and
>amicable manner with my captors, and a cooperative
>attitude. My behavioural record is impeccable, yet
>contrasts immensely to what I have experienced, as
>stated.
>
>Seek justice
>
>I am a law abiding citizen of the UK, and attest
>vehemently to my innocence, before God and the law, of
>any crime - though none has even been alleged. I have
>neither ever met Usama bin Laden, nor have been a
>member of Al Qaidah - or any synonymous paramilitary
>organisation, party or group. Neither have I engaged in
>hostile acts against the USA, nor assisted such groups
>in the same - though the opportunity has availed itself
>many a time, and motive.
>
>Regardless of the outcome of all my appeals to sanity,
>and protestations over the years, I reiterate my
>intention to seek justice at every possible level
>available to me. It is with that intent that I have
>prepared duplicates of this statement: for the
>information and use of the authorities and courts of
>justice.
>
>I have requested this document be perused by the camp
>NCO; the generality of its contents be recorded in the
>Camp log; and forwarded to the appropriate intended
>recipient.
>
>(Signature)
>
>MOAZZAM BEGG (00558)
>
>Dated this twelfth day of July, 2004.
>
>Story from BBC NEWS:
>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/3706428.stm
>
>Published: 2004/10/01 13:43:23 GMT
>
>(c) BBC MMIV
>_______________________________________________________