Assessment of Detainee Medical Operations for OEF, GTMO, and OIF, Office of the Army Surgeon General

On November 12, 2004, The Army Surgeon General, LTG Kevin C. Kiley, directed the Commander of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, MG Lester Martinez Lopez to assemble a team to assess detainee medical operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo. This team produced the Assessment of Detainee Medical Operations for OEF, GTMO, and OIF (Final Report) on April 13, 2005. On May 24, 2005, LTG Kiley approved the findings and recommendations of this assessment except for two, one of which was that all detained individuals be treated to the same care standards as U.S. patients in the theater of operation. The CSHRA has read this assessment and found the following the testimony of abuse in it.

(ASG6) There was one incidence where a BSCT member was aware of potential abuse as he was present when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported the incident to the JIG Commander. Apparently the abuse involved an interrogator pulling on the thumbs of a detainee. Another BSCT member reported a questionable incident where a female interrogator took off her battle-dress uniform (BDU) jacket, rubbed her breasts against the body of the detainee being interrogated, sat on his lap and whispered in his ear. The interrogation was stopped and the individual was reported for her inappropriate behavior to the chain of command (Office of the Army Surgeon General 2005, §18-19 h).

See ASG6.

(ASG2) All interrogations are videotaped. Medics randomly observe interrogations and have the ability to halt an interrogation at any point they deem necessary (Office of the Army Surgeon General 2005, §18-2 d).

(ASG3) Personnel serving in a BSCT [= Behavioral Science Consultation Teams] role at GTMO provided behavioral science consultation to the JIG [= Joint Interrogation Group] and JTF [= Joint Task Force] command group. Physicians/psychiatrists and psychologists were initially assigned to this duty in 2002. Since mid year 2003, the positions have been filled by psychologists (Office of the Army Surgeon General 2005, §18-19 c).

(ASG4) The duties of the BSCT include: (1) Reviewing detainee information, (2) Providing opinion on character and personality of detainee, (3) Assessing how dangerous a detainee might be (ref. release and potential future combat role), (4) Providing opinion on behavioral science aspects of the camp and camp organization and procedures, (5) Consulting on interrogation plan and approach, (6) Providing feedback on interrogation technique, (7) Teaching behavioral science topics to interrogators (Office of the Army Surgeon General 2005, §18-19 c).

(ASG5) The BSCT personnel observed interrogations but were not active participants in the interrogation process (Office of the Army Surgeon General 2005, §18-19 d).

(ASG1) 28.6% (2 of 7) of present GTMO interviewees had a detainee directly report alleged abuse to them (Office of the Army Surgeon General 2005, §14-3 d).