It’s the American policy of rendition meeting Jordan’s policy of torture. The Washington Post laid out a fairly comprehensive article about Jordan’s torturous post 9/11 track record, calling the GID “the CIA’s most trusted partner in the Arab world.”
Hey, with friends like these…
Let me say this right off the bat, there are various elements of the GID, or Mukhabarat, that I have to respect, as I, nor any other Jordanian, can’t deny the extent to which they have kept one of the most unstable countries in the most unstable region, relatively safe. Information is key when it comes to security, and the GID is good at gathering it, no doubt about it. In other words, I, as a citizen, enjoy the fact that water comes out of my faucet.
However, every Jordanian also can’t deny just how powerful the GID is in the Kingdom, and just how overreaching their influence extends. In fact, writing this very post and simply mentioning the name could get someone like me into trouble. (Actually, breathing the wrong way could get you into trouble, let alone a post) There is a common awareness that in terms of power, the GID ranks right below the King, and right above the Royal Court, the government, and naturally the Parliament and the people. They are practically a shadow government when it comes to issues of security.
I have come to the conclusion (long before this article) that the state’s policy with regards to pretty much everything, has become a policy of a willingness to do just about anything for a dollar. Investors and developers are free to do just about anything, as long as they invest. There are no rules, regulations or protectionist policies. Tourists can do anything they want, as long as they come every year. They don’t get ticketed, and they can even consume drugs, alcohol or illicit prostitutes, without the fear of real legal persecution.
And the same goes with anything related to American approval, American security and/or American aid.
In other words, Jordan has become the laundromat of the region; doing people’s dirty work in hopes that everything comes out in the wash. But it takes more than water and soap to get blood stains out.
The image of the country and its people is unimportant, if not irrelevant, if it means receiving a ton of money in the name of “aid”.
I do see the need for the Jordanian intelligence, and I do see the role it plays in domestic security. But there is something terribly frightening about a part of the state that goes unchecked, unquestioned, and unaccounted for. And no one in Jordan is willing to ask questions of course. None of the state-owned dailies will naturally touch it, nor will the independent and more liberal media in the country (without mentioning names). There are of course no legal mechanisms that allow for questioning the state, at least by way of rights. Of course section one of article 15 of the Jordanian constitution says that the “state shall guarantee freedom of opinion”, as long as it does not violate any law. But then there are about a million laws which say you’re not allowed to talk about this. And even if those laws didn’t exist, there is a general understanding that, you’re not allowed to talk about this. And then again, the constitution also says that Islam is the religion of the state.
Yet, people deserve answers. People deserve to know how the water comes out of the faucet. Knowledge breeds confidence; silence breeds fears, and we have been living in silence for far too long. The fear of the country’s Mukhabarat has become an inherent fear. It is a bed time stories parents tell their kids. The country’s security apparatus has replaced the boogie man, I kid you not. And every Jordanian reading this knows it.
It is legend.
According to the article, based on accounts of previous prisoners who lived to tell the tale, the GID’s specialty is: “falaqa, or beating suspects on the soles of their feet with a truncheon and then, often, forcing them to walk barefoot and bloodied across a salt-covered floor; and farruj, or the “grilled chicken,” in which prisoners are handcuffed behind their legs, hung upside down by a rod placed behind their knees, and beaten.”
It’s hard to believe any article that says Jordan is actually good at something.
But if I should experience any of those techniques in the near future, I’ll let you know just how high we rank.
If only torture was an Olympic game.
The report just came out and i wrote about it in my blog,those Arab nationals were tortured at the hands of GID,no question about that,and that’s wrong and i would like to thank you for bringing that up and posting it in your blog and non of those that are tortured are guilty of any crime and that has to stop,we no longer will except this criminal behavior.
Just like you ,I have friends in that department that i went to school with in State and if he is reading this post,I like him to urge the people who is responsible to stop this mayhem.
This is a ground breaking post in the Jordanian blogspher. I salute you for your courage. This is not the ordinary negative criticism arising behind a false name but you are providing a positive attitude of anger and frustration linked with an interest with the image of the state and the welfare of its people and stating your own name and mind.
Hey Mate
quite normal to see the Blogging Opposition following any US based article or even Israeli, not matter the source if it only critize the State of Jordan.
Nevertheless, and out of your words you give the credit of National Security Agencies to keep you safe in your bed!
Big part of the legends of PI (Public Intelligence) came from radical opposition like Islamists, or certain groups of those want Jordan’ record black in Int’l Marina…
ofcourse, any operation to secure thounds and maybe more of lives can be aggressive, but if one life Vs. 5,000,000 lives I guess i will go with this option.
the report by Washignton Post is not quite accurate, going after yemenis and Sudani! who were in Guantanmo!? for what ?! maybe a Taquilla?? or some sunrise!
Mate,
it is lovely to use this style of writing,
“In other words, Jordan has become the laundromat of the region; doing people’s dirty work in hopes that everything comes out in the wash. But it takes more than water and soap to get blood stains out.”
so ugly way to describe Jordan, if you are a citizen, none make such disrespectful statement about his homeland, if it was reall!
I guess if this was denied in a holy book u wouldnt buy if says good about the country that given you all the pleasure you are in …
and if it needs 1000000s to die for Jordan to Survive, trust me the Patriots will go with this option …
Chill out dude …
Dont u watch 24?
cant you critize Syria (TOP SECRET- ALJAZEERA)
what’s so inhuamne about falaga?! it is even an Isalmist method!
and Farruj?! this is not even a jordaian expression! we can go with jaj 3ala shwai!
be well dude,
Interesting post. One of the comments to this post seems to be attacking you for biting the hand of the organization that keeps you safe. I think this view is ill-founded.
As I often tell my American friends who doubt my sanity in traveling around this part of the world, “There are advantages to a security state,” and I rarely have feared for my own physical security in Egypt, Jordan, or Syria. Many in the US have evoked this argument– that the infiltration of intelligence agencies into civilian life is necessary to prevent another 9/11– to justify the broader mandate of U.S. intelligence services under the Bush administration. The idea is that we sacrifice a degree of our own privacy and civil liberties to endow a state institution with the authority to make the best decisions related to intelligence and national security. We make these sacrifices in hopes that intelligence agencies will prevent greater evils. However, intelligence agencies operate in secret, so we have no way of knowing if any particular agency is fulfilling its mandate or abusing the power and trust with which we have endowed it. How can we know that intelligence agencies are making the best decisions for national security, rather than serving the interests of a particular few– like collecting information on domestic political opponents? We can’t know this, and to think that we can –as one of your readers seems to– exemplifies the most dangerous breed of naivete.
Batir,
Ground-breaking stuff ….ha
Mokhabarat is running the country.
The country is being sold in bulk and retial to contractors, stock brokers, and money launderers.
No way man….
Good that someone finally told us…
Now go get your drum
Batir? Ground-breaking? As usual, he’s not even the first, he’s third on this story. And, also as usual, he makes no reference to the blogger that brought this to light. I can assure you neither he nor alurdunialhurr would have found this story today if DC-based blogger mental mayhem had not posted it about it yesterday. There are no big balls here, just people following others footsteps and not crediting or better including each other in the broader debate. No kudos is merited as each seems interested in trumpting the discovery more than attacking the point made; Jordan has been made a proxy in the US-war or terror.
That’s also no great surprise to anyone. Until peace comes one day to the plucky little kingdom, it will remain a land where ‘rights’ are granted on a sliding scale and democracy is something talked about in future terms outside the borders while the people suffer under ever-increasing tarriffs and move closer and closer to the police state of yore.
“Let me say this right off the bat, there are various elements of the GID, or Mukhabarat, that I have to respect, as I, nor any other Jordanian, can’t deny the extent to which they have kept one of the most unstable countries in the most unstable region”
this is very funny. for repressive pro american regimes, we use terms like stability. for repressive pro-arab regimes, we use terms like repression and dictatorship.
when saddam was keeping iraq “stable” the US was speaking of repression and human right violations. When Shah was keeping Iran “stable” he was a pro-western moderating and stabilizing force in the region.
sort of like the brutal and utterly corrupt Saudi regime vs Taleban. both backward and violent, with the saudi regime being utterly corrupt while the Taleban being utterly incorruptible. the Saudi regime bends over to the imperialists and they become allies. The Taleban fight American imperialism and they become a pariah, long before 911.
if Stalin was pro-imperialist, he probably would have been hailed as a liberator, considering he was the first to crush the Nazis. and a modernizer, for transforming Russia from an agrarian, backward country into a super power. but he is remembered in the West as a bloody despot.
But those who crush their people and loot their countries, are moderates so long as they are pro-american, so long as they remain at the service of imperialists.
Hence you used GID instead of Moukhabarat. I’ve said this a million times and my protest has fallen on deaf ears: We’re becoming a police state, that is, if we hadn’t reached that level already.
It’s the reason why we don’t have proper political parties. It’s the reason why youth are uninterested in participating in politics, or questioning authority, or saying whatever the government doesn’t want to hear. It’s the reason why we don’t have any demonstrations (although I find them futile, but in a country like Jordan, they become necessary). It’s the reason why every RJ plane has two of those oddly-dressed and thick-mustached blokes. It’s the reason why women are afraid of driving alone at night, and why you can’t ever leave the house without identification, while always watching your back. It’s the reason why our judiciary system is faltering and why our democracy is still a fledgling one. People make excuses that we need a tough intelligence system because the region is in turmoil, but still, the country is turning into a damn zoo and nobody seems to be seeing the problem. Moukhabarat is one of the biggest forces that are holding the country back, and only when people realize this, we will progress. Other than that, the big hot shots will continue to go on doing their own thing (money laundry, acres of marijuana farms owned by you know who, prostitution, corruption and nepotism), while the rest of the country will continue to pay even more taxes and will continue slaving for these big hot shots.
All of these things are not being voiced by anybody, because we’re a terrorized population. Our balls have been cut off, and it’s either that nobody seems to understand, or people don’t want to understand what’s really going on, or we’ve been numbed to death really. It’s a shame really, but it’s also more reason for people to wake up and question these issues.
Nas, again and again.. I salute you for such a great post. I stand with batir. Its courageous.
How and when – this fear of GID- is going to end? Its becoming (or already is) the novel ‘1984’ in reality.
The GID headquarters are so close to my house in Amman. I can see their twinkling lights from afar. sometimes I look at it from the patio in a calm night, and I wonder, how many lives are tortured, questioned, humiliated in the corridors and hallways of this shielded and unassailable cold place.
Joan: Although I assume nas was talking about GID’s efforts to bring security as a way to balance the argument of his post, your comment and your reasoning is still valid and undoubted. This is a typical hypocrisy of powerful regimes like the US.
I used the same reasoning and chain of thoughts while doing my term essay for college a while ago.
Thanks for all the comments everyone. Agreements and/or disagreements aside, an open and healthy debate about the topic is a good step forward and that’s what I think is most important here.
informer: actually i didn’t know natasha reported the news (first). i’m an avid reader of the post and an article on jordan is kind of hard to miss, to say nothing of the fact that there’s really no monopoly on news. i don’t want to defend myself or anything, but i should say that if you’ve had any experience on this blog or any roundup i’ve done for global voices you’ll notice that i’m always first to credit other jordanian bloggers with a debate they’ve kick started. but in any case, i think what’s important is, as you called it, the broader debate. thanks
Just want to say…I’ve been wandering into this site, occasionally for a while… you should be proud it’s well thought out and argued. As a sometimes Pro-Israeli (Canadian) myself, you have even gotten me think about some things… Jordan has proven to be more honorable and level-headed than anyone else in the region including Israel. I’ve been amazed that Jordan has survived in a area where it’s hotbed for disaster, the GID probably deserves a some credit here. It is probably run with some talent, instead of some fear mongering gestapo type agency. If someone plans to blow up a hotel in my country, I’ll torture someone to stop it and let God/Allah Judge me when the time comes.
If the US was serious about helping Iraq;
They should bet on 10,000 Jordanian Mercenaries could do the Job of 40,000 overpaid trigger happy Blackwater Cowboys.
==Canadian Soldier
بالنسبة لي ومع اختلاÙÙŠ مع الإستنتاجات Øول الخبر اوبالأØرى الÙضيØØ©ØŒ الا انني سعدت ان الموضوع لم يمر مرور الكرام بالنسبة للمدونات الأردنية، ارجو من الأخوة الØرصين على الØرية والديمقراطية ÙÙŠ الاردن ان يطالبوا البرلمان واجهزة القضاء التØقيق ÙÙŠ الامر وبشÙاÙية واستقلال، مش هيك بيدعي بعص المتبرعين مسبقا بالدÙاع عن الØكام ÙÙŠ الاردن والتبرير لهم، كل ما نطالب به لجنة من البرلمان والقضاء تØقق بالامر وتØاسب المسؤولين عن التعذيب وعن جذور التعاون والخيانة مع اجهزة مخابرات امريكية تØتل العراق وتقمع الشعب الÙلسطيني وتؤيد المØتلين،
هاي مطالب ديمقراطية والا لآ؟ اØكولي
I have been visiting this blog regularly for a while, and I am always impressed with your choice of topics and your way of handling them. While it is true that the GID have managed to keep us safe and secure in a very volatile region – as you have pointed out – there is no doubt that they have also managed to curtail and discourage political dissent, even that which can be considered constructive, such as liberal and humanist positions. In that way, even the most intellectual and educated Jordanians, who according to Habermas are the most likely to create positive socio-political change from within a society, opt out of political participation because of fear and suspicion. And in so doing, they are actually giving up their role as active citizens in a society.
So thank you for starting a debate that goes beyond the naïve position that because the GID protect us then they should remain unquestioned. A historian called Jacob Burkhardt once said, “The essence of tyranny is the denial of complexity†…. And you have certainly revealed the complexities full swing! 🙂
SO WHAT? The United States is our friend and ally, many don’t like to hear it but it is the truth. They needed our help and we should gladly offer it, besides those people are the enemies of Jordan also. As far as the GID, I sleep very well at night knowing my mother and family are safe and protected by men who do not sleep.
Stop and think before buying this liberal media bullshit.
george tenet, former head of the CIA, says in his memoirs that the CIA created, funds, and owns the GID .. just fyi ..
i like how some people are acting shocked that the CIA is involved in jordan .. nooooo surely not .. hehe
he also mentions in his memoirs that jordan offered to send elite troops to afghanistan .. but the US turned it down ..
RE: The comments of the Informer: Nas, as a reader for some time, what I notice is your tendency to grandstand. Any chance you have to grab the high ground you do so, so it’s no surprise to see that you’d want to be the ‘breaker’ of news when you are not. You may cite your grand place in the blogosphere but you fail to recognize that it means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things. Actions that seem slanted suggest a slanted author. You see, I too saw posts in the Jordanian blogosphere else before reading it here. Then, after reading the Informer comments, I went back and saw that you link to the same things as elsewhere (Print versions of an article, when in all other instances you link to the main article, not something as arcane as “printâ€; you even use the same quotes. Were I your ustaz, I’d clearly suggest some form of plagiarism here.
But since I’m not, I’ll just say that Jordan is headed inextricably toward military rule. It should come as no surprise with the meltdowns going on all around it. Of course, people such as Chavez and Putin would also site ‘trouble’ as a reason to strip away freedom in their moves toward dictatorships. The UK and the USA do it as well citing fears of terror. So it’s no surprise then that Jordan would use similar techniques considering its precipitous positions on democracy and freedom anyway. It’s not like torture comes new to the folks of the GID. So you’re responses seem not only a bit plagiarized but also disingenuous. We’ve all known it’s going on. Let’s not feign surprise now just because a newspaper has printed a story about it.
Freddie: thanks for the comment. against my urges that tell me i shouldn’t defend myself, especially since in a blogosphere as vast as this, everyone is entitled to an opinion of an author and that opinion shouldn’t always be positive, however, i do feel your criticism of me is both personal and unfounded. first of all, i really don’t care who “breaks” the news first. i’m sure on the jordanian blogosphere, there is more than one person who reads the washington post and i’m more concerned with people talking about it than who talked about it first. i’m positive that natasha, a trailblazer of this blogosphere, would also share the same concern. i remember that in the past, both I and natasha have discussed the same issue on our respective blogs, and we have often linked or trackbacked to each other’s articles. on more second of all, i don’t recall “citing” my grand place in the blogosphere, but that’s just a matter of your personal opinion of me, so i’m not going to contest it.
third of all, and most importantly i suppose because it is the reason of my response to you to begin with, plagiarism is a dangerous and heavy charge to levy on some on, especially the author of a blog. Simply reading an article and commenting on the findings as i so often do, does not imply plagiarism, nor does the fact that others in the blogosphere have also commented on the same article before or after me, imply plagiarism.
In fact, you use the term so liberally and out of place that I’m lead to wonder whether or not you truly understand its meaning. If that is the case, then I’m sure “The Informer” or your other friends who I know have commented on this blog before, can explain it to you in a bit more depth. 😉
OR…an even better idea…we could just instead stick to the topic at hand and engage more thoroughly, as you said, in the broader debate.
i think that might be the healthier choice, no?
thanks again for commenting and i hope i got to clear a few things up 🙂
Jordanian4ever: thank you for the comment. i think however, what we’re trying to discuss here, is that without questioning and without inquiry, there’s really no way of knowing what is done in the name of our security, and what is done in the name of others’ security. in other words, how does one know that someone being tortured at the GID is a threat to our security AND america’s security at the same time? Presumption isn’t enough, especially when we are talking about something as ethically and morally lethal as torture.
i do not deny that the US is an ally, nor do i deny that the GID has not kept us relatively safe, however in both cases there are always lines of extremes that once you cross, simply concluding that brutus is an honorable man, won’t bring you back.
and so i wonder, how difficult would it be to keep us safe without torturing. the question is not as simple as, would you torture a single person in order to save a thousand souls. the question here is, why are we torturing american-captured individuals, on behalf of america who is unable to do it because of its own laws on its own soil? is it being done with any intent to gain information that is relevant to our OWN safety, or are we simply doing the dirty work of others?
those are the pertinent questions in my opinion.
thanks again 🙂
المخابرات الاردنية: خلية اØتجاز Ù„ØµØ§Ù„Ø Ø§Ù„Ø³ÙŠ آي ايه
Ù…Øتجزو ارهاب اجانب يتØدثون عن التعذيب
كتب: كريج وايتلوك
مراسل الواشنطن بوست للشؤون الخارجية
السبت 1، كانون الاول، 2007
عمان، الأردن، على مدى السبع سنوات الماضية أدّى هذا المبنى البارز ÙÙŠ ضواØÙŠ العاصمة عمان وظيÙØ© خلية اØتجاز لوكالة الاستخبارات المركزية الاميريكية السي آي إيه.
المبنى هو قيادة دائرة المخابرات العامة، وكالة الأردن القوية لشؤون التجسس Ùˆ الأمن. Ùˆ منذ العام 2000 Ùˆ بتكلي٠من السي آي إيه، Ùإن 12 من مشتبهي الارهاب الغير اردنيين تم اØتجازهم Ùˆ استجوابهم هنا، وهذا استنادا الى وثائق، Ù…Øتجزين سابقين ØŒ مداÙعين عن Øقوق الانسان ØŒ Ù…Øامي دقاع Ùˆ مسؤولون سابقون امريكيون.
ÙÙŠ معظم الØالات خدم مركز التجسس الاردني هذا كمØطة مخÙية لاØتجاز مساجين وكالة الاستخبارات المركزية الملقى القبض عليهم ÙÙŠ بلدان اخرى. لقد كان مكانا يمكن اخÙاؤهم Ùيه بعد ان يعتقلوا Ùˆ ÙŠØتجزون هناك لعدة اشهر قبل ان ينقلوا الى خليج جوانتانامو ÙÙŠ كوبا او ÙÙŠ سجون السي آي إيه ÙÙŠ اماكن اخرى ÙÙŠ العالم.
آخرون اعتقلوا بينما كانوا مارّين بالاردن، بمن Ùيهم اثنين تم اØتجازهم اثناء توقÙهم ÙÙŠ مطار الملكة علياء الدولي. معتقل آخر، طالب اØياء دقيقة القي القبض عليه ÙÙŠ الباكستان ÙÙŠ الاسابيع القليلة عقب هجمات الـ 11 من سبتمبر. Ùˆ لم يعثر عليه منذ أن ارسل من عمان على متن طائرة تابعة للسي آي إيه منذ ستة سنوات.
Ùˆ أخر تلك الØالات البارزة للعيان تلك المتعلقة بالمØتجز الÙلسطيني مروان الجبور الذي نقل الى الاردن العام الماضي من سجن سرّي تديره السي آي إيه Ùˆ من ثم اطلق سراØÙ‰ بعد اسابيع ÙÙŠ قطاع غزة.
دائرة المخابرات العامة قد تكون اكثر الشركاء الموثوق بهم من طر٠السي آي إيه ÙÙŠ العالم العربي، تقلت الدائرة الاموال، التدريب، Ùˆ المعدات من السي آي إيه لعدة عقود Ùˆ تملك Øتى موقعا على شبكة الانترنت ناطقا باللغة الانجليزية. تعمّقت الروابط ÙÙŠ السنوات الماضية، Ùˆ مع Ø§Ù„Ù…Ø¯ÙŠØ Ø§Ù„Ø°ÙŠ يكيله المسؤولون الاميركيون لنظرائهم الاردنيين لعمق معرÙتهم المتعلقة بالقاعدة Ùˆ الشبكات الاسلامية الراديكالية الاخرى.
على كل Øال Ùˆ ÙÙŠ ما بعد الØادي عشر من سبتمبر، كانت دائرة المخابرات العامة الأردنية مغرية لأكير من سبب، برأي مسؤولي مكاÙØØ© الارهاب الاميركيين السابقين Ùˆ مداÙعين اردنيين عن Øقوق الانسان. إن Ù…Øققيها لديهم سمعة لدÙغ المشتبه بهم الصامتين على التكلم! Øتى لو عنى ذلك استخدام تكتيكات قمعية تخرق القوانين الدولية او Øتى الاميركية.
“تم اختطاÙÙŠØŒ Ùˆ لم اعر٠اي شيء عن مصيري، Ùˆ باستمرار التعذيب Ùˆ الاستجواب لمدة عامين كاملين” يقول الØاج عبدو علي الشرقاوي، اØد مسجوني جوانتانامو من اليمن Ùˆ ذلك ÙÙŠ تسجيل مكتوب لما مر به ÙÙŠ الاØتجاز ÙÙŠ الاردن، يقول: “عندما قلت لهم الØقيقة، كنت اعذب Ùˆ اضرب”
تم القبض على الشرقاوي ÙÙŠ كراتشي ÙÙŠ الباكستان ÙÙŠ Ùبراير من عام 2002 ÙÙŠ عملية باكستانية اميركية مشتركة، Ùˆ على الرغم من ان معتقل غوانتانامو كان قد اÙتتØØŒ إلا أن السي آي إيه طاروا به الى عمان بدلا عن ذلك، Øيث سجن Ùˆ اØتجز لمدة 19 شهرا Ùˆ ذلك Øسب اÙادته Ùˆ سجلات الرØلات. ثم اخذ لاØقا الى سجن سرّي آخر تديره السي آي إيه. Øسب اÙادته قبل ان ينقل اخيرا إلى جوانتانامو ÙÙŠ Ùبراير 2004.
قال الشرقاوي انه تم تهديده جنسيّا Ùˆ بالصعق الكهربائي ÙÙŠ الاردن. Ùˆ قال أنه تم اخÙاؤه عن اعين اللجنة الدولية للصليب الاØمر خلال زياراتهم لتÙتيش المعتقلات الاردنية.
“قيل لي أنه اذا رغبت ÙÙŠ ان اغادر بعاهة مستدامة عقلية Ùˆ جسدية، Ùإنهم يمكن ان يرتّبوا الامر” قال الشرقاوي ÙÙŠ اÙادته ÙÙŠ ابريل 2006ØŒ Ùˆ التي نشرت من قبل Ù…Øاميه ÙÙŠ لندن، كلي٠ستاÙورد سميث، Ùˆ الذي يمثل Ù…Øتجزي جوانتانامو “قالوا انهم يملكون كل التجهيزات لعمل ذلك ÙÙŠ الاردن، قيل لي انه لا بد من ان اتكلم Ùˆ اعترÙØŒ Ùˆ ان اقول لهم كل شيء”
مسؤولو ادارة بوش قالوا انهم لا يسلّمون مشتبهي الارهاب لبلدان اخرى قد تقوم باساءة معاملتهم. Ùˆ لمدة سنوات، Ùإن وزارة الخارجية الاميركية قد ذكرت عن تقارير تعذيب على نطاق واسع ÙÙŠ وكالات الامن الاردنية ÙÙŠ تقاريرها السنوية عن Øقوق الانسان.
مراقبون مستقلون اصبØوا اكثر انتقادا لسجل الاردن. Ùˆ منذ عام 2006ØŒ Ùإن الأمم المتØدة، منظمة العÙÙˆ الدولية، Ùˆ هيومان رايتس ووتش اصدرو عدة تقارير عن انتهاكات ÙÙŠ الاردن ÙÙŠ الغالب تكون دائرة المخابرات العامة هي المتورط بها.
وقال Ù…Øتجزون سابقون ان Ù…Øتجزيهم كانوا خبراء ÙÙŠ ممارستين بالذات:
– الÙلقة: ضرب المشتبهين على باطن اقدامهم بعصاة Ùˆ من ثم اجبارهم على المشي ØÙاة Ùˆ مدميي القدمين على ارض مغطاة بالملØ.
– الÙرّوج: او الدجاج المشوي Ùˆ به تربط ايدي المساجين خل٠ارجلهم Ùˆ يعلقون من اعلى لاسÙÙ„ بقضيب معدني يمرر من خل٠ركبهم Ùˆ يضربون.
ÙˆÙÙŠ تقرير صدر ÙÙŠ يناير عام 2007ØŒ Ùإن “مانÙرد نواك” Ù…Øقق الامم المتØدة الخاص لشؤون التعذيب قد اكتش٠ان “ممارسات التعذيب هي روتينية” ÙÙŠ دائرة المخابرات العامة الاردنية Ùˆ استنتج ان:
“توجد Øصانة كاملة للتعذيب Ùˆ الاساءة ÙÙŠ البلد”
لم يستجيب المسؤولون ÙÙŠ دائرة المخابرات العامة لرسالة من طر٠كاتب المقالة لمقابلتهم Øول الموضوع، كما لم تستجب وزارة الخارجية الاردنية.
امتنعت السي آي إيه عن التعليق على علاقتها بدائرة المخابرات العامة الاردنية Ùˆ لكن قامت بشكل عام بالدÙاع عن النقل السري لمشتبهي الارهاب لبلدان اخرى. ممارسة تعر٠بمصطلØ: “التسليم”.
“الولايات المتØدة الاميركية لا تقوم بنقل الاÙراد الى ايّه دولة اذا كانت تعتقد انهم سو٠يعذبون هناك” يقول باول جيميجليانو، المتØدث باسم السي آيه إيه. “دعكم من الخراÙات، Ùإن “التسليم” هو بالØقيقة أداة Ùعالة Ùˆ قانونية Ùˆ تم استخدمها على مدى السنوات Ùˆ على نطاق ضيق Ùˆ هي مصممة لإبعاد الارهابيين عن الشارع”.
ÙÙŠ الاردن، لا اØد يسأل
مباشرة بعد الØادي عشر من سبتمتبر، لم يكن لدى السي آي أيه اي مكان لاØتجاز مشتبهي الارهاب الذي القت القبض عليهم. Ùˆ لم يتم اÙØªØªØ§Ø Ø§Ù„Ø³Ø¬Ù† العسكري ÙÙŠ جوانتانامو لغاية يناير من عام 2002ØŒ Ùˆ تطلب الامر من السي آي إيه لغاية ربيع عام 2002 Øتى كانت شبكة سجونها السرية ÙÙŠ الخارج عاملة.
وجدت السي آيه إيه Ù†Ùسها بدون خيارات Ùˆ بالتالي طلبت من نظيرتها ÙÙŠ الاردن، Ùˆ سريعا بدأت طائرات السي آي إيه بتØميل السجناء الى الاردن.
جميل قاسم سعيد Ù…Øمد، طالب الاØياء الدقيقة اليمني Ùˆ الذي القي القبض عليه ÙÙŠ عملية اميركية-باكستانية مشتركة بضعة اسابيع بعد الØادي عشر من سبتمبر على قاعدة الشك بمساعدته بتمويل اعمال القاعدة، ذكر شهود عيان أنهم رؤوا رجالا مقنّعين يأخذونه على متن طائرة جولÙستريم v ÙÙŠ مطار كراتشي ÙÙŠ الرابع Ùˆ العشرين من اكتوبر عام 2001.
تشير السجلات ان الطائرة المؤجّرة من قبل شركة تعمل Ù„ØµØ§Ù„Ø Ø§Ù„Ø³ÙŠ آي إيه كانت قد طارت مباشرة الى عمان. Ùˆ لم ÙŠÙر Ù…Øمد منذ ذلك الØين. قالت منظمة العÙÙˆ الدولية انها قد طلبت من الØكومة الاردنية معلومات عن مكان وجوده Ùˆ لكن لم تستلم اي رد.
ÙˆÙÙŠ Ù†Ùس الوقت، Ùإن جمال علوي مرّي Ùˆ هو مواطن يمني اخر تم القاء القبض عليه ÙÙŠ منزله ÙÙŠ كراتشي ÙÙŠ الباكستان من قبل عملاء اميركيين Ùˆ باكستانيين. تظهر السجلات ان مسؤولين امريكيين شكّوا ÙÙŠ انه يعمل لمنظمات خيرية اسلامية يزعم انها تدعم القاعدة.
بعدها بقليل ارسلت السي آي إيه المرّي الى عمان “لم يقولوا لي الى اين انا ذاهب” قال لاØقا امام Ù…Øكمة عسكرية امريكية ” اكتشÙت لاØقا انني كنت بالاردن”.
قال المرّي أنه سÙجن لمدة اربعة اشهر ÙÙŠ الاردن، بعيدا عن انظار مسؤولي الصليب الاØمر Ùˆ ÙÙŠ اوائل عام
2002، تم اخذه الى غوانتانامو و بقي مسجونا هناك.
Ù…Øاموا الدÙاع Ùˆ ناشطوا Øقوق الانسان ÙÙŠ عمان قالوا انه لم يكن من المÙاجيء ان ال سي آي إيه قامت بالاستعانة بالمخابرات للمساعدة.
“ÙÙŠ اميركا، Ùإن الناس ستسأل عن اختراق القوانين” يقول يونس عرب، Ù…Øام مثّل سجينا للـ سي آي إيه جيء به للأردن. “هنا ÙÙŠ الاردن، لا اØد يسأل. Ùˆ لذا يستعين الاميركيون بالاردنيين للقيام بالاعمال القذرة”
كما ذكر Ù…Øامون اردنيون اخرون تقاريرا ان السي آي إيه قامت بارسال قيادات القاعدة للأردن للإستجواب. Ùˆ على الرغم من أن الأدلة القطعية هي Ù…Øيرة، Ùإن Ù…Øتجزين سابقين اقرّوا بأنهم اعتقلوا ÙÙŠ Ù†Ùس Ø¬Ù†Ø§Ø “رمزي بن الشيبة” المخطط الرئيس لهجمات خلية هامبورغ التي Ù†Ùذت اختطاÙات الØادي عشر من سبتمبر، يقول عبد الكريم الشريدة Ù…Øام٠من عمان.
“تم اØتجازه ÙÙŠ السجون الاردنية بالتØديد” يقول الشريدة عن بن الشيبة Ùˆ تم اعتقاله لدى ال سي آي إيه ÙÙŠ اماكن غير معلن عنها من وقت القاء القبض عليه ÙÙŠ كراتشي ÙÙŠ سبتمبر 2002 Ùˆ لغاية سبتمبر 2006 عندما نقل الى غوانتانامو. “الولايات المتØدة اØضرت كل اشكال الناس من جميع انØاء العالم”
Ø³Ù…ÙŠØ Ø®Ø±ÙŠØ³ØŒ Ù…Øام من عام Ùˆ الذي مثّل معتقلين اردنيين سابقين من غوانتانامو نقل شهادة عن معتقلين سابقين Ùˆ اخرين ÙÙŠ الاردن اكدّوا الشكوك القديمة بأن ال سي آي إيه تدير عمليات من بعد ÙÙŠ مقر مبنى المخابرات العامة الاردنية.
“بالطبع لديهم سجون هنا، سجن سري—بالطبع، لا داعي للاستغراب” يقول المØامي “أذا كانوا سيضعونني ÙÙŠ ÙÙŠ مبنى المخابرات ذلك، Ùاعتقد أنه سجن امريكي ايضا”
يقول خريس ان وكالة التجسس الاردنية المخابرات تمتلك سمعة عن جدارة باستخدام الاساليب الغير مقبولة لانتزاع الاعتراÙات. ولكن يقول المØامي خريس أن السي آي إيه ترسل المساجين الى عمان للاستÙادة من معلومات المخابرات عن الجماعات الاسلامية الراديكالية.
“التعذيب ليس السبب الرئيسي” يقول خريس.
إنكار صريØ
ÙÙŠ 26 من Øزيران من عام 2006ØŒ Ùˆ بعد الساعة السادسة مساء، قام نواك المØقق من الامم المتØدة بزيارة Ù…Ùاجئة لمبنى المخابرات العامة ÙÙŠ عمان.
قامت الØكومة الاردنية بالمواÙقة لنواك باعطائه “كرتاً أبيضاً” لتÙتيش اي سجن بالاردن، Ùˆ بدون أي عوائق Ùˆ Øرية كاملة للوصول الى المعتقلين. Ùˆ كونه عضوا جديدا ÙÙŠ مجلس الامم المتØدة Ù„Øقوق الانسان، كان الاردن متلهÙا للÙوز بختم المواÙقة من طر٠نواك. Ø³Ù…Ø Ù…Ø³Ø¤ÙˆÙ„ÙˆØ§ المخابرات العامة لنواك بالتجول ÙÙŠ اجنØØ© السجن Ùˆ لكن رÙضوا Ø§Ù„Ø³Ù…Ø§Ø Ù„Ù‡ بالتكلم مع المساجين على انÙراد. عندما سأل نواك عن المزاعم بأن السي آي إيه تقوم باستخدام المبنى كسجن بالوكالة انكر مسؤولوا المخابرات التقارير.
“كانت الردود سطØية، Ùˆ بانكار بسيط، Ù†ØÙ† لا نعر٠شيئا عن هذا” قال نواك ÙÙŠ مقابلة.
ÙÙŠ مقابلة مع معتقلين سابقين ÙÙŠ دائرة المخابرات العامة، يقول نواك أنه سمع بشكل متكرر تقارير متكررة عن معتقلين تم تعريضهم لصدمات كهربائية Ùˆ Øرمان من النوم Ùˆ اساليب متنوعة من الضرب بما Ùيها الÙرّوج Ùˆ الÙلقة.
قال أن العديد من المعتقلين ذكروا ان كبير المعذّبين كان يدعى العقيد علي بيرجاك، مسؤول ÙˆØدة مكاÙØØ© الارهاب ÙÙŠ دائرة المخابرات العامة واØد المسؤولين الذين انكروا التعاون مع دائرة المخابرات العامة. بناءً على هذه المقابلات. اوصى نواك ÙÙŠ تقريره بأن ÙŠØاكم بيرجاك من قبل السلطات الاردنية باتهامات التعذيب.
ÙÙŠ رد مكتوب على تقرير نواك ÙÙŠ العاشر من اكتوبر من عام 2006 دعت الØكومة الاردنية التقرير بانه “غير صادق” وبأن الناس هناك ذووا سوابق اجرامية.
“إنه من المعتاد ان يذكر المساجين تقارير كاذبة عن التعذيب بطريقة تثير الشÙقة للتهرب من العقاب بغية التاثير على المØكمة” قالت الØكومة.
Ùˆ على كل Øال Ùإن مساجين سابقين ÙÙŠ دائرة المخابرات العامة ادلوا بتقارير مماثلة عن التعذيب الجسدي الجاري ÙÙŠ مبنى المخابرات.
مسعد عمر بØاري، مواطن سوداني امضى 86 يوما ÙÙŠ زنازين الدائرة ÙÙŠ اوائل عام 2003 بعد ان القي القبض عليه عند توقÙÙ‡ ÙÙŠ مطار الملكة علياء الدولي ÙÙŠ عمان.
قال البØاري ان مستجوبيه ارادوا ان يعرÙوا عن نشاطاته ÙÙŠ Ùينا، Øيث عاش هناك اكثر من عقد من الزمان. Ùˆ قد سئل عن Ù†Ùس الاسئلة من قبل مكتب التØقيقات الÙيدرالية Ùˆ من قبل مسؤولي الامن النمساويين عن مخططات مزعومة لنس٠السÙارة الاميركية ÙÙŠ Ùينا ÙÙŠ عام 1998. على الرغم من أنه انكر اي دور Ùˆ لم توجه له اية تهمة.
اثناء اØتجازه ÙÙŠ عمان، قال البØاري ان الØراس استخدموا كلاً من الÙلقة والÙروج، Ùˆ قاموا بضرب باطن اقدامه بالعصي Ùˆ تم ربط يديه Ùˆ تعليقه من اعلى لاسÙÙ„ Ùˆ من ثم نقعوه بالماء البارد Ùˆ اجبروه على المشي على ارضية مرشوشة بالملØ.
“ظننت انهم سو٠يقتلوني” قال البØاري “قرأت صلواتي ظنّا مني انني سو٠أموت”
Naseem ,
I praise you for posting such an issue. Its great to find that this indifferences about things happening in Jordan is not normalized among all people and that there are still people, especially youth who look at things with a critical eye. It shows from the number of responses that this post generated, that we just need a little push to speak out.
the mokhabarat is always approached as a black box that nobody dares to open or come near. however, i always ask myself of where to draw the line between the nation security , individual liberty and government transparency. Can mokhabarat ever be not secretive especially in a volatile region like ours? How can we assure the transparency of mokhabarat with out risking the national security?even if the answer was yes, can we do it through the formal structure of communications that we have available?
David,
“If the US was serious about helping Iraq;
They should bet on 10,000 Jordanian Mercenaries could do the Job of 40,000 overpaid trigger happy Blackwater Cowboys”.
What have you been smoking man?
You want Jordan to do more of the dirty work for the US?
Isn’t this crap big enough?
The CIA been tourturing, assasinating people, sabotaging businesses, corrupting leaders, killing them, destroying countries, ever since they were created, and now they want this dirt to be done by way of others, this state of chaos we live in, is made by the USA and I can’t wait to see George Bush and his gang get the hell out, I’m sure Canadians feel the same way.
My only concern is why the GID would get involved in something like this?? don’t we have enough problems of our own?? you know terrorism is not the only threat to our national security, we have other things they should focuss on and number one is CORRUPTION which has become a disease in Jordan.
Naseem,
This is my first visit to your blog, you are one hell of a writer, all my respect.
Excellent post, although some of the comments on it are really silly and read like they were written by bitter personalities.
Being in Jordan during this period immediately following the elections, and listening to the various chit-chats about who won and who lost, and who voted for who and why nobody voted for who, I am only left with the impression that we’re a corrupt society above all.
Our morals are corrupt. Yes, there are many good honest and decent Jordanians, and there are the low-lives, the crooks. But in my mind, the idea of being socially corrupt is evident in all types of people, those you consider good, and the ones you consider bad. We are simply incompetent when it comes to running our own affairs as a group.
And regarding torture. We kill our own children for silly reasons, and there is no sign of that changing anytime soon, and as long as that remains the case, I don’t see why we should find it astonishing that something like torture is still practiced in the country.
The only thing we can do, is keep talking about it, and hope that every day, someone new starts seeing things in a different way, a better way, so that eventually, after a long time, we as a people are different and more serious about fixing ourselves.
“They should bet on 10,000 Jordanian Mercenaries could do the Job of 40,000 overpaid trigger happy Blackwater Cowboys.
==Canadian Soldier”Dave
Is it not enough you send us innocent people to be trutured and also you want us to go to Iraq and kill ,torture and occupy our Iraqi brothers and sisters??Spare me your nonsense and racist rant and go educate yourself man!
I know very little about the horror stories involving mukhbarat but I think you’re exaggerating when it comes to the fear of mukhabarat. And I think you of all people know that writing about the mukhabarat, or any other sensitive topic is perfectly fine simply because you’ve been blogging about Jordan and talking about delicate matters for few years now. Do they read what people write? a hell yes but what makes you say that “breathing the wrong way” or “mentioning the name” could get you in trouble?
I’m not minimizing their power or anything, I’m just saying that from a personal experience, mere talking does not get you in trouble but if you care to explain to me how it does, please do.
About the rest of the post, which I believe is the most important, I add my voice to everyone else and salute you for your courage and heartfelt anger.
shaden: if you feel that it is an exaggeration on my behalf, then that is a matter of opinion, however on the street level, the average Jordanian will certainly identify with this fear. anyone working in the media, myself included, will verify this fear for you as well. if anything i, and various other bloggers, wrote were to be published in arabic, in a newspaper, this fear would be quickly realised. if you still feel this is an exaggeration then give it some time as you’ve only been in jordan for just a little over a year now. if you want to accelerate the learning process, you can always try writing and submitting an article to one of the dailies. moreover, i think, or rather I hope, you know me well enough to know i dont like exaggerations.
secondly, i have rarely, if ever, blogged about the mukhabarat in specific, and with any sense of criticism. to say nothing of the fact that describing online criticism as “perfectly fine” is a bit naive given that no precedent has been established yet. To put it more simply, the lack of movement does not imply apathy. lest i remind you that only a few weeks ago the mukhabarat declared publically that they would be monitoring online websites and blogs, which is an open warning that prosecution will follow. that initiative was stopped by the King, but it is a demonstration that once the Internet truly reaches a significant threat level for the Kingdom’s security apparatus, there will be a proportionate response.
i thank you (and others) for the salute, but it isn’t courage that drives me to write; it’s necessity and duty.
i know that might sound a bit cliche, but at least it’s honest.
thanks
Respectively to the couple of Critics… I did not imply the GID should go into Iraq…
I meant to imply that American Mercenary’s are counter productive in Iraq and the Term “Mercenary” implies “volunteer” in there case a highly paid volunteer. Not to go kill your brothers and cousins (that implication was never imagined). The Majority of what Blackwater does is passive operations such as escort, delivery, and VIP protection towards the already astronomical cost of rebuilding Iraq; my implication is that if someone is going to do it; the Jordanian “Mercenary/volunteer” may do better then some adventure seeking Yankee Mercenaries.
thanks