Politics Trained to Torture/Withstand Torture

the following are two articles my friend sent me...

located here:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=58476

Troops undergo extreme torture training
05:58 AEST Sat Aug 20 2005
AAP

Elite Australian soldiers are being blindfolded, stripped naked and threatened by savage dogs during extreme torture training exercises.

The regime has been approved at the highest level of government and is about to be upgraded in response to the threat from enemies who do not abide by the Geneva Conventions, the Weekend Australian newspaper reports.

Defence Minister Robert Hill confirmed that soldiers were threatened with physical and sexual abuse during simulated interrogation sessions at the Defence Intelligence Training Centre in Queensland.

"When approved by the exercise director, working military dogs that are muzzled and short-leashed may be used during advanced RTI (resistance to interrogation) training, in the presence of RTI trainees (including naked trainees) on order to create realism," Senator Hill said in a written response to a parliamentary question.

Trainees were blindfolded and could be made to strip naked for up to three hours, but no more, Senator Hill wrote.

The army's interrogation manual is being updated for the first time since 2001 to take into account the threat of torture to Australian troops in war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

and

located here:

BBC NEWS | Africa | Zimbabwe's torture training camps

Zimbabwe's torture training camps

  By Hilary Andersson
BBC Africa correspondent

President Robert Mugabe's government has set up secret camps across the country in which thousands of youths are taught how to torture and kill, the BBC has learned.

The Zimbabwean government says the camps are job training centres, but those who have escaped say they are part of a brutal plan to keep Mugabe in power.

Former recruits to the camps have spoken to the BBC's Panorama programme about a horrific training programme that breaks young teenagers down before encouraging them to commit atrocities.

Members of the youth militia are warned never to tell of their experiences inside the camps, and many refuse to be identified when talking about their experiences.

However one girl, Debbie, claims she was kidnapped and forced into a camp - where she was raped on her very first night.

I was raped again at night and they said no-one can complain because it's part of training
Debbie

In accounts gathered by BBC Panorama from dozens of youths, it appears that for many of them the training in the camps begins with rape.

Debbie said she was raped three times on the first night, but claimed that the abuse didn't stop then.

She told the programme: "I was raped again at night and they said no-one can complain because its part of training."

She claims she used to share a blanket with an 11-year-old girl. The little girl was also raped night after night.

'Disturbed'

President Mugabe has visited the camps. Ministry insiders have told Panorama that his government knows what goes on inside them.

Food is often scarce. Youths are beaten until they succumb to orders. They are taught that their mission is to keep President Mugabe in power.

Panorama has also learned that some of the recruits are taught to torture his opponents.

Daniel was plied with alcohol and drugs, and learned how to electrocute his victims.

He said: "I would just touch, krr, krr - tell us information."

Asked if he thought it was OK to torture people, he added that it was "nice", because "your mind is disturbed".

'Eliminated'

During covert filming inside Zimbabwe, Panorama also spoke to a camp commander who told the programme that youths in his camp had been sent to kill opponents of President Mugabe.

He said: "In the area I am covering I heard of two. My superiors instructed that the people must be eliminated."

What is more frightening is that President Mugabe now wants every Zimbabwean youth to undergo training. We have been told they will be used to intimidate political opponents in next year's elections.

The commander added: "These guys are going to be used by the ruling party to keep the opposition out of power."

We put these allegations to Zimbabwe's government, but so far it has refused to respond.

Panorama: Secrets of the Camps was broadcast on BBC One on Sunday, 29 February 2004 at 2215 GMT

comments?

i dunno if this thread relates to other threads that have already been started...
 
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