Wednesday
Jun282006
Who stands behind torture in Egypt?
Hossam el-Hamalawy
The Muslim Brothers’ website ran a feature on torture in Egypt, which included allegations that “torture machines� are imported from Western countries.
Reader Comments (3)
Aida Seif El-Dalwa has made similar remarks to me during research trips to Cairo. To this effect, she said that the instruments that are used in the turtore process were imported or paid for by US aid.....I cant verfiy but there might be something there.
I don't suppose there's any way of checking the public record on this, as military aid/deals are hush-hush?
Regardless of the rights and wrongs of this trade if Egypt could not import such instruments, I'm sure they would manufacture them. I don't think this is a case where supply creates demand. I'm also fairly certain that should the Muslim Brotherhood and their ilk come to power, they would prove no different, and probably worse, in this regard, than most other regimes in the Middle East. As regards this trade being paid for by US aid, this point only makes sense if what is meant is that aid is provided on condition that, amongst other things, instruments of torture are purchased from US companies. Goverments do not generally keep their receipts from various sources in different accounts to be used for different purposes, despite what they might sometimes claim. Nevertheless, the argument that if we don't do it, others will, is not a good one. However, many of the specific items mentioned, items to restrain and to disperse crowds are hardly likely to be covered by a definition of torture. Violent individuals need at times to be restrained and violent mobs dispersed. Real physical or psychological torture is inflicted without the use of sophisticated instruments. Where human life is cheap, instruments of torture are not likely to be expensive.