The Washington Post reports that FBI agents witnessed 26 incidents of possible mistreatment at Guantanamo Bay. An example: an interrogator ’squatted’ on a Koran in an attempt to break the (terror) suspect. On a different occasion, interrogators seemed to have duct-taped a suspect because he “would not stop quoting the Koran”.
More:

In them, FBI employees said they had witnessed 26 incidents of possible mistreatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including previously reported cases in which prisoners were shackled to the floor for extended periods of time or subjected to sexually suggestive tactics by female interrogators.

In a previously unreported allegation, one interrogator bragged to an FBI agent that he had forced a prisoner to listen to “Satanic black metal music for hours,” then dressed as a Catholic priest before “baptizing” him.

One agent reported being told that while questioning male captives, female interrogators would sometimes wet their hands and touch detainees’ faces in order to interrupt their prayers. Such actions would make some Muslims consider themselves unclean and unable to continue praying.

Some of the ones involved / civil contractors seem to have been bragging about it, as if it was something funny.

In one particular case, an interrogator reportedly literally pissed on the Koran, in other instance they - reportedly - kicked it and so on.

More:

An FBI memorandum that accompanied the documents emphasized that none of the incidents involved agency or Justice Department employees. It said the reports concerned personnel from other government agencies or outside contractors.

In the former, still government employees obviously. In the latter case, I wonder why it is that ‘outside contractors’ are able to have done what some of them reportedly did. Personally, I do not even understand why ‘outside contractors’ are involved. The government should handle this, not ‘outside contractors’.

The Post article states that some of the ‘harsh’ interrogation ‘techniques’ were considered to be lawful back then.

In September, the Pentagon adopted new interrogation rules, outlawing harsh techniques adopted at Guantanamo Bay, detention facilities in Iraq and other prisons overseas since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Among those ‘techniques’ seemingly considered to be legal, at least by some: wrapping a prisoner in an Israeli flag, subjecting them to extreme heat and cold, and aggressively using strobe lights on them.

Via TalkLeft: on wrapping the prisoner in an Israeli flag:

In one report, an agent said he saw a detainee draped in an Israeli flag in a room with loud music and strobe lights. A note on the report said the Israeli flag “may be over the top but not abusive.” The words “may be” were then crossed out and replaced with “is.”

Obviously, wrapping someone in an Israeli flag with loud music and stroble lights is way over the top. That doesn’t, indeed, mean that it also crossing the line of the law of course.

Some incidents were already public knowledge, but it never stops being horrible to read. “Squatting” on a Koran is not torture, but it is, or should be, not done. If we ignore the impact it has on the prisoner for now, we should think about the influence it has on the image of America. Once reports like these come out, Americans have to understand that it will - once again - greatly feed the already existing anti-Americanism in the Muslim world (and outside it by the way, for instance here in Europe).

Absolutely stupid and it would also be a mistake to act as if it happened too long ago, that it has become irrelevant to talk about it. The Bush administration - and conservatives - have to show that they care and that they are - and continue to be - committed to treating prisoners - even when they are terror suspects - with respect. If not for their person, than at least for their religion / the Koran.

Via TalkLeft as well, the released documents can be found here.

It is early in America (it’s already 2PM here though) so there are not a lot of bloggers who’ve picked this story up yet. To be updated, keep an eye on memeorandum.