Just an amazing story on distinguished Iraqi scientist in prison

[Jane Austin]

I haven't seen this posted so if it's a dupe, please forgive me.

Is there no one immune from our despotic practices?

http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=65836

Amnesty International, the UN and the Red Cross ought to be all over this one.

[Jane Austin]

1. Here are some excerpts from the article:

Among the other things the article points out is that Dr. Saadi has been vindicated by David Kay and Hans Blix, but he doesn't even know it because he is cut off from any news.

Here are four paragraphs:

By any measure Amer al-Saadi ought to feel vindicated. The dapper
British-educated scientist who was the Iraqi government's main link
to the United Nations inspectors before the US invasion repeatedly
insisted that Iraq had destroyed its weapons of mass destruction
years earlier.

<snip>

Held in solitary confinement in an American prison at Baghdad's
international airport, Dr Saadi is denied the right to read
newspapers, listen to the radio, or watch television.

<snip>

He was sure he would soon be released, Mrs Saadi says. He was a
scientist who had never been part of Saddam's terror apparatus, or
even a member of the Ba'ath party.

<snip>

In prison under US custody he is not even allowed pen and paper,
except to compose his one-page Red Cross letter. He does crosswords
by filling in the blanks in his head. His wife sent him a
computerised chess set but was not allowed to provide replacement
batteries when the first ones ran out. He has been teaching himself
German. "If it were not for impressing the grandchildren, I wouldn't
bother," he wrote last year.

[Jane Austin]

3. Kick.

n/t

[Dudley_DUright]

4. For an intellectual like Saadi

this is a fate worse than death. I could not imagine the crushing boredom that would result from the lack of intellectual stimulation.

[Jane Austin]

5. And if you read the whole story, you'll see that he's

maintained his sense of humor, his warm relationship with his wife and even works crosswords in his head.

I think this is a guy I'd like to know.

[fsbooks]

2. He told the truth, Bush* et all lied.

He should be free. The others should go to jail.