PROBE CLEARS FRENCH POLICE OF TORTURE ALLEGATIONS
Oh, another of those big beautiful exculpating AFP headlines.
PARIS March 17, 2006 (AFP) - A recent book [scil., Place Beauvau] alleged that suspects in a string of bomb attacks in France were tortured during questioning, subjected to sleep deprivation and electric shocks from stun-guns, and that one was dangled out of a sixth-floor window.IGPN [Inspection générale de la police nationale] director Jacques Lamotte said the investigation, in which 18 officers were questioned, had been unable to confirm the torture charges — although he said that suspicions of mistreatment remained in one case.
The AFP headline wistfully spins a happy ending to M. Lamotte's continuing investigation. First, preliminary findings in an ongoing investigation do not "clear" allegations, the final report's findings do. Second, the allegations, though not confirmed, have not been dismissed. Third, as reported, suspicions of torture remain in at least one case. Any and all of these cannot be construed as "clearance".
Lamotte said the probe had confirmed, however, that officers had "slapped" detainees on several occasions, and pledged that all appropriate measures would be taken against those responsible. "Slapping is clearly illegal, and therefore the IGPN condemns it," Lamotte said, although he stressed that the incidents were not full-blown beatings and said he "personally understood the slaps".
Well, we, of course, are relieved to hear that full-blown beatings and slapping -- and, we presume, the cruel wedgie -- in French police stations are condemned. Yet we, like M. Lamotte, are prepared to "personally understand slaps" as an invigoration of realities when questioning a placid suspect who has publicly bragged on his crimes.
Since the French would never resort to rough-handling, just how do they make these hardened mujahideen talk? M. Lamotte has obliged Pave a peek at one of the interrogation transcripts.
SOYEZ GENTIL !
Radical French Politeness Has Terrorists Talking
Palais de Justice PARIS
08:15:30A 1 Mai 1999Police Officer: Bonjour, M. Moujahidine.
Mujahideen: [Stirring.] Bonjour, M. Policier. What time is it? Can't we do this after lunch?
Police Officer: Ah, Monsieur, we are all on the clock. You. Me. M. Bruguière. [Pause as he reaches into a bag.] Would you like a croissant?
Mujahideen: A crescent? Huh? Oh. Yes. Merci. Oh! They're still hot!
Police Officer: The boys in bomb disposal bring them in. Fresh. [He sorts some papers and taps them square. He folds his hands and places them atop the papers] Now. [Slight pause.] Would you please reveal to me your criminal acts on behalf of the Groupe Islamique Armé, the members of this terrorist organization, its operations, its affiliations, and all its actual and planned harm and intriguery against the state of France.
Mujahideen: Pardon, do you have a prune confiture?
Police Officer: Euuu, I will have to look. One moment. [Exits. Returns.] Ah, there is only the raspberry confiture and the marmalade.
Mujahideen: Ah. No thank you.
Police Officer: The raspberry is very nice.
Mujahideen: I was dead set on the prune.
Police Officer: Yes, the prune is healthful. But I prefer la framboise.
Mujahideen: No. The little seeds. They stick in the teeth.
Police Officer: True, true.
Mujahideen: I do hate to bother you...
Police Officer: No, please. I am at your disposal. [He reaches across and reassuringly pats the mujahedeen's hand.] Please.
Mujahideen: Do you have a curl of butter?
Police Officer: Salted? Unsalted?
Mujahideen: Unsalted, svp.
Police Officer: Naturellement. Monsieur, he is the gourmand. One moment. [Exits. Returns. Places a small tub on the table with a flourish] Voilà, Beurre Barratte de Celles sur Belle !
Mujahideen: Oo-oo! Fancy Francey!
Police Officer: Bon appétit !
Mujahideen: [He digs a finger in tub and slathers croissant with butter. He then stuffs the whole thing in his mouth. Talking with mouth full.] Mmmm. Praise Allah! You wouldn't believe what I was eating in Pashtun. Transmettez mes remerciements à les mecs de bombe.
Police Officer: Speaking of bombs...
Mujahideen: Huh? Oh. Ouais, ouais.
The suspect later claimed to have been tortured during detention by the introduction of a hot object to the roof of his mouth, blistering his soft palate. He also complained of sleep deprivation, slapping, and a diet unnatural to his cultural constitution, which pushed his LDL level to 200 mg/ld.
UPDATE 03.24.06: The French weekly Le Point is a bit surprised that a police investigation into police misconduct should find misconduct but no police misconduct: Des gifles qui se perdent... (Wasted Slaps...). [Hat tip: M. Zmx]
PFFT (What is this?): Bright headlines 4 | SOE Politeness 4 | Rayonnement français 0
Clueless...
Ah, yes, M. Stéphane, we are clueless, explaining why we posed the question in the title of the post. Our hope was that some nice informed Frenchie, perhaps your very self, would clue us as to how the French police manage to extract the most secret secrets from terrorists with but a slap, how they break these hardened men with just a little conversation.
Why do you think terrorists testify to torture at Camp X-Ray but lie about torture at the Palais de Justice?
Trust us, we are genuinely keen to know.
DGB
Des gifles qui se perdent... (Missing slaps)
More exactly wasted slaps , implying someone ought to be punished such as Damian, for that totally unfunny sketch he must have word so hard at.
Oh, I almost forgot:
Abu Grahib! Abu Grahib!
I meant " worked so hard at".
M. Zmx,
"Wasted slaps". Noted and amended. Merci.
As for the sketch, more exactly illustration, perhaps had I more time, had I worked even harder, it might have been unfunnier still.
As for Abu Grahib! Abu Grahib!, thank you again. My omission. Had the 372nd Military Police only had the benefit of the French slapping recette, well, what a different world this would be.
As for those French slaps, please, how is it that French slaps -- and slaps alone -- are so "productive"? For the sake of cowering terrorists everywhere, M. Zmx, divulge the method. For the sake of Abu Grahib!
Regards,
DGB
