US 'dark side' raised in Pakistani scientist case

[DogPoundPup]

Source: Yahoo / AFP

The "dark side" of US counter-terrorism took center stage in the court case of a mentally ill Pakistani woman accused of attacking US officers in Afghanistan.

The New York federal judge in the case of Aafia Siddiqui highlighted defense allegations that Siddiqui was abducted and tortured by US or allied forces prior to extradition from Afghanistan on attempted-murder charges in August.

Siddiqui, 36, is undergoing psychiatric treatment at a government center in Texas and, according to her lawyer, suffers hallucinations featuring her dead or missing children.

Judge Richard Berman on Monday said the preliminary evaluation showed Siddiqui unfit to stand trial.

On Wednesday, he called for more information regarding allegations that the accused, once a high-flying, US-trained neuroscientist, vanished in 2003 and was held in secret captivity for five years.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081120/wl_sthasia_afp/uspakistanafghanistanattacksjusticerights_081120051106

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[xchrom]

2. recommend

[alfredo]

3. No matter how she got in that state, she needs help not prison.

[ancient_nomad]

4. This case is very strange.....

have you been following it? I have saved some posts here at DU about her, and will include them for anyone who is interested.

Post by BareNakedLiberal: Siddiqui arrest brings attention to the 'disappeared' issue in Pakistan
http://tinyurl.com/6mf7g9

Post by madeline_con: Woman Sought By FBI Reportedly Arrested In Pakistan 4/3/2003
http://tinyurl.com/6myayz

Post by RamboLiberal: Alleged Mata Hari of Al Qaeda Could Provide 'Treasure Trove' of Intelligence
http://tinyurl.com/62somp

Post by leftchick: "The mystery of Aafia Siddiqi", Woman Detainee Tortured by US!
http://tinyurl.com/5o54hk
This post by leftchick is a must read.

This story makes me very curious. I hope the truth about what really happened to her comes out however ugly it is. BTW, what ever happened to her children??? They were with her when she was kidnapped. Are they imprisoned too?

[D-Lee]

5. Wikipedia amply summarizes known information

FYI: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aafia_Siddiqui

Here is the Department of Justice press release reporting how she came into custody: http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/August/08-nsd-687.html

No substantive comment one way or the other but it all sounds very strange ...

[davidthegnome]

6. The more I read...

the uglier this looks:

"Dr Aafia Siddiqui refused to appear in a New York court on Thursday, September 4th 2008, in protest against the humiliating treatment to which she is being subjected and because of her traumatised physical, mental and emotional condition. Her lawyer, Fink, gave the court a chilling description of the strip searches that Siddiqui is being made to endure every time she is visited, even by her lawyer. She refused to appear in court because she did not want to be subjected to the torture and humiliation of another strip search. Siddiqui's 10-year old son Muhammad Ahmed was handed over by Afghan authorities in Kabul in September 2008 to Pakistani officials in Islamabad at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport."

What the hell is going on here?

[davidthegnome]

7. This one is getting my Irish up

All this vague bull shit from twits like Ashcroft about her being potentially connected to those potentially guilty of potential crimes. Then the differing stories from the Afghani police and the military... shit.

Who ever is responsible for this woman's condition ought to be hanged.

[Joe Chi Minh]

8. K&R