Israeli Shin Beth to describe torture in US courtroom Monday

The US government has charged Muhammed Salah a used car dealer from suburban Bridgeview, with supporting terrorism, largely based on confessions he made in Israel in 1993. In a federal court hearing Friday, Salah contended he was tortured into confessing.

Salah is free on bond and left court Friday afternoon following a several hour hearing to determine whether the signed confession from 1993 will be allowed as evidence during his trial this October.

"We are not going to allow this kind of evidence. We have a Constitution, we have a Bill of Rights, we have a sense of fairness. That is what we're going to focus on," said Robert Bloom, Salah's lawyer.

Late Friday afternoon (3rd March) Judge St. Eve announced that the Salah confession hearing will go forward on Monday, with secret testimony by two Israeli Police who interrogated Salah back in 1993.

When Salah returns to court on Monday, some of the Israeli police who questioned him for 53 days will not be seen. They will be allowed to testify in a closed courtroom. They will be asked about the Shabak technique, which was widely used and accepted by Israeli police, including the hooded detainment of suspected Hamas members, the short-legged kindergarten chair that suspects would be handcuffed to, the kicking and beating across the groin and chest, and what was known as the painful frog crouch.

Many times the Shabak technique would continue for days or weeks.

"Israel's GSS interrogators have tortured thousands of detainees intentionally inflicting severe pain and suffering," said Ali Abunimah, Arab-American Action Network. "The United States government has chosen to make secret evidence of Israeli and evidence of torture of Mr. Salah. We think it's a very serious program particularly since the Bush administration continues to engage in torture and tries to keep it secret around the world," said Steven Saltzman, Center for Constitutional Rights.

More at Chicago7 TV here Curiously the rest of the US media are silent on this matter.... although at one time there was some excitement that Judith Miller witnessed the interrogations of Salah (arranged by Mr Itzhak Rabin) ... but that would be a gross and heinous libel. See more at Huffington Post Sept 2005 here