US sets stage for King Hamamd’s government appointed “Investigation Committee”

U.S. ends most CIA abuse cases, to probe two deaths
By James Vicini

WASHINGTON | Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:00pm EDT

(Reuters) – A prosecutor will conduct a full criminal investigation into the CIA’s handling of two prisoners who died in U.S. custody, but about 100 other cases of alleged mistreatment by the CIA were closed, Attorney General Eric Holder said on Thursday.

Holder said he accepted the recommendations from Justice Department prosecutor John Durham, who has been conducting an inquiry into harsh CIA interrogation practices of terrorism suspects during George W. Bush’s presidency.

Holder said Durham examined possible CIA prisoner abuses in the interrogation of 101 prisoners in U.S. custody after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and determined that only the two deaths required further criminal investigation.

Holder in his statement did not give details about the two individuals who died in U.S. custody.

But a U.S. official said one case involved the 2003 death of a prisoner, Manadel al-Jamadi, at the Abu Grab prison in Iraq while the other case involved the 2002 death of an Afghan, Gul Rahman, at a secret CIA prison, known as the Salt Pit, north of Kabul in Afghanistan. He froze to death.

The Bush administration came under widespread criticism from human rights groups, lawmakers and some U.S. allies for mistreatment and abuse of prisoners after September 11, including harsh interrogations and waterboarding of terrorism suspects. …more