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CNN Live At Daybreak
Justice Department Investigates Detentions
Aired June 03, 2003 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is being again accused of abusing some detainees after the 9/11 attacks. But this time the criticism is coming from within the government.
Our Kelli Arena has details on the disturbing findings of a Justice Department investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Condor 1 to Pentagon ground.
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Investigating the September 11 attacks presented enormous challenges. Still, the Justice Department's inspector general says that is no excuse for significant problems in how illegal immigrants caught up in the terrorist hunt were treated.
GLENN FINE, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL: The FBI did not take sufficient care to determine which ones were of special interest to their investigation and which ones were not. We also found problems in the pace of the clearance process undertaken by the FBI.
ARENA: As CNN first reported, detainees were held until cleared of a terrorist tie and the new report says that took too long, an average of 80 days. Some detainees held at this federal correctional facility in New York were not told for more than a month why they were in custody. Their access to lawyers was severely limited and some detainees here were physically and verbally abused by guards.
FINE: We found evidence indicating that in some cases detainees were slammed against the wall, that the correctional officers stepped on their chains as they were walking, that some correctional officers bent their fingers and arms back.
ARENA: Some detainees were also subjected to lights on in their cells 24 hours a day for months.
Claims of mistreatment are being investigated but on all other counts, Justice officials insist they acted legally. They point out all 762 detainees referred to in the report were in the United States illegally. In a statement, the Department said, "Our policy is to use all legal tools available to protect innocent Americans from terrorist attacks. We make no apologies for finding every legal way possible to protect the American public."
But critics say the new report confirms the government has gone too far.
ANTHONY ROMERO, ACLU EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: This is a Justice Department that insists it's done nothing wrong. And yet its own internal agency, its own watchdog has now documented rather fully the fact that immigrants' rights were trampled in the aftermath of 9/11.
ARENA: Several former detainees, including this man, Hady Hassan Omar, have filed lawsuits against the government. Critics say the new report provides them ammunition.
(on camera): In fact, sources say that some high level Justice Department officials involved in crafting and implementing the detention policy have been encouraged to obtain their own legal counsel to help defend their actions.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 3, 2003 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Bush administration is being again accused of abusing some detainees after the 9/11 attacks. But this time the criticism is coming from within the government.
Our Kelli Arena has details on the disturbing findings of a Justice Department investigation.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Condor 1 to Pentagon ground.
KELLI ARENA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Investigating the September 11 attacks presented enormous challenges. Still, the Justice Department's inspector general says that is no excuse for significant problems in how illegal immigrants caught up in the terrorist hunt were treated.
GLENN FINE, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT INSPECTOR GENERAL: The FBI did not take sufficient care to determine which ones were of special interest to their investigation and which ones were not. We also found problems in the pace of the clearance process undertaken by the FBI.
ARENA: As CNN first reported, detainees were held until cleared of a terrorist tie and the new report says that took too long, an average of 80 days. Some detainees held at this federal correctional facility in New York were not told for more than a month why they were in custody. Their access to lawyers was severely limited and some detainees here were physically and verbally abused by guards.
FINE: We found evidence indicating that in some cases detainees were slammed against the wall, that the correctional officers stepped on their chains as they were walking, that some correctional officers bent their fingers and arms back.
ARENA: Some detainees were also subjected to lights on in their cells 24 hours a day for months.
Claims of mistreatment are being investigated but on all other counts, Justice officials insist they acted legally. They point out all 762 detainees referred to in the report were in the United States illegally. In a statement, the Department said, "Our policy is to use all legal tools available to protect innocent Americans from terrorist attacks. We make no apologies for finding every legal way possible to protect the American public."
But critics say the new report confirms the government has gone too far.
ANTHONY ROMERO, ACLU EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: This is a Justice Department that insists it's done nothing wrong. And yet its own internal agency, its own watchdog has now documented rather fully the fact that immigrants' rights were trampled in the aftermath of 9/11.
ARENA: Several former detainees, including this man, Hady Hassan Omar, have filed lawsuits against the government. Critics say the new report provides them ammunition.
(on camera): In fact, sources say that some high level Justice Department officials involved in crafting and implementing the detention policy have been encouraged to obtain their own legal counsel to help defend their actions.
Kelli Arena, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
