This series of video images shows a typical prison cell extraction of Jose Padilla, an alleged al-Qaeda operative who faces federal terrorism charges after being declared an “enemy combatant” by President George W. Bush. The photos, taken from an unclassified Department of Defense video shot at the Navy brig in Charleston, S.C., show some of the precautions taken by officers (who are dressed in camouflage and riot gear) when transporting the 36-year-old Padilla. After cuffing Padilla’s feet and hands–which the detainee had to stick through openings in his cell door–officers removed him from the cell and placed blackout goggles and headphones on Padilla. Padilla’s counsel included the seven images as an exhibit to a U.S. District Court filing arguing that he has been subjected to torture and unduly harsh treatment since his incarceration in 2002. Padilla’s lawyers claim that his mistreatment has included “isolation; sleep and sensory depravation; hoodings; stress positions; exposure to noxious fumes; exposure to temperature extremes; threats of imminent execution; assaults; the forced administration of mind-altering substances [LSD & PCP, according to NPR]; denial of religious practices; manipulation of diet; and other forms of mistreatment.”
THE SMOKING GUN: Jose Padilla Is An American Citizen, Repeat AMERICAN CITIZEN