What a sad, horrifying account of man's inhumanity to man, and in this scenario, our country's all too expert torture of our Guatanamo prisoners. The prisoner-artist, Abu Zubaydah, who managed to tell his story through his own graphic illustrations, was all the more effective because he was singled out owing to a case of mistaken identity.

It was hard to make myself to get through it, but I felt a responsibility to read and look through his drawings and verbal commentary because my country committed these crimes against humanity. I'm also fascinated to consider the reality that without his drawings (he managed to get them to his lawyer) no one would have been forced to face these crimes. Art as potent self-defense!

That's because contrary to international law, the videos and documentation recorded by the torturers (and those who came up with the plans for how to abuse the prisoners) were deliberately destroyed.

In this instance, the historic all-too imaginative torture, would never have been exposed to we citizens of the country responsible. I find myself trying to think of ways to propagandize (perhaps not right term) the torture and ways to use this expose to come up with better international laws and standards for interrogation to limit inflicting such horrors - also to insure prisoners are accused before being subjected to such approaches. Ways in this nightmare situation, to do whatever possible to help the victims heal to the minimal degree it might be possible, especially those innocently accused.

Also, publicity might help to come up with standards for interrogations, how to treat prisoners of War.

I was especially interested in what was committed in that I am uniquely involved with what was done, in several capacities: as an American, as an American-Israeli, as an artist and because of having been trained as a psychologist.

Israel admittedly tortures prisoners to extract information from known terrorists to try to protect their citizens. I'm also fascinated as an artist to contemplate that this horrifically abused prisoner (innocent too!) was able to use his talent to expose the torture US policy-makers inflicted on our prisoners - also, to consider the fact that trained psychologists designed the modalities of torture used against our prisoners.

As someone affiliated in effect with these various identities however distanced, I feel a sense of responsibility to do what I can to spread this information of what was done on our behalf. (That is, if only to write to the Guardian and other media, in a position to publicize news about these hitherto hidden secrets, hopefully to contribute influence to public policies lobbying against against such inhumanities. Also, to establish limits to what professional psychologists can do in the service of warfare.

Thank you wtg, for posting this expose however shameful and sickening it is (much as it's almost unthinkable to contemplate such things as arriving at legal limits to torture and limits to war weaponry).