British army was given "free rein" to torture Eoka suspects

[Kili01]

How is torture defined as being different to interrogation? Both methods are trying to get at the truth. This is particularly important when peoples’ lives may be at stake.

Dee

[William Morris]

By Jean ChristouA military historian, Dr Brian Drohan author of "Brutality in an Age of Human Rights", has revealed that during the Eoka struggle against colonial rule in Cyprus from 1955 to 1959, the British government "had free reign to commit torture with minimal oversight"....

Read the article and chat about it below...

So, going back to the original article (rather than the speculation), I stand by my previous statement that there is no evidence being put forward merely rumours and opinions.

I have read the article and am now chatting about it.

I see nothing in what I have written that warrants your comments, Dominic and Lincoln. There is no need to resort to rudeness.

[Dominic]

Rudeness? Hardly.

[WHL]

I suppose that the nature of Special Branch officers job was to gain intelligence. It is well known among British forces that some Greek Cypriot employees working as drivers for example couldn’t be trusted as they were capable of actually putting the occupants inside transport vehicles at risk by knowingly taking them along routes where an ambush was planned. Maybe there were reasons linked to security which necessitated using robust methods to try to obtain the truth from unwilling detainees.
Dee

Spin it how you want... Its called Torture... not robust,,,Torture

[Jimgward]

How is torture defined as being different to interrogation? Both methods are trying to get at the truth. This is particularly important when peoples’ lives may be at stake.

Dee

I’m totally bemused someone would not understand the difference between continuous questioning, perhaps with sleep deprivation - compared with attaching a care battery to someone’s genitals

[WHL]

I suppose that the nature of Special Branch officers job was to gain intelligence. It is well known among British forces that some Greek Cypriot employees working as drivers for example couldn’t be trusted as they were capable of actually putting the occupants inside transport vehicles at risk by knowingly taking them along routes where an ambush was planned. Maybe there were reasons linked to security which necessitated using robust methods to try to obtain the truth from unwilling detainees.
Dee

How ridiculous is that statement, do you honestly believe the Cypriot driver, chose what route they would take and tell their buddies to ambush the vehicle, Im certain the military would decide which route would be taken.

[WHL]

Sad thing is a couple of members on here are, always banging on about how Cypriots should admit to the evils committed and move on, yet the very same ones, cant even admit to the Torture committed by the Special Branch, and try and sugarcoat it by calling it Robust questioning ....how pathetic.

[WHL]

It's interesting WHL, you constantly make comments in regard to my "preference" for all things UK and the defence of it, in any circumstances, but you refuse to hear anything detrimental about Cyprus. The EOKA campaign was a murdeous campaign of terror against its own citizens, of both ethnic groups, against families of British Service Personnel and against service personnel. They targetted and murdered women, they attacked children, they intimidated, they used schoolchildren to spread ther propaganda and attack infrastructure. They pitted family against family and for what? Independance...no Cyprus would have got that anyway, for enosis, swopping one colonial rule for another, now that's pathetic. If proven, then I hope justice is done, and any acts of torture are acknowledged and apologised for, but I don't think that will be enough because this is all about the money, nothing more. I am sure the relatives of Mrs Catherine Cutliffe, a forces wife, shot dead and her daughter wounded whilst buying a wedding dress would appriciate an apology from the EOKA "veterans" and the Cypriot Government. Perhaps something you could throw into the conversation when talking to your Cypriot " friends", their token expat.. And you wonder why EOKA terrorists were sometimes treated as they were? I know you are not a great fan of history or facts but you should really get yours straight..that's pathetic.

Yet another Pathetic response from you, you clearly don't read my replies, In every post ive made on the Cyprus problem , I have said that every side in the conflict has Blood on its Hands, they all did Evil things, yes including the British, unlike you , I have an open mind, I call Torture ,,,,Torture, not the laughable ''Robust Questioning'' you like to use... so no moral lectures from you...and you really are clueless when it comes to Cyprus History, you just stated Quote '' Independance...no Cyprus would have got that anyway,''
You really should learn some History..... For Britain, Cyprus was a Mediterranean stronghold it had not the slightest intention of relinquishing. Indeed, upgrading its strategic role as soon as British garrisons in the Canal Zone were judged insufficiently secure, the High Command in the Middle East was transferred to the island in 1954. A year later, the colonial secretary – now Conservative – told the Commons that possessions like Cyprus could never expect self-determination...said Lennox-Boyd, the colonial secretary,... So carry on Pontificating, like some later day Pathe news reporter.

[WHL]

So no apology from the Cypriots then? And yes, like Malta they would have gotten their independence in probably in the same time frame, and yes the UK would have still retained its bases, because it would have been negotiated that way. Despite their protestations the Cyprus government understand their presence is benificial to the island, indeed to the safety of the west as an whole. So off you go, back to google...with your "open mind".

You really arnt the sharpest pencil in the box are you? Ive posted many many times that all parties, should own up to their mistakes, APOLOGISE, and move on...you can spin as much as you want, apart from one or two blinkered members on here, most take your spin on any thing Cyprus related with a shovel of salt.

[WHL]

Many many times? Really? Not spin WHL, facts, try them sometime...they might even sharpen your pencil, and lend weight to your "argument"

I’m trying my absolute hardest to see things from your perspective, but I just can’t get my head that far up my ass