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Justin Liu
Ms.Orloff
English I Pre AP
11 May 2015
The Torture
I remember the day as if it was yesterday; it was the day when I realized the true meaning
of excruciating pain. It was a sunny day without a cloud in sight. It was March 19th, 2003, 2
years after 9/11 when the planes crashed into the twin towers. I was an Arabian village leader
who lived in the peaceful country of Iraq or so I thought . I was 26 years old at the time with a
family of four. I had no idea what was going to come, until I heard the sound of two Black Hawk
helicopters. I remember that day so clearly because I remember the fury and the hatred in the
eyes of those American troops, and the agonizing sight of the village elders, including me, being
taken away against our will. From that moment on my life changed permanently and the sight of
my family would forever vanish--never to be seen again.
It felt like days had passed after I was taken. The Americans treated me terribly, and I
came to realize that I was to become a prisoner. It had been days or so Im told, and I felt as
though I would never see the light of day for the rest of my life. They frequently asked questions
that they already knew the answer to and often hit me for not admitting to have any knowledge
of their questions. As confusing as it was, I was more worried of what would become of myself. I
soon found myself in a vehicle of some kind and we stopped after what seemed to be the longest
ride of my life. The Americans tried their hardest to cover up the fact that I was being

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transported by a plane by using sound proof headphones and a sack on my head, but they could
not cover the smell of jet fuel in the air and the gravity forced against me when we lifted off. I
soon found myself walking again to another vehicle after we landed and to my surprise it was
probably the shortest ride I have ever taken. I couldn't tell where I was until I saw the large sign
painted Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp. Everyone in my country knew what this place was
and this detention camp was not a place to joke around in. From my previous knowledge I knew
that it was a prison camp where extremely dangerous fugitives and war criminals were placed. I
also knew that I didnt belong in such a horrendous place like a prison and I hoped that this was a
mistake.
Every prisoner was placed in a separate cell. I remember that there was not a single week
where my personal life was not invaded. Every week my cell was checked and tossed for
contraband, but that was not the worst of it. I was constantly ripped away from my cell for days
and was interrogated in an unimaginable fashion. I was put in perpetual torture with tools like
barbed wire, broken glass, burned cigarettes, and pepper spray. I also experienced multiple
sexual assaults, stress positions, waterboarding, and also sleep deprivation. For years, I counted
the days I lived in that terrifying prison. The only thing that kept me alive was the thought of my
family and I hoped and waited for the day I would finally be released for the crime I didnt
commit.
It had been four years, according to my home made calendar, and the constant tortures
had finally started to decrease. I had finally been arranged an administrative hearing which I
hoped to gain my freedom from. During my hearing I thought of what I could remember of my

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family, and to my surprise a month later, I was granted my release because of the lack of
evidence to hold me at that dreadful prison. I was then immediately transported to a plane and
was soon on my way back home to Iraq. I was extremely glad to return to my home where my
children and my lovely wife would be eagerly waiting. When we landed, to my surprise, I was
not taken to my home but put to a military camp which would forever be my new home. I was
soon informed that my family had been murdered and I was to be put into the 110th Iraq Rifle
division where I would assist the Americans in fighting Al Qaeda. I was quite emotional for
weeks but I was soon forced to be strong because of the war I was now involved in.
For 10 years of my life I was engaged in constant combat with enemy troops and my life
had changed forever. I climbed from the rank of private all the way to the rank of General and I
helped command Iraq and American troops to defeat Al Qaeda. I soon became the representative
in the United Nations for Iraq and from that moment on I worked on protecting my nation. I also
started helping the innocent prisoners in Guantanamo Bay whose lives have been stripped away
as mine was in the past. I currently help protect my nation's national security and improve the
human rights of those who are imprisoned around the world and try to prevent the torture that
many experienced. Now that I have a voice, I work on preventing people from being tortured and
being seized from their homes. I think it should be strictly illegal and I now work on helping
prisoners stop the horrid interrogations methods across the globe while finding new methods to
gain information on terrorists.