'Justice Department Brings First-Ever Torture Charges'

You're forgiven for thinking that those charges have something to do with what happened at Abu Ghraib or to one of the many victims of the CIA torture flights (those so-called 'extraordinary renditions') that shipped innocent people like Canada's Maher Arar or Germany's Khalid el-Masri to countries like Syria and Afghanistan to be horrendously abused. No, the day Attorney General Alberto 'torture memo' Gonzales decides to lay charges in circumstances that he helped to create will be a cold day in hell indeed.

These charges are being levied against the son of the former Liberian president, Charles Taylor:

Roy M. Belfast Jr., 29, aka Chuckie Taylor, aka Charles Taylor, Jr., aka Charles Taylor II, aka Charles McArther Emmanuel, was charged in an indictment returned today by a federal grand jury in Miami with one count of torture, one count of conspiracy to torture, and one count of using a firearm during the commission of a violent crime. The indictment charges Taylor, son of former Liberian President Charles Taylor, with participating in the torture of an individual on or about July 24, 2002, in and around Monrovia, Liberia. The defendant, who was born in the United States, is alleged to have been serving in his father's government in Liberia at the time of the incident.

According to the indictment, on or about July 24, 2002, the victim was abducted from his home and transported to various locations, finally arriving at the residence of then-Liberian President Taylor. The defendant observed questioning of the victim at this location. The victim was then transported for continued interrogation to the residence of a co-conspirator, who was a member of the Liberian Special Security Service.

According to the indictment, while at this residence, the defendant and others tortured the victim. The torture included repeatedly burning the victim's flesh with a hot iron, burning various parts of his body with scalding water, including forcing the victim to hold scalding water in his hands at gunpoint, repeatedly electrically shocking the victim's genitalia and other body parts, and rubbing salt into the victim's wounds.

"This marks the first time the Justice Department has charged a defendant with the crime of torture," said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. "Crimes such as these will not go unanswered."

"The allegations in this case include acts of torture, such as burning flesh with a hot iron, burning flesh with scalding water, and applying electric shocks," U.S. Attorney Acosta stated. "Such conduct is criminal and constitutes torture and must be prosecuted."

"Today's indictment against Charles 'Chuckie' Taylor marks a key milestone in ICE's longstanding efforts to bring human rights violators to justice," said Assistant Secretary Myers. "This is a clear message that the United States will not be a safe haven for human rights violators."

Unless, of course, that torture has been sanctioned by the United States government.