Leaked GITMO memo forbade ICRC visits

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WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 (UPI) -- A military manual on the treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, outlines official policy to censor letters, deny Korans and prohibit Red Cross visits.

The 238-page "Camp Delta Standard Operating Procedures Manual" appears on various Web sites and describes policies regarding the use of pepper spray, cavity searches and several scenarios involving visitation rights, the Miami Herald reported Thursday.

Page 91 of the document details four "levels of visitations" regarding international monitors, starting with "No Access: No contact of any kind with the (International Committee of the Red Cross). This includes the delivery of ICRC mail.''

The manual was part of what Pentagon officials describe as a Behavior Management Plan intended to "enhance and exploit the disorientation and disorganization felt by a newly arrived detainee.''

Army Lt. Col. Ed Bush said in the Herald, however, "detention operations … have evolved significantly since 2003," adding that such manuals undergo constant review and all detainees currently have full access to ICRC representatives.