Former boyband star Kian Egan admitted a Westlife song on repeat would “crack” anyone – after it was claimed to have been used to torture prisoners.
The Voice of Ireland coach spoke out after allegations the band’s song My Love was played on repeat by the CIA to torment captives in Afghanistan.
The victims of torture were reportedly played heavy metal music on repeat at high volumes with Westlife’s song interjected inbetween.
“If we’re talking about [playing it] repeatedly, it probably only took about two hours to actually crack the poor guy with that one,” he said.
Crack: Kian admitted a Westlife song would “crack” anyone after being played constantly for two hours | VIPIRELAND.COM
Speaking on the Eoghan McDermott show on 2fm, the Sligo native received criticism from listeners for slating his own song.
“I am only trying to shed a bit of light on the subject and have a bit of fun about it all,” he admitted.
“Look I’m a heavy metal fan as well, I listen to Metallica on repeat. Heavy metal and boybands are two extremes of music, you can understand why they were used.”
The claim comes after the technique was mentioned in a report by human rights organisation the American Civil Liberties Union who are suing two psychologists contracted by the CIA in the Middle East.
Shed light: Kian admitted he was only trying to shed light on the subject | VIPIRELAND.COM
The ACLU filed the lawsuit against James Elmer Mitchell and John “Bruce” Jessen on behalf of three of the programme’s victims – Suleiman Abdullah Salim, Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud, and the family of the late Gul Rahman who died while in the custody of the CIA.
“The CIA used the music of an Irish boyband called Westlife to torture Suleiman Abdullah in Afghanistan,” the statement on the organisation’s website said.
“His interrogators would intersperse a syrupy song called My Love with heavy metal, played on repeat at ear-splitting volume.
“They told Suleiman, a newly-wed fisherman from Tanzania, they were playing the love song especially for him,” they write.
Westlife: Westlife’s song is claimed to be used as a CIA torture technique
“Suleiman had married his wife Magida only two weeks before the CIA and Kenyan agents abducted him in Somalia, where he had settled while fishing and trading around the Swahili Coast.
“He would never see Magida again. The music pounded constantly as part of a scheme to assault prisoners’ senses,” the statement added.
“It stopped only when a CD skipped or needed changing. When that happened, prisoners would call to one another in a desperate attempt to find out who was being held alongside them.”
