Confronting the Truth about Torture (NATION)

[laststeamtrain]

Confronting the Truth about Torture

Jonathan Blitzer
Fri Aug 25, 1:38 PM ET

The Nation -- It is when he reads about the repeated cuts--short, calculated incisions--that Moroccan authorities savagely inflicted on his brother's genitals, that he begins to break down. We are listening to the brother of Binyam Mohamed--an Ethiopian national living in Britain "disappeared" in April 2002 and transferred among black-sites in Afghanistan and Morocco before descending on Guantánamo Bay, where he remains imprisoned without charges. His brother (who requested anonymity) reads from Binyam's diary, which managed to make its way from Guantánamo to his family. He gives voice to his brother's words: "It was an agony, trying desperately to suppress my feelings. But I was screaming. There was blood all over..."

Human rights advocates estimate that since September 11, 2001 hundreds, possibly thousands, of others have been subjected to the system of detention and rendition--called collectively, extraordinary rendition-- employed by the Central Intelligence Agency. Binyam and a German citizen Khaled El-Masri, who was recently released after a five months of interrogation, torture, and isolation, make up the core of Outlawed. The film is the work of Witness, an American human rights group with national and international affiliates that uses video advocacy to reach and empower viewers around the world. Outlawed, released this June, is one of Witness's latest efforts.

A couple of years ago, Americans may have claimed simply that they hadn't known what the its government was doing in their names. But since 2004, evidence--both reported in the news media and in testimony from former detainees--has steadily mounted. Yet despite the indisputable facts of a blatantly immoral policy, the issue of extraordinary rendition has not seemed to generate widespread attention or outrage in the US.

"I'm surprised at how little traction the stories will get," explained Aziz Huq, associate counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. "Arer, El-Masri--these stories get little press. People tend to look at these stories and think 'this is not us.'"

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20060825/cm_thenation/20060911torture

[LynnTheDem]

1. Germans claimed they didn't know what their government was doing

And guess what the USA said about that at the Nuremburg Tribunals?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

2. What the hell have we become?

[LynnTheDem]

3. "become"??? Ask the 30,000 civilians killed by US-sponsored

terrorism in Nicaragua. Oh, can't...they're dead.

How did we come to having the USA in the first place? Oh yeah...by one of the largest genocides in human history.

There's hardly a nation on the planet that America hasn't killed innocent men, women & babies.

It isn't what we've become; it's what we've been for many decades. Only now more Americans are finally hearing about it.

Now ya know just why they hate us.

[Monkeyman]

4. Its not what we have become

Its what has Bush,Rummy and Rove become Enemies of the State

[Briar]

5. Every single person

British, American, whoever, who approves of the use of torture and thinks there is an excuse for it (Alan Dershowitz included) is responsible.

We supposedly live in democracies. If that is true, we are responsible for their policies.

[Cobalt-60]

8. Torture is ineffective

Prisoners talk better in the comfy chair. Especially when they think they're talking to each other.
The British learned that during World War 2.
The industrial scale use of torture employed by Republicans gives heart to our enemies and saps our righteous ardor.
If soldiers know their enemy practices torture, they'll fight much harder.
Torture of civilians mass produces enemies of the state for generations to come.
Even if I could bring it to a halt our reputation has been destroyed.

[Cobalt-60]

7. Moving against them effectively would require

something on the order of a "people's army".
We'll get just that if a draft is executed.
This fall be be the turning point, one way or another.
We know everyone wants these assholes gone.
If they cheat their way to victory this time, we need to take decisive action.
Mexican Style.
If they cheat and lose, that's not quite so bad.

[rodeodance]

6. i actually think a large number of people think torture is nec to be

safe. and as much as i am not a fan of McCain, people have not heeded his warnings.