Cool, Carefully Considered Methodical Prolonged&Repeated Subjection of Captives to Physical Torture

[maddezmom]

"Cool, Carefully Considered, Methodical, Prolonged and Repeated Subjection of Captives to Physical Torment, and the Accompanying Psychological Terror"

Marty Lederman


That's the description of the CIA "enhanced interrogation" program by someone who has studied it -- Philip Zelikow, the Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission and, until recently, a close advisor to the Secretary of State. In what the New York Times describes as a "blistering lecture" delivered in April, Zelikow called the program "immoral."

The Times piece brings together at least three interesting stories. The first is the Zelikow lecture. Oddly, the Times story does not disclose where the lecture was delivered, and I have not been able to find it online. (If anyone knows of it . . . .)

The second story is that the Bush Administration is "nearing completion" of a long-delayed executive order that will set the new rules for interrogations by the CIA. According to the story, "the order is expected to ban the harshest techniques used in the past, including the simulated drowning tactic known as waterboarding, but to authorize some methods that go beyond those allowed in the military by the Army Field Manual."

The article states that the Executive Order will be "secret." However, to the extent this order comprises or includes the President's interpretation of Common Article 3's prohibition on "cruel treatment and torture," as contemplated by the Military Commissions Act, section 6(a)((3)(B) of that Act requires that the Executive Order be "published in the Federal Register."

The third story is that the Intelligence Science Board Senior Advisory Group on Educing Information, which advises the Director of National Intelligence and secior leaders in the government inteliigence community, issued a 325-page report last December in which it argues that "the harsh techniques used since the 2001 terrorist attacks are outmoded, amateurish and unreliable":

more:http://balkin.blogspot.com/2007/05/cool-carefully-considered-methodical.html