Bushco's Torturers: "You Could Almost See Their Dicks Getting Hard As They Got New Ideas"

[kpete]

Stress hooding noise nudity dogs

It was the young officials at Guantánamo who dreamed up a list of new aggressive interrogation techniques, inspired by Jack Bauer from the TV series, 24. But it was the politicians and lawyers in Washington who set the ball rolling. Philippe Sands follows the torture trail right to the top
Philippe Sands
The Guardian, Saturday April 19 2008

........

Finally came Category III. These methods were to be used for only a very small percentage of detainees - the most uncooperative (said to be fewer than 3%) and exceptionally resistant individuals - and required approval by the commanding general at Guantánamo. In this category were four techniques: the use of "mild, non-injurious physical contact", such as grabbing, poking and light pushing; the use of scenarios designed to convince the detainee that death or severely painful consequences were imminent for him or his family; exposure to cold weather or water; and, finally, the use of a wet towel and dripping water to induce the misperception of suffocation. This last technique came to be known as water-boarding, described on a chat show by the vice-president, Dick Cheney, as a "dunk in the water" and a "no-brainer" if it could save lives.

The Haynes memo recommended "blanket approval" of 15 of the 18 techniques, including just one of the four techniques listed in Category III: mild, non-injurious physical contact. However, he did not reject the others, nor did he advise that they were contrary to the Geneva conventions. Rumsfeld signed his name next to the word "Approved", and added his comment at the bottom of the page: "I stand for eight to 10 hours a day. Why is standing limited to four hours?" Under Beaver's guidance, a list of ideas slowly emerged. Potential techniques included taking the detainees out of their usual environment, so they didn't know where they were or where they were going; the use of hoods and goggles; the use of sexual tension, which was "culturally taboo, disrespectful, humiliating and potentially unexpected"; creating psychological drama. Beaver recalled that smothering was thought to be particularly effective, and that Dunlavey, who'd been in Vietnam, was in favour because he knew it worked.

The younger men would get particularly agitated, excited even: "You could almost see their dicks getting hard as they got new ideas." A wan smile crossed Beaver's face. "And I said to myself, you know what, I don't have a dick to get hard. I can stay detached."

Beaver confirmed what Dunlavey had told me, that a delegation of senior lawyers came down to Guantánamo well before the list of techniques was sent up to Washington. They talked to the intelligence people, they even watched some interrogations. The message from the visitors was that they should do "whatever needed to be done", meaning a green light from the very top - from the lawyers for Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and the CIA.

more at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/apr/19/humanrights.interrogationtechniques

[alittlelark]

1. 5 rec's and no replys..... I understand - I don't know what to say.

[sakabatou]

2. Where are the arrests? Where are the sentences?

[PerpetuallyDazed]

22. Good question...

"Apart from Beaver's legal input, no one else seemed to have provided any detailed legal advice on the new techniques. It seemed strange that on so important a decision the legal advice of a relatively junior lawyer, with limited experience of these issues, could be definitive. Several months passed before I met Beaver. By then, like Dunlavey, she was being sued in American courts, although the cases were later dropped."

[TheWatcher]

3. We Are The Nazis Now.

How much longer are we going to stand for this?

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. What would a Gallup poll on say about how people truly feel about this

People on this website typically care because of their beliefs and, frankly, because they hate the administration generally

Ex-mil types, especially older ex-mil types, think that the behavior is dishonorable.

If any of this were being done to our troops, there would be screaming from the rafters.

Having said that, I'd hypothesize the majority of poll responses (if you could get honest responses) would range from "outright approval" ("they do it to us -- we should do it back" "any means necessary to stop another 9-11" "what do want us to do, serve them breakfast in bed and tuck them in at night?") to "indifference" ("man, all I know is gas is 3.38 a gallon and they're cutting back at work") to weak disapproval ("It's a shame the war has been mismanaged, but Bush will be gone soon")

We still live in a nation where people believe, with certainty, that if America does it, it must be right. Do we have bad incidents -- sure, Abu Graib, My Lai -- but most people choose to believe that these were the failings of a few bad individuals, not the institutionalized, criminal behavior of our nation.

[TheWatcher]

9. Sadly, your hypothesis is quite likely correct.

And to sum up your analysis, I suppose you could say.....In a nutshell.....

We Also Thought We Were Free.

[Bonobo]

7. And it only took the Twin Towers to do it.

Fuck, Germany went through a hell of a lot more before turning into Nazis.

[ColbertWatcher]

13. And, will we allow...

...our GOP neighbors, family or friends to let it continue?

McCain recanted his position on U.S. law regarding what is and what isn't torture, despite his own experiences.

America cannot permit a man they cannot trust to lead us four years further down this road.

[Fumesucker]

4. The sad part is..

No matter who becomes president in November, these acts will not be investigated or prosecuted.

[alfredo]

6. I hope there are prosecutors waiting for their chance to take on the

junta. If they get away with it, America will never win back the world's trust.

[Kurovski]

8. K&R. (nt)

[JeffR]

10. K & R

[Hekate]

11. KnR. There are just no words. nt

[Solly Mack]

12. K&R and justice for none

[Hubert Flottz]

14. I'm glad the truth is starting to leak out.

How are these people different from the GESTAPO?

"WE" have become "THEM" thanks to the GOPstapo...

[Prophet 451]

15. I think I'm gonna throw up

I just... I don't even have the words.

[SeattleGirl]

16. I didn't even read the whole thing, but already I want the fuckers who

ordered this inhumane shit to face trial and get their fucking ASSES thrown in jail! :nuke: :grr: :nuke: :grr: :nuke:

[SpiralHawk]

17. US republicon corporate media: "Move along. Nothing to see here."

"...and now for the latest on why Obama does not wear a republicon homelander made-in-China lapel pin."

- US republicon corporate media

[Echo In Light]

20. I work around numerous people daily, and hear very little concern...

...or acknowledgment of what's occurring, even on a basic level. Whose fucking whom, and endless discussion of sports hero worship dominate the collective conversation. Deer in the headlights...

[jeff30997]

41. What a great pic!

"A picture is worth a thousand words". So true.

[Senator]

18. And Impeachophobes Have Become The WH "Fluffers" n/t

[Diclotican]

19. This is Disgusting... plain and simple

Diclotican

[NNN0LHI]

21. This is no surprise and you can be sure the Retugs are passing out DVDs to their big donors too

[truth2power]

25. Sexual sadism. Necrophilia. It's much worse than we can even imagine...

Don, I know you're aware of all this, but for those, here, who aren't...

I responded to another thread, in the wee hours several nights ago. No one replied to my comment, but I'm going to say it again. This isn't about torture, per se. It's about sexual sadism, necrophilia and, I wouldn't be surprised, the making of what amount to "snuff films".

That picture sticks in my mind - Lyndie England (I think) giving the thumbs-up, a broad smile, her face inches from the rotting face of the corpse of a "detainee". Christ Almighty!!! Those of you who were in Vietnam, or who know more about WWII than I...did this kind of thing happen to our prisoners back then??

That British comic (late-night, following Letterman) commenting last week about the Torture Memo: "Cheney was sitting in the back of the room, masturbating." Ha ha. Audience gave him a BIG laugh. Think. Why would he say this if he didn't know it would resonate with his audience? People know...or they suspect.

Furthermore...everyone here should beg or borrow a copy of Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine". If nothing else, go to Border's and read Chapter 1, "The Torture Lab: Ewen Cameron, the CIA and the Maniacal Quest to Erase and Remake the Human Mind." It details the HIDEOUS things the CIA did to American citizens in the 50s, under MKUltra. Read about, or Google, KUBARK, the CIA Interrogation Manual (also included in the aforementioned chapter).

This is the model for what CheneyBush is doing to people, at Gitmo and elsewhere. And it is truly hideous. The difference, today, is that they're enjoying it more, if you know what I mean.

From "Shock Doctrine": "Many languish in Guantanamo. Mamdouh Habib, an Austrailian who was incarcerated there, has said that 'Guantanamo Bay is an experiment...and what they experiment in is brainwashing'. Indeed, in the testimonies, reports and photographs that have come out of Guantanamo, it is as if the Allan Memorial Institute {at McGill University, where the experiments were conducted} of the 1950s had been transported to Cuba. When first detained, prisoners are put into intense sensory deprivation, with hoods, blackout goggles and heavy headphones to block out all sound. They are left in isolation cells for months, taken out only to have their senses bombarded with barking dogs, strobe lights and endless loops of babies crying, music blaring and cats meowing."

"For many prisoners, the effects of these techniques have been much the same as they were at the Allan in the fifties: total regression. One released prisoner, a British citizen, told his lawyers that there is now an entire section of the prison, Delta Block, reserved for 'at least fifty' detainees who are in permanently delusional states."

snip>

Sabin Willett, a lawyer who represents several Guantanamo prisoners, warned that if the situation continued, 'You're going to have an insane asylum.'" (pp. 44-45)

THE SICK FUCKS WHO ARE PREPETRATING THESE ACTS MUST BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE. SOMEHOW. SOME WAY!!!



EDIT> Added closed quote after "brainwashing".

[Fumesucker]

29. That wasn't Lynndie England..

Giving the "thumbs up"..

It was Sabrina Harman.

[truth2power]

33. Thanks for correcting that. And for posting the picture. I couldn't find it. eom

[jeff30997]

40. What a sick bitch!

She reminds me of those two Nazi maniacs:

"Irma Grese apparently gave orders to other soldiers asking them to remove the breasts of Jewish and gypsy women in the camps (6) or to ask that specific women be gazed or killed for her so that she could collect their skins. Irma made lampshades, bookcovers, and other household items from the human skins of the prisoners at Auschwitz "


"Ilse Koch was known as the "Bitch of Buchenwald." Since her husband was also a SS worker at the camp, she would sometimes bring her dogs and have them attack the women prisoners. She was said to ride around on a horse and chose specific prisoners to be gassed, especially those which had elaborate tattoos (1).

After the prisoners were killed, Koch would take their skins and tan and leather them. She collected the human skins, turning them into gloves, lampshades, book covers, furniture in her home and other household and clothing items "

The frightening thing is that anybody can become a monster given the right environment.

This study is pretty famous:

"The Stanford Prison Experiment...classic psychology experiment, including parallels with the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib..."

"The Stanford prison experiment was a psychological study of what it meant to be a prisoner and a prison guard, psychologically. The experiment was conducted in 1971 by a team of researchers led by psychologist Philip Zimbardo at Stanford University. Twenty four undergraduates were selected out of 70 to play the roles of both guards and prisoners and live in a mock prison in the basement of the Stanford psychology building. The students who were assigned to be the prisoners were paid $15 dollars a day as an incentive.

Prisoners and guards rapidly adapted to their roles, stepping beyond the boundaries of what had been predicted and leading to dangerous and psychologically damaging situations. One-third of the guards were judged to have exhibited "genuine" sadistic tendencies, while many prisoners were emotionally traumatized and two had to be removed from the experiment early. Finally, Zimbardo terminated the experiment because he didn't have enough subjects to analyze their behavior after six of the original 18 prisoners dropped out due to extreme emotional stress."

The bastards at the top who make this kind of environment possible to exist are truly the most guilty.

Rot in hell Rumsfeld.

[Outraged As Usual]

47. My Dad confirmed what you said..

My Dad, now 86, told me the story about being a WW2 medic and being there at Buchenwald as soon as the Russians secured it and we arrived. He was sent to help with medical needs for the prisoners. He told me all about seeing with his own eyes the human skin trinkets that the ' Bitch ' kept and piles of bodies...inhumanity on steroids. He only talked about it once, and hardly ever discussed anything about the War, except to say " Son, don't any of those nut's ever tell you it didn't happen...I saw it with my own eye's.". Thats good enough for me.

When all human kindness has been banished from a soul, terrible things always result. What a shame that so many of these madmen end up in positions to use us as victims in their horrible games and schemes.God help us all.

[jeff30997]

49. Your father really saw hell on earth.

That is really sad.I have goosebumps right now.:scared:

P.S:Welcome to DU.

[NNN0LHI]

42. The scariest part of that pic is how normal Sabrina Harman appears to be

Baseball, apple pie, mom, and a tortured body on ice.

Makes me proud to be Mercan.

Don

[Gonnuts]

45. ...did this kind of thing happen to our prisoners back then??

All wars are worse than hell - yes in every war you will witness things of nightmares. In Nam it was cutting off their ears for trophies. Rape was common place, throwing suspected VC from helicopters, or just Google My Lia - it's why you'll find that those who have been through war are the ones that want to avoid it the most - and while you'll find these torturing, coward, chicken-hawks the ones who want to start them.

And for anyone that thinks C. Powell is some kind of "hero" just look-up the part he played in My Lia - this despicable piece of slime plays "Mr. Above-it-all" and he's the worst of the worst.

Piss on all these bastards and if all of us don't call every office every day, write letters and emails, get out on the street every chance we get, and DEMAND indictments, you aren't worth anymore than these cretins.

[undergroundpanther]

48. I fear

It will have to come to an accurate as possible detection of who's a psychopath authoritarian personality ,a 'war' against the so called"alpha" types the bullies,and maybe even killing them off,seeking them out,in low and high places,removing them until their toxic abusive personality type is once again rare and not tolerated by the populace in general because they are educated on psychopathy and manipulation and know what these people with no consciences are capable of doing.

[spanone]

23. what must a president do to get I M P E A C H E D?????

[Bluebear]

26. Receive oral sex. nt

[tuckessee]

24. Who are these torturers? Military? CIA? Contractors? n/t

[jeff30997]

43. Simply human beings.

We truly are sick monkeys.

[riderinthestorm]

27. Stay detached??!! WTF?!

:nuke: :nuke: :nuke:

[lonestarnot]

28. Detached heads.

:puke:

[Martin Eden]

30. Condi's too?

Just askin'

[Uncle Joe]

31. Maybe if you had a magnifying glass. n/t

[City Lights]

32. No surprise that a serious article like this comes from the Guardian.

The mediawhores in this country have so many other pressing issues to cover, none of which need mentioning here. :argh:

I can't find the words to describe what I'm feeling right now.

Recommended and bookmarked.

[fascisthunter]

34. Sickos

[indepat]

35. Have proffered on DU board from day-one "they torture 'cause they like it": for some an exciting new

way to get one's dick hard. Rest my case. :D

[bow-tie]

36. The writer's

of "24" should be real proud of themselves along with Sutherland. Even though they may or may not have known that the show was entering an "actuality" phase I wonder if Bush actually contacted the show for pointers?

[Divine Discontent]

37. fascist evil bastards....

nothing else to say.

[The Backlash Cometh]

38. That is so sad.

[pleah]

39. K&R

[jeff30997]

44. K&R

[Cant trust em]

46. Thank you foreign press

No U.S. papers would have the guts to print this.

[jeff30997]

50. Nope.

The US MSM are in the entertainment business,not journalism.Mc-Pravda indeed.

[guyanakoolaid]

51. The title of the OP is unfairly sexist.

Condi was getting nipple hard-ons while torture techniques were being discussed, not a boner. Her operation isn't complete yet.