3 posts tagged “torture”

Animal farm

Watching the Lehrer News Hour and reading various blogs of late it appears the US is locked in furious debate over how to deal with the breaking of the Geneva Convention and other presumed misdeeds by George W Bush Junior‘s Administration.

It’s certainly a tricky problem with lots of light and shade but it also has a bit of scaremongering being generated by folk who have a lot to lose.

The first non-issue is the claim that folk following orders will be prosecuted. Hardly likely and it smacks of desperation. There are much better defences than this line. Obama himself has said they will not be chasing down the torturers (oops. I mean interrogators). The focus will be higher up the chain of command.

Another is that anyone who knew of the particularly offensive decisions, like Speaker Pelosi, can be held accountable. That’s a long bow to draw considering these folk aren’t the decision makers, but at least this is a more complex argument than the first one. The tactic here is fear and aimed at the enthusiastic Senators. If you can scare enough of them you might get the numbers to fend off the investigation.

These tactics aside, there are a number of important matters raised about the previous Administration that require urgent attention but caution needs to be exercised.

Firstly, the claim that torture revealed valuable, actionable information. As unpleasant as it is, this has to be examined closely to see if this is just spin. It’s commonly claimed that torture doesn’t work and if this claim is found to have substance then the debate can move on to which tactics prove most effective. Considering the CIA’s record of burning tapes and lying to Congress, these claims may well prove to be a fabrication.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, with so many folk from the previous Administration confused about the definition of torture, the US needs to think about that definition and make it clear that such confusion will not be tolerated. The damage it has done to the country’s security is immense. In this area heads must roll or the next bunch of cowboys in control will ignore the rules.

But having said that some thought has to be exercised when it comes to the photos showing torture. The Abu Ghraib photos went straight to recruitment posters and it would be a tragedy to hand Bin Laden a free shot at building up his forces.

The previous Administration showed a stunning lack of thought when it came to protecting the country and even to this day seem oblivious to the damage they have done to the US overall. Locking down the responsibilities of an Administration with penalties that apply in the US would seem to be essential in preventing another casual approach to Administrative responsibilities.

Politicians would do well to remember the trouble faced by Augusto Pinochet when visiting Margaret Thatcher in the UK and ending up spending 17 months in detention. Every Government should face the real risk of having to take responsibility for their actions or indeed inaction otherwise we may as well be living in an old Monarchy.  

It’s the pigs in Animal Farm all over again.

This item took a bit of finding but the Washington Post web site has it covered.

In a glimmer of sanity, a number of retired military officers is seeking to undo the Bush damage by rolling back the US policy that allows torture. They are seeking to return the US to the moral high ground and draw some unneeded heat out of the Middle East.

I hope the President Elect is listening. A few less folk seeking to kill Americans must be a good thing. I still can't fathom why Bush couldn't work it out but at least Obama appears to be a thinker. With any luck intelligence will out.

Check it out here