When the U.S. media holds debates about the state using torture to gather evidence or intelligence, the questions tend to be framed hypothetically, as if it is a practice the government might possibly resort to in the future. Robert Pallitto’s collection of official documents destroys this misperception. In reality, torture has been used by government actors in the United States since colonial times.
The United States continues to ignore the thwarted Arab Spring in Bahrain. Recently, a quasi-military court in the small Gulf state sentenced 20 doctors and nurses to up to 15 years in jail. The charge against them? Treating injured demonstrators opposing the regime.
The Romans had an expression for it: “Nulla poena sine lege,” no punishment without a law. But people sometimes forget that the opposite is also true: Without punishment for offenders, a law itself can die.
It’s a macabre charade,
one night in the secret
theater of Abu Ghraib.
The anklets are shackles.
In another, a leashed
dog — loud, black,
and snarling — takes
center stage.
The day after Barack Obama took office, he signed a series of executive orders mandating the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as the global network of secret, CIA-run “black site” prisons. In addition, he committed the United States to observe the Geneva Conventions and the Convention Against Torture. More than two years later, the Obama administration has not followed through on most of these promises, even reversing several commitments.
Attempts by members of the Bush administration to link bin Laden’s death to intelligence gained through torture reek of desperation.
Though Abu Zubaydah was rejected by al Qaeda and is mentally ill, he’s been detained at Guantanamo for nine years with no plans to review his case.
Which is worse: drone strikes or torture?
The International Committee of the Red Cross concluded that the Indian government condoned torture to gain control of Kashmir.
Its uniqueness and unreality render it useless as a justification for torture. Perfect for a movie, though.