The War On Terror. America’s Use of Torture in War (Part 1).
Russia Is A Terrorist State: Part 2 (2000s)
The War On Terror. America’s Use of Torture in War (Part 1).
“Abu Ghraib 35. 11:16 p.m., Nov. 7, 2003. CPL GRANER pulls a closed fist back, as he cradles a detainee in his left arm. [Detainee name deleted] is detainee with writing on leg wearing the white underwear. SOLDIER(S): CPL GRANER. All caption information is taken directly from CID materials. U.S. Army / Criminal Investigation Command (CID). Seized by the U.S. Government” under public domain by The U.S. Government.
The War on Terror, which began after the September 11, 2001 attacks, was marked by the use of controversial interrogation methods, including torture and waterboarding. These techniques were used to gather information from prisoners, but their effectiveness and legality have been widely debated. The treatment of prisoners during the War on Terror was criticized by human rights organizations, and reports of abuse and torture fueled a global debate on the use of these methods in the fight against terrorism.
In 2002, a charity report claimed that prisoners' treatment was "bordering on torture." The report, published in NIH PubMed, accused the US government of mistreating prisoners and called for an end to the use of torture. The report was followed by an ABC News article, which asked whether torture was a tool in the War on Terror. The article explored the use of waterboarding, a technique in which water is poured over a cloth placed over the prisoner's face, causing the prisoner to feel like they are drowning. The article also discussed the use of other enhanced interrogation techniques, including sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, and stress positions.
In August 2002, ABC News published an article asking whether torture was a tool in the War on Terror. The article noted that the use of torture had been banned by international law for over 50 years and that the United States had previously condemned other countries for using torture. The article suggested that the United States was now engaging in practices that it had previously criticized, raising questions about the country's moral standing in the world.
In December 2002, The Washington Post reported on the U.S. government's defense of enhanced interrogation techniques. The report noted that government officials had argued that these techniques were necessary to obtain information that could prevent future attacks. However, the report also noted that some experts believed that these techniques were ineffective and that they could lead to false confessions.
A January 2003 article in The Economist asked whether torture was ever justified. The article noted that the use of torture was a controversial issue that divided opinion, even among those who agreed on the need to prevent terrorist attacks. The article argued that the use of torture could be morally and legally justifiable in certain circumstances, such as when there was a clear and imminent threat to national security.
In May 2003, The Guardian reported on the use of music by Metallica as an interrogation tactic. The report noted that detainees at Guantanamo Bay had been subjected to loud music for extended periods, sometimes for several days in a row. The report highlighted the psychological impact of such tactics, suggesting that they could be a form of torture.
In October 2003, The Atlantic published an in-depth article on the dark art of interrogation. The article explored the history of interrogation techniques and the science behind them. The article noted that the use of physical abuse was not effective in obtaining reliable information and that psychological techniques were more effective.
“9:42 p.m., Nov. 4, 2003. Detainee with bag overhead carrying an MRE box. Suspected to be the same detainee seen in later photos standing on box with wires attached. U.S. Army / Criminal Investigation Command (CID). Seized by the U.S. Government” under public domain by The U.S. Government.
In March 2004, the BBC reported on complaints by the Tipton Three, a group of British detainees who claimed that they had been beaten and subjected to other forms of abuse while in U.S. custody. The report noted that the allegations were part of a wider pattern of abuse of prisoners in U.S. custody.
In May 2004, NBC News reported that the Pentagon had approved tough questioning methods for use on detainees. The report noted that these methods included the use of stress positions, sleep deprivation, and other forms of physical and psychological abuse. The report also noted that these techniques had been used on detainees at Guantanamo Bay and other detention centers.
In the same month, The New Yorker published an article on the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib. The article included graphic photographs that showed U.S. soldiers abusing and humiliating detainees. The article highlighted the role of military and government officials in condoning these practices.
Also in May 2004, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) called for an end to the torture of prisoners in America as well as in Iraq. The ACLU noted that the United States had a responsibility to uphold the rule of law and to respect the human rights of all detainees.
The use of dogs as a tool for interrogation was the subject of an NPR article in June 2004. The article described the use of dogs to intimidate prisoners and cited a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross that criticized the use of dogs as a form of psychological torture. The article fueled the debate on the ethics of using animals as a tool for interrogation. The same month, a report by the United Nations Human Rights Commission urged steps to end abuses in Iraq. The report criticized the United States for failing to provide access to prisoners in its custody and for its use of force, including the use of deadly force, against unarmed civilians.
“Photo of prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison, Irak. United States Sgt. Michael J. Smith, the dog handler, was found guilty on six of 13 counts of abusing prisoners at Abu Ghraib. U.S. Army / Criminal Investigation Command (CID). Seized by the U.S. Government” under public domain by The U.S. Government.
In August 2004, the Pew Research Center published a study on beliefs about foreign policy, which found that a majority of Americans supported the use of torture in certain circumstances. However, the study also revealed that most Americans did not believe that the United States was actually using torture.
As the years went on, reports of abuse and torture continued to surface, including in the notorious Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. In December 2004, a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross alleged that detainees were being subjected to various forms of torture and inhumane treatment at Guantanamo Bay. In January 2005, a British detainee claimed that he had been subjected to "handcuff torture" at the same facility.
Media outlets and human rights organizations continued to report on the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, including waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and sexual humiliation. The ACLU and other organizations filed lawsuits challenging the legality of such techniques, and the debate over whether torture was ever justified raged on.
In November 2005, The Washington Post published an article describing the CIA's use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on terror suspects. The article revealed that the CIA had been using tactics such as waterboarding, which involves simulated drowning, as well as sleep deprivation, stress positions, and other methods. The revelation sparked further controversy and criticism, with some arguing that such techniques constituted torture and others defending them as necessary to protect national security.
The debate over torture and enhanced interrogation techniques continues to this day, with some arguing that they are necessary to obtain information from terrorists and prevent future attacks, while others argue that they are immoral and illegal. The legacy of the War on Terror and the use of such techniques will likely continue to be debated for years to come.
Written in part in collaboration with ChatGPT on March 24, 2023
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Putin Is A War Criminal
Russia Is A Terrorist State:
Part 1 (1990s)
Part 2 (2000s)
Part 3 (2011 - 2016)
Part 4 (2016 - 2019)
Part 5 (2020 - 2021)
Part 6: (2022+)
Sources for The War On Terror. America’s Use of Torture in War (Part 1):
Prisoners' treatment is “bordering on torture,” charity says - NIH PubMed January 26, 2002
Is Torture a Tool in the War on Terror? - ABC News August 13, 2002
U.S. Decries Abuse but Defends Interrogations - The Washington Post December 26, 2002
Is torture ever justified? - The Economist January 9, 2003
Metallica is latest interrogation tactic - The Guardian May 19, 2003
The Dark Art of Interrogation - The Atlantic October 2003
Tipton three complain of beatings - BBC News March 14, 2004
Pentagon OK’d tough questioning methods - NBC News May 8, 2004
Secret world of U.S. interrogation - NBC News May 10, 2004
Torture at Abu Ghraib - The New Yorker May 10, 2004
U.S. Must End Torture of Prisoners in America As Well As in Iraq, ACLU Says - ACLU May 11, 2004
US forces were taught torture techniques - The Guardian May 13, 2004
Report: CIA has secret rules for al-Qaida - NBC News May 13, 2004
Regarding The Torture Of Others - The New York Times May 23, 2004
General is said to have urged use of dogs - NBC News May 26, 2004
UN human rights report urges steps to end abuses in Iraq - United Nations June 4, 2004
The Road to Abu Ghraib - Human Rights Watch June 8, 2004
ASHCROFT: BUSH REJECTED TORTURE - The Baltimore Sun June 8, 2004
Memo Offered Justification for Use of Torture - The Washington Post June 8, 2004
Use of Dogs as Tools for Interrogation - NPR June 11, 2004
U.S.: Torture -- Memos Spur Debate On Defining The Use Of Pain (Part 1) - RFERL June 17, 2004
Does torture work? - salon June 21, 2004
US approved use of dogs on Guantanamo prisoners - ABC News Australia June 22, 2004
Afghan detainees routinely tortured and humiliated by US troops - The Guardian June 23, 2004
Part Four: Beliefs About Foreign Policy - Pew Research Center August 18, 2004
Technology vs. Torture - SLATE August 18, 2004
Guantanamo Bay Interrogation Techniques Remain Mysterious - Human Rights Watch August 19, 2004
Americans Guilty Of Afghan Torture - CBS News September 21, 2004
Amnesty: U.S. 2-Faced On Torture - CBS News October 27, 2004
Red Cross Finds Detainee Abuse in Guantánamo - The New York Times November 30, 2004
More coldblooded than Abu Ghraib - salon December 2, 2004
Red Cross alleged to have complained to US over torture - NIH PubMed December 4, 2004
Details of Marines Mistreating Prisoners in Iraq Are Revealed - Los Angeles Times December 15, 2004
Guantanamo Briton 'in handcuff torture' - The Guardian January 1, 2005
Gitmo soldier details sexual tactics - salon January 27, 2005
Guantánamo Bay: Female interrogators’ tactics aired - The Seattle Times January 28, 2005
Fresh Guantanamo torture claims - BBC News February 13, 2005
Outsourcing Torture - The New Yorker February 14, 2005
Americans Frown on Interrogation Techniques - GALLUP March 8, 2005
Getting Away with Torture? - Human Rights Watch April 23, 2005
US urged to end Guantanamo torture - Al Jazeera April 27, 2005
Torture, Cover-Up At Gitmo? - CBS News | 60 Minutes April 28, 2005
The Experiment - The New Yorker July 11, 2005
CIA Holds Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons - The Washington Post November 2, 2005
Torture, the United States, and Laws of War - Council on Foreign Relations November 11, 2005
Prisoner debate tarnishes US image - BBC News November 16, 2005
CIA's Harsh Interrogation Techniques Described - ABC News November 18, 2005
History of an Interrogation Technique: Water Boarding - ABC News November 29, 2005
Torture and the Constitution | Opinion - The Washington Post December 11, 2005
The Abolition Of Torture - The New Republic December 19, 2005