This is Torture?
In the November 21st issue of Newsweek there is a long article on the torture and "torture lite" techniques being used against insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A lot of the debate is being spurred by John McCain and his recent statements on interrogation techniques. Mr. McCain, I'm sure understands what torture is, and what humilitation is, and the difference between the two. I served under one of his Hanoi Hilton room mates for a couple of years, and had torture explained to me by him.
Reading the Newsweek article I'm much less apprehensive about how we are interrogating these folks.
Here are a few of the techniques we are using, that the ACLU and Amnesty International are having fits about:
Putting detainees on leases
Putting them in cold dark rooms
Using "smell hoods"
Making them wear women's underclothes
Calling them names
Calling mommy names
Water dripping on faces
(Just for reference, nearly every one of those techniques was used when Sailors were initiated as a "shellback" in the US Navy, and again when they are brought into the brotherhood of Chief Petty Officers. I'm sure some frat boys can relate also)
I didn't notice any cages where they are fed rats, bamboo under fingernails, broken bones, electric shock, whippings, stretching, hot irons, or other torture techniques.
The fact is what we appear to be doing, after reading the article is humilitating the detainees, not torturing them. Sorry Mr. McCain, I hope we keep up these methods, while they don't always get 100% reliable information, I'm sure they are working better than asking really really nice would.
Opinion Journal also has a take on this, along with Chris Cillizza at the WaPo
A lot of the debate is being spurred by John McCain and his recent statements on interrogation techniques. Mr. McCain, I'm sure understands what torture is, and what humilitation is, and the difference between the two. I served under one of his Hanoi Hilton room mates for a couple of years, and had torture explained to me by him.
Reading the Newsweek article I'm much less apprehensive about how we are interrogating these folks.
Here are a few of the techniques we are using, that the ACLU and Amnesty International are having fits about:
Putting detainees on leases
Putting them in cold dark rooms
Using "smell hoods"
Making them wear women's underclothes
Calling them names
Calling mommy names
Water dripping on faces
(Just for reference, nearly every one of those techniques was used when Sailors were initiated as a "shellback" in the US Navy, and again when they are brought into the brotherhood of Chief Petty Officers. I'm sure some frat boys can relate also)
I didn't notice any cages where they are fed rats, bamboo under fingernails, broken bones, electric shock, whippings, stretching, hot irons, or other torture techniques.
The fact is what we appear to be doing, after reading the article is humilitating the detainees, not torturing them. Sorry Mr. McCain, I hope we keep up these methods, while they don't always get 100% reliable information, I'm sure they are working better than asking really really nice would.
Opinion Journal also has a take on this, along with Chris Cillizza at the WaPo
posted by Crazy Politico at 12:47 PM
6Comments:
OMG! NOT the dreaded "smell hood"!!! What do you want to know???
AI: Asstards International
calling mommy names...lol! how dreadful THAT must be!
"NOOOOOO!!!!!!! Not the 'smell-hood'! ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!!".
Please.
Just wanted to let you know: my blog readers and I have come to a decision - our counter to the Liberal movement to "wear black" and "wear red" on Fridays "until our troops come home", will be "Operation Green shirt/ Yellow ribbon".
On Fridays, to show our support for the troops AND their mission, we will wear green, and to show our hope for them to come home safe, soon, and victorious, we will also wear a yellow ribbon on our lapel or around our wrists.(pictures at my site soon) Please spread the word any way you can! Thanks in advance.
These people think any coercion of any kind during interrogation is torture. What a bunch of tards!
Dan, that's one way of putting it :)
I've got an idea though. We could just make them sit through every Will Ferrell movie every made, over and over again. After about a week they'd break.
No need to apologize for not agreeing. Wonderfully, we live somewhere that you can do that openly, without government censors. It's also why I don't moderate my comments.
As for the McCain article, I already read it, that's why I referenced him, though I forgot to link to his comments (fixed).
Once again, I believe John is being a politician. I'm sure he laughed while experiencing all that we are now calling "evil" as he was initiated as a Shellback in the Navy, especially during the 60's. (It was probably worse, my initiation was in 1986).
Mr. McCain is also wrong to try and qualify al Qaeda operatives and Taliban as POW's, they don't meet the definition. Look back over my posts, and you'll find a link to the definition, in the Geneva Accords.
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