Torture
Life's Mysteries: Daily Show Roundup of Pundits on Torture
"Sometimes in life you've gotta just keep walking," croons conservative commentator Peggy Noonan on the release of US torture data. "Some of life has to be mysterious." An odd response indeed to data that revealed not only specific techniques but also shocking details about specific tortures: one detainee was waterboarded 183 times in a month.
Obama Won't Charge CIA Employees For Torture — Good Call?
Individual CIA employees who carried out waterboarding (aka simulated drowning) will not be prosecuted for torture. The Obama administration announced the decision yesterday, while also releasing four "torture" memos from top legal officials in the Bush administration.
Many people are upset by President Obama's decision.
Should Spain Move Forward With Indicting the "Bush Six?"
Top officials from the Bush administration might not want to travel to Spain any time soon.
A high-level Spanish court has moved toward indicting six former officials, including former Attorney General Roberto Gonzales, for authorizing the torture of five Spanish citizens at Guantanamo Bay prison.
Every country has a right to enforce international law, and this case involves the alleged torture of Spanish citizens.
Front Page: Guantanamo Abuses May Be Worse Under Obama
- Abuse at Guantanamo Bay prison has worsened since Obama took office because guards want to "get their kicks in" before the camp closes, according to a lawyer representing detainees. — Reuters
- President Obama is set to unveil his $3 trillion budget to the public today. — ABC News
- General Motors reported a $9.6 billion loss for the fourth quarter.
Spotless Mind: Interrogation Tactics Can Rewrite Memory
Never forget a face? Chances are you would forget your torturer's. Or, depending on your definition, intense interrogator's.
Day Two: Obama Tackles Gitmo, Military Trials, & Interrogation
An executive order signed by Barack Obama today orders the closing of Guantanamo Bay within a year. The order, along with two others calling for the reviewing of military trials of terror suspects and the banning of harsh interrogation methods, mark a sharp break from Bush administration policies unpopular around the world and among many Americans.
After the signing, the president said: The message we are sending around the world is that the US intends to prosecute the ongoing struggle against violence and terrorism and we are going to do so vigilantly, we are going to do so effectively, and we are going to do so in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals .
Briefing Book! Eric Holder Calls Waterboarding Torture
- Attorney General: Obama's appointee Eric Holder calls waterboarding torture at confirmation hearing. — Huffington Post
- Terrorism: British foreign secretary says terrorism is a deadly tactic, not an institution or ideology. — Donklephant
- Sports: Great moments in presidential athletics.
Art Mimics Life: Obama Holding Jack Bauer Hostage?
When the new season of 24 kicked off last night, hero Jack Bauer was the subject of a congressional investigation looking into his hasty executions and use of torture. The Telegraph quotes Bauer, who said: We've done so many things in the name of protecting this country, we've created two worlds. Ours and the people's we've promised to protect.
Music Is the New Torture: 8 Songs to Break Detainees Down To
If simulated drowning isn't enough, you can add music to America's weapons of mass degradation. Amped-up tunes are used as "sonic bludgeons" at US military prisons in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay.
Songs such as Britney Spears's "Baby One More Time" are turned up and set to repeat to create fear, disorientation, and a prolonged capture shock.
Just Torturing Yourself? Interrogator Calls Brutality Ineffective
Matthew Alexander, if that's his real name (it's not), says that the qualities that make a good terrorist interrogator are the same things that make a good American, and those qualities don't include a knack for physical torture. He should know, because he served as a US military interrogator in Iraq, and wrote a book all about how to break a terrorist.
Last night on the Daily Show, Alexander explained that it's counterproductive to torture terrorists even in ticking time-bomb scenarios.
More on TresSugar
Award Season
Top Brands
Mango