Two leading TV shows this weekend that will feature interviews with ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero. On both programs, Anthony will discuss the ongoing abuse of detainees and prisoners in U.S. military custody, and the erosion of America's moral leadership in the wake of continuing disclosures of abuse.Read more about the ACLU's fight against torture and abuse here.
Tune in this weekend:
Friday, April 29: PBS "NOW" at 8:30 pm ET and again Sunday at 11:00 pm ET (check local listings)
Sunday, May 1: CBS "60 Minutes" at 7:00 pm ET (check local listings)
The ACLU has played a pivotal role in bringing the abuse and torture carried out by the United States government to light. These two appearances allow Anthony to address specific allegations of torture and the lack of accountability at the highest levels, even a year after the photographs from Abu Ghraib became public.
In Friday's "NOW" segment, Anthony will be among a number of experts discussing detentions at Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, and in Afghanistan. On Sunday, May 1, Anthony will appear in a "60 Minutes" segment detailing the use of sexually suggestive tactics to humiliate and coerce Muslim men held at Guantanamo Bay. Anthony will speak out powerfully against the use of these tactics and explain their connections to the wider practice of torture and abuse developed and condoned by our government.
Have a great day and I'll look forward to catching up on comments tonight!
12 comments:
On topic ...
This Saturday (as in tomorrow), CBC Newsworld will broadcast the feature "Hostage Inc" on its indepth report show 'Correspondent' (8pm EST).
The Correspondent website describes the feature:
"Paul Workman reports on the business of hostage-taking Iraqi-style, what led to this situation and what can be done about it. In the past year, kidnapping has become the new "cottage industry" in Iraq, generating cash for street level criminals and propaganda tools for political extremists.
Unfortunately the bosses who sit atop this human "food chain" aren't particularly interested in bargaining - at least not at a price most governments are willing to pay. For the hostages themselves, that means unimaginable fear, which each copes with in his or her own way."
Watch for it you can - check out the full details in the web feature at http://www.cbc.ca/correspondent/
(click 'more' beneath the description)
As for interogation tehniques; how else do you get information from people who only know enough to carryout their immediate assignment? This information has to be pieced together from as many sources as possible.
Keep in mind these people have executed 4,500 Americans (with some immigrants also).
Miguel Mena, Los Angeles, Mexico.
Who are "these people"? The prisoners in Abu Grhraib, for example, were picked up in random street sweeps. Most were guilty of nothing but being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Who is it you are talking about?
Also, you do realize that when the US violates the Geneva Convention, it compromises the safety of every American serviceperson? How can the US expect its citizens to be treated fairly if this is the standard they uphold?
Also, torture doesn't work. People will say anything the interrogator wants to hear to make the pain stop. That is a well-documented fact.
It's time to stop using 9/11 to justify everything under the sun. The US has already killed more Iraqis than 5 or 6 9/11s (a conservative estimate) and those people did nothing to us. They were either defending their own country against invasion, or standing around when a bomb dropped.
L-girl on iPAQ:
G: thanks for that, sounds important. (And terrifying.)
Also Miguel, I neglected to thank you for reading and commenting. Thanks for stopping by.
L.
I'm not saying you are claiming this, Anon, but I always wonder why people act like 9/11 was the first time any Americans had ever died in a violent attack?
As for interogation tehniques; how else do you get information from people who only know enough to carryout their immediate assignment? This information has to be pieced together from as many sources as possible.
I don't have any real answer to this, but the US should arrest and charge those people (whoever they are) with their crimes and get whatever information they can, using methods that are proper within a democracy. The US can't stop saying it values human rights, so let's see some evidence of that.
When considering methods of getting information, we should apply this standard: if we would feel outrage if it was done to US troops, we shouldn't do it to other people. (I don't believe the US should be a Christian country, but if it is (as Bush likes to claim) shouldn't it practice the teachings of Christ?)
The CIA spends at least $30,000,000,000 every 12 months (there are also black budgets which are secret (and about which the CIA is not required to disclose anything)). They could use some of that cash to spy and infiltrate various groups and learn a few things.
The US claimed that when John Walker Lindh joined al-Qaeda, he met with Osama bin Laden within a month or two. The US also claimed that over the course of years/decades, it couldn't get anyone into al-Qaeda to learn about terrorist attacks.
That doesn't sound believable to me. It also contradicts several other government statements that al-Qaeda has been infilitrated before 9/11.
Speaking as someone who has done a lot of research into 9/11, no one needed to be tortured to get information about the attacks. Looking at everything that has been reported about 9/11 in the last three or four years, it's clear that elements of the US government knew everything -- who was involved, the date, the targets, the methods -- more than a dozen countries sent detailed warnings in the weeks beforehand -- about 9/11 before it happened.
9/11 could have been easily stopped, whether years beforehand, in June, July or August 2001, or even that morning. That is obvious.
Finally, as L-girl notes, almost all of the people imprisoned in Iraq are completely innocent.
In fact, the Pentagon estimates that as many as 90% of all those jailed are just regular citizens. And yet they have been beaten, tortured, raped and murdered. And the ones that survive are no doubt thinking seriously about revenge.
***
Love the desk-banging gif, G! Looks like me when I watch the Red Sox (some of the time).
It has always been the case that the only way to defeat an insurgency is to win the hearts and minds of the common people. Once they start to hate the insurgents more than the government, useful intelligence starts to pour in. It may not be as macho or as immediate as beating the crap out of people to make them talk, but in the long run, it is far more effective. Every time you torture or kill someone needlessly, you gain several new enemies. That is the calculus of failure.
And let us never forget this, certainly true of the past two years and for who know how long in the future:
In Iraq, every day is 9/11.
Rob: So true. Exactly the opposite of what the US has done or will do.
We must question what it is they are really trying to accomplish. It sure isn't what they say it is.
G: Also so very true. Sometimes it seems the only Americans who realize that are the ones who were really at 9/11 - in NYC. (But we know that's not true - because of Crabbi!)
I couldn't agree more - with all of you. As L-girl says, common sense tells us that people will say what their torturers want to hear. I know I would.
And resorting to torture - like imposing the death penalty - is soul killing. When we stoop that low in the name of security, or because we feel we have the moral high ground, we lose our humanity.
Crabbi
I know this doesn't fit here, but I just want to rub in the fact that my beloved Jays just had Halladay pitch a CG shutout against the Yanks and the over-the-mound (or is it hill?) Johnson.
Sorry, but we don't beat you guys often and you'll probably kick our asses tomorrow, so I have to enjoy this few precious hours that I can.
And yes, it's true, some librarians actually dig sports (shh ... don't tell anyone ... closely guarded secret ... could possibly get me decertified by the BunHeads).
;-)
The only thing you're forgetting is that there's no "we" in there anymore. I was hoping the Blue Jays would stick it to Johnson too. (Yay Hinske!) Halladay pitched a great game.
So I guess there is a time I'll cheer for the Blue Jays. When they're playing my former team... :)
:-)
Thanks for the Canadian team support. At least T.O.'s asses weren't kicked today - they went down fighting, I can accept that. Rubber match should be a good one.
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