Tag: torture

Pioneers of Torture

When the Abu Ghraib photos were released in 2004, it seemed that most Americans were shocked by such novel and horrific images, but at least one was not. I’m talking about Alfred McCoy, who had been following the Central Intelligence Agency since the early 1970s, when it unsuccessfully tried to stop the publication of his … Continue reading “Pioneers of Torture”

The Chimera of Total Security

"No one can terrorize a whole nation unless we are all his accomplices." – Edward R. Murrow Let’s talk about the next terrorist attack. We cannot know what form it will take, where it will occur, or what the casualty count will be. But one thing we do know: we know we’ll be told it … Continue reading “The Chimera of Total Security”

Out of Guantánamo and Into Court

In a move that seems to open up a route out of Guantánamo for prisoners accused of having an active involvement with international terrorism that does not involve reviving the much-criticized system of trials by military commission, the Justice Department announced today that Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian, one of 14 "high-value detainees" transferred to … Continue reading “Out of Guantánamo and Into Court”

Unexceptional Americans

Murder, torture, abuse… and photos of the same. We’ve seen some of them, of course. Now, evidently under pressure from his top generals, President Obama has decided to fight the release of other grim photos from the dark side of the Bush years of offshore injustice – on the grounds that their publication might inflame … Continue reading “Unexceptional Americans”

Pelosi-CIA Contretemps May Spark Wider Probe

Congressional Democrats and many Washington journalists are predicting that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s current dispute with the Central Intelligence Agency may ultimately hasten the push toward the last thing Republicans want – a comprehensive investigation of prisoner detention and interrogation during the administration of former President George W. Bush. The Pelosi controversy centers on whether … Continue reading “Pelosi-CIA Contretemps May Spark Wider Probe”