Tales of Torture:
A 'Betrayal of the American Revolution' (Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates)
"This
report is bound to galvanize calls to prosecute leaders and officials who authorized
such crimes and intentionally undermined all legal recourse for the accused.
Indeed, these were policies clearly orchestrated at the highest levels and the
culprits should be made to face the music. … The culture of Camp X-Ray, the invasion
of foreign lands and the deployment of soldiers to fight ill-fated wars is
unbecoming of human values and at the same time belies the great values embodied
by the American Revolution."
Torture is condemnable under any pretext, but states often
make use of the tactic in desperation to elicit information.
What comes as a surprise is the conscience sparked by this
CIA interrogation report. U.S. President Barack Obama was candid, saying, “What
sets us apart is that when we do something wrong, we acknowledge it.” He not
only spoke for himself but for the millions around the world who have take exception
with the tactics of terror and torture that his predecessor adopted to further his
impugned war on terrorism.
The U.S. Senate report, which documents a troubling program
that included the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on
suspects in detention facilities, could not have come at a more opportune time:
just days after six of the remaining 172 detainees who languished in Guantanamo
for 12 long years with no charges against them were sent to Uruguay.
Posted by Worldmeets.US
This report, along with the undecided fate of the remaining Camp
X-Ray victims, is bound to further the debate on the gross human rights
violations and torture techniques approved by power-intoxicated men to
consolidate their grip on national affairs. Moreover, the CIA report includes serious
charges that politicians misled the general public by disseminating false
information. Among the notorious techniques discussed in the unclassified
summary are waterboarding, rectal dehydration and the
infliction of physical pain by keeping detainees in darkness for prolonged
periods, sleep deprivation and extraordinary beating. Yet the intelligence report
says no valuable information was extracted from the detainees - with some languishing
in prison for the last 13 years.
This is a moment of serious conscience for Americans and the
world at large. This report is bound to galvanize calls to prosecute leaders and
officials who authorized such crimes and intentionally undermined all legal
recourse for the accused. Indeed, these were policies clearly orchestrated at
the highest levels and the culprits should be made to face the music. Human
Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth rightly said: “Unless this
important truth-telling process leads to prosecution of officials, torture will
remain a policy option for future presidents.”
While Obama deserves credit for halting the program of
torture when he took office, he must impartially move ahead by ordering an investigation
permitting the accused be put on trial. The culture of Camp X-Ray, the invasion
of foreign lands and the deployment of soldiers to fight ill-fated wars is
unbecoming of human values and at the same time belies the great values embodied
by the American Revolution. It is high time to call it a day and for America to
sail back to serenity.
