CIA torture report: US raises security ahead of release

[Bigfarang1948]

We haven't given even one tenth measure of torture back to the terrorists; water boarding is a justifiable means of extracting information from these scumbags. When we start beheading, then they can call it equality of terrorist tactics. Until then, I do not give a darn what we do to kill these terrorist murderers and all their buddies in the Middle East, but for liberals in Washington to publish our interrogation tactics is just wrong and our muslim president does not care who he puts more into harms way. The only way to defeat terrorists is to keep killing them, but we will never kill them all; just too many of these haters around the world.

What goes around comes around.

[PLW]

Guys you think there are rules in the world. You are mistaken. Rules are to be seen not followed. If any country needs information they will find a way to get it. Dirty is as dirty does.

[atyclb]

"That's fine, if you also do not get outraged when your enemies do the same.

But if you want to be outraged at other groups' methods, you need to remain on the moral highground."

My enemies chop peoples heads off and blow up the Twin Towers.

Send them to my house for a proper interrogation. I'll be sure to take them up to the high ground first.

yes, the people that blew up the 3 towers should be properly interrogated. twin towers AND building 7 all came down that day.

[Ulysses G.]

What I also find funny are all the people on here saying torture is ok because it gets the info but the facts is it did not get any info,maybe they should have tried to read the actual article first before commenting.

There are plenty of other articles and Intelligence professionals that say otherwise and it is no secret that Bin Ladin was found as result of waterboarding.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/former-cia-lawyer-rizzo-defends-waterboarding-decision-a-986087.html

[Baerboxer]

What is the controversy?

A little something called rule of law.

Much of the world, rightly or wrongly, sees the U.S. as a country that loves to stand on principle, but then feels entitled to break those principles whenever it sees fit.

In any case, full marks to U.S. officials for compiling and releasing this report. That's a fair bit more than most countries would do.

Indeed. Can you imagine someone in Russia daring to publish a report into the activities of Putin's various government agencies and their activities?

[chuckd]

From what I have seen, most of the 'torture' resembled fraternity pranks.

Spot on.

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From the OP:

"They were interrogated using methods such as waterboarding, slapping, humiliation, exposure to cold, and sleep deprivation."

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The rack, impaling devices, the Saw, being drawn and quartered and flayed alive were hardly everyday practices. No finger nails were ripped out, no hot brands were put on anybody and there were no fingers or hands chopped off.

If this released report proves one person died as a direct result of these interrogations, I will be surprised and will happily admit that particular interrogation went too far.

If not, I would suggest these anti-torture posters should never try to join a college fraternity...or even a sorority.

[Mango Bob]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

As far as I am concern, do whatever you have to do to get information from these terrorist to save innocent peoples lives. And the hell with their civil rights, they have none.

And I would agree IF they were all terrorists that were tortured, but they weren't were they! Or if they were all guilty of terrorists acts, but they weren't were they! But hey, you can't make an omelette if you don't crack a few eggs, can you?

Your right Nick. If it looks like a terrorist, smell likes a terrorist, or talks like a terrorist, you torture him as a terrorist. You can always say oops, sorry make a mistake.

[sgtsabai]

People have died because of the torture. No information was gained, that has been proven over and over again. Bin Laden was not found because of torture, it was old fashioned detective work and interviews/interrogation. I know what happens in war, been part of it. But deliberate cold blooded sadistic torture is not the same, close perhaps, but not the same. It is sick and counter productive, just as killing civilians with a drone is. While Obama may have ordered the stop on torture, people are still shipped to countries where they can be tortured, just not openly by the US. Obama has continued Cheney/Bush et al policies and in fact codified many of the Constitutional abuses. He is the Manchurian president, a neoliberal, neocon repugthuglican in diguise, a tool of Wall Street criminals and banksters. Those that tortured and those that ordered the torture have a nice place to stay, called GitMo and that is where they belong. Whatever is released is not the entire report, merely a summary. The whole report will never see the light of day. Remember Nuremberg? Following orders is NOT a reason. Those that live in glass houses should not throw stones and to most of the world the US long ago lost the "moral high ground". Keep GitMo open for those that truly belong there, Cheney/Bush et al and all those that have failed to prosecute them for the war criminals they are.

[Gandtee]

This Obama guy will do anything to sully the US face to the world in his relentless effort to distance

himself from his predecessors,

History will remember his as a president that did all he could to demonise and render his country

an impotent, and all for what? to ass-kiss the Muslim world butts, and what did he get out of it?

ISIS... as a present to his efforts..

ISIS was a present from Bush and Blair.Don't blame the cleaner for not cleaning it up to expected standards.They were the ones who took the lid off the pot in the Middle East! Till then rebel groups had been controlled by dictatorial leaders. Western so called democracy does not work there. And why should it. Both those leaders have a lot to answer for, especially Blair who should have learnt by his, and my, countries history.

[puukao]

Yes, there will be blowback. No question. Just like there will be violence today, tomorrow, and the next day for (insert) reason. I'm guessing it was WWI when certain "nice" rules of engagement went out the window. But thinking back to Genghis Khan, I'm sure they weren't Mr. Nice Guys. People have been tortured in the worst ways since the beginning of human beings....and nothing should surprise any of us. In fact, the sicker, the better the chance it's a deterrent. like don't get caught by ISIS if you want to keep your head. Well, don't go planning to blow up a building in USA if you want to say out of Gitmo. I never understood this "place nice" war. War is Hell, I'm 100% sure. A description of hell will not be a poem from disney.

[Ulysses G.]

No information was gained, that has been proven over and over again.

It has not been proven. It is nothing but an opinion and a very controversial one. Defense Leon Panetta has confirmed that enhanced interrogation techniques aided the effort to find bin Laden and plenty of other Intelligence officials have confirmed that it can work.

[Asiantravel]

And this is the kind of treatment the likes of Julian Assange would receive just for exposing the " inconvenient truth "

[Seastallion]

Are you suggesting that Al Qaeda has high morals? If we just play nice, they'll play nice too?

To Hell with them. As I said, send them to my house and I'll take them up to the high ground.

You and Mango seem a bit thick this morning and are not comprehending written English.

Before I explain again...go back and read the dialogue. If you still can't understand, ask me nicely and I will write again in simpler words.

Your words are already simple.

Chosen for the readers I was addressing. However you did struggle at first. Never mind you have almost grasped it. Congratulations.

[sgtsabai]

Oops. Here is the link: http://www.juancole.com/2014/12/release-torture-violence.html http://www.juancole.com/2014/12/release-torture-violence.html

[FritsSikkink]

As far as I am concern, do whatever you have to do to get information from these terrorist to save innocent peoples lives. And the hell with their civil rights, they have none.

Who says they are terrorists, they never been to court. What happened to innocent until proven quilty?

This are police state actions. You forget that you don't have any civil rights anymore too. There has only to be 1 state official who says you are a terrorist.

[Morch]

From what I have seen, most of the 'torture' resembled fraternity pranks.

Spot on.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

From the OP:

"They were interrogated using methods such as waterboarding, slapping, humiliation, exposure to cold, and sleep deprivation."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rack, impaling devices, the Saw, being drawn and quartered and flayed alive were hardly everyday practices. No finger nails were ripped out, no hot brands were put on anybody and there were no fingers or hands chopped off.

If this released report proves one person died as a direct result of these interrogations, I will be surprised and will happily admit that particular interrogation went too far.

If not, I would suggest these anti-torture posters should never try to join a college fraternity...or even a sorority.

Shocking footage....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmD8y0PJ2Vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnS49c9KZw8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdFLPn30dvQ

[Ulysses G.]

Of course that is the norm, the repugthuglican and all neocons also learned the same lesson Rove did from Goebbels. Tell a big lie, tell it often and the sheeple will believe.

Talk about big lies and sheep. Do you just makes this nonsense up? Bill Clinton started the rendition program - NOT the Republicans - and that is not just water boarding and stress positions. A lot of people say that it is still being carried on under Obama, but with much more secrecy and only on foreign soil.

[theoldgit]

Offensive play on words removed.

[sgtsabai]

No I don't make anything up. The people of the US are sheeple. And the airwaves are full of lies, even congress gets to hear them from the head of the spy agencies and nothing happens to them for perjury. The man who revealed illegal, immoral torture went to prison while those that violated US and international law remain free. And some people even believe the lies about torture not being torture. Tell you what, why don't you let me try some of the "pranks" out on you for months on end, especially if you haven't done anything wrong. Clinton was a neocon/neoliberal as is Hillary, she is worse. He started a lot more of problems in the banking field also. No friend of the working man for sure but one of the banksters and Wall Street criminals. I do agree with your last. Rendition still happens as does torture, plausible deniability comes to mind. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraordinary_rendition

[CarlTyson]

What? Clinton was great for the working man.

More growth in the average Joe's retirement acct. than any other Prez since the 1920s.

"Since 1927, the S&P 500 has averaged a total return of 14.1% per year under Democratic presidents since April 1945, and 11.8% under Republicans. The best total returns–17.4% per year–were under Bill Clinton, whose presidency ranked first in economic results."

S&P 500 returns under Obama has him in first position in economic results.

[sgtsabai]

The problem with "economic results" is most, if not all of it goes to the 1%. Working/middle class wages have fallen since beginning in the regan cabal. I won't deny the economy was good under Clinton, Workers didn't loose ground, but it is the long term results of his move to the right that has hurt America. Glass-Steagall repeal jumps to the forefront. More wealth is owned by the 1% than any recorded time since before the Depression. Clinton was a bit tougher on terrorism than many on the right were/are willing to admit, perhaps can't in their little pea brains. He seemed to make the right call in Kosovo. I don't like, nor did I like him at the time, like his wife much less. Of course if you are a hard core neocon/neoliberal there is much to like about her. If you are human, not so much. The torture and rendition is/was illegal under US law and international law and all those participating deserve a life long vacation in GitMo, with maybe some of their own medicine.

[Scott]

This topic is about CIA torture report. Please stay on topic.

[F430murci]

No I don't make anything up. The people of the US are sheeple. And the airwaves are full of lies, even congress gets to hear them from the head of the spy agencies and nothing happens to them for perjury. The man who revealed illegal, immoral torture went to prison while those that violated US and international law remain free. And some people even believe the lies about torture not being torture. Tell you what, why don't you let me try some of the "pranks" out on you for months on end, especially if you haven't done anything wrong. Clinton was a neocon/neoliberal as is Hillary, she is worse. He started a lot more of problems in the banking field also. No friend of the working man for sure but one of the banksters and Wall Street criminals. I do agree with your last. Rendition still happens as does torture, plausible deniability comes to mind. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraordinary_rendition

Yhello, what dimension do you live in? The "airways" is where these reports are being aired and are full of one political sides accussing the other of bad things. Pretty much anything controversial that happens gets exposed by political opposition to gain pitical advantage.

Candidly, there is too much transparency when it comes to natuinal security. These guys have a tough job keeping the whack job terrorist at bay so Americans sleep safely, comfortably and peacefully in their homes every night. 911 raised the stakes.

F with the bull, you get the horns. Flying planes into building f'ed with the bull so now live with the consequences. If you don't live in US and don't like it, tough. This is natuinal security, not a popularity contest.

[willyumiii]

This Obama guy will do anything to sully the US face to the world in his relentless effort to distance

himself from his predecessors,

History will remember his as a president that did all he could to demonise and render his country

an impotent, and all for what? to ass-kiss the Muslim world butts, and what did he get out of it?

ISIS... as a present to his efforts..

Put the blame where it belongs.

Convicted war criminals Bush and Cheney!

Invading innocent countries, killing and torturing innocent people for no reason other than profit.

Obama has made great strides in restoring respect and confidence in the U.S. from the rest of the world.

The respect and confidence that Bush and Cheney destroyed.

Bush and Cheney are demons.

If I was superstitious, I would believe that Cheney was the devil himself and Bush his stupid, obedient side kick.

He is not the devil, there is no devil.

He is just an evil, greedy ruthless ass with a stupid obedient side kick.

They have been convicted.

Why not punished?

Maybe a going away party like they arranged for their equally demonic, one time buddy, Saddam?

"Mr. Bush is now a convicted war criminal who dares not travel abroad out of fear of being arrested.

In February 2011, Bush was forced to cancel a scheduled appearance in Geneva, Switzerland after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint charging him with violating international treaties against torture.

His trouble increased dramatically a year ago when Bush — along with former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and several other top Bush administration officials — were convicted of war crimes in absentia by a special war crimes tribunal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal was convened and conducted according to internationally recognized procedures and rules of evidence, and the week-long hearing ended with the five-member panel unanimously delivering guilty verdicts."

From Globalresearch.org

[willyumiii]

This Obama guy will do anything to sully the US face to the world in his relentless effort to distance

himself from his predecessors,

History will remember his as a president that did all he could to demonise and render his country

an impotent, and all for what? to ass-kiss the Muslim world butts, and what did he get out of it?

ISIS... as a present to his efforts..

You mean it was Obama who gave the approval to torture during the Bush administration?

Bush has been gone for 6 years. Obama has been president.

Your point is....?

The point is that Obama has done a lot to restore the American integrity that Bush and Cheney destroyed in the eyes of the world and very many Americans.

[Ulysses G.]

Obama has made great strides in restoring respect and confidence in the U.S. from the rest of the world.

That is delusional. Obama has continued the exact same policies that he railed against when he was running for office and the American people think he is is the worst president since WW II. Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is smiling.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/07/poll-obama-worst-president-since-wwii-108507.html

[F430murci]

Philosophically, I am adamantly opposed to torture. I was friends with Col Bud Day and helped him try to of his cases in front of juries very late in his career.

He was a Medal of Honor recipient and if you don't know Bud Day's story, you should at least read the Cliff notes version on Wiki. This man endured years or torture as highest ranking officer and stepped in to take the abuse and torture being directed at others including Senator John McCain with whom he shared a cell.

They were subjected to gratituos acts of violence and abuse that had zero to do with collecting information.

There is a distinction here. The GITMO dudes were plotting to kill and responsible for deaths of hundreds, if not thousands of innocent civilians. These crazy Muslim terrorist are targeting civil commercial airliners, civilian buildings, buses and train stations full of civilians. GITMO is trying to stop this and protect innocent civilians. The government is charged with the duty of protecting innocent civilians and commercial airliners. I am sure everyone would just prefer these guys to speak up and not do it anymore then the world would be hunky dory and no need for GITMO..

[ravip]

As far as I am concern, do whatever you have to do to get information from these terrorist to save innocent peoples lives. And the hell with their civil rights, they have none.

I guess your comment applies to ALL countries?

And the 'likes' too apply universally?

[ravip]

The CIA tortured some terrorist murderers to extract information to save innocent lives. What is the controversy?

Just ask the UN, Amnesty International and all the other Human rights advocating NGO's - I am sure you will get an expert answer!

[ravip]

This Obama guy will do anything to sully the US face to the world in his relentless effort to distance

himself from his predecessors,

History will remember his as a president that did all he could to demonise and render his country

an impotent, and all for what? to ass-kiss the Muslim world butts, and what did he get out of it?

ISIS... as a present to his efforts..

You mean it was Obama who gave the approval to torture during the Bush administration?

Bush has been gone for 6 years. Obama has been president.

Your point is....?

The point is that Obama has done a lot to restore the American integrity that Bush and Cheney destroyed in the eyes of the world and very many Americans.

Wow! THIS is news, breaking news!