You might notice how the propaganda organ of the ruling elites known as ABC News so meticulously avoids the use of the words 'abuse' and 'torture' in the news article. it's all about TECHNIQUES now! "harshest interrogation techniques", "enhanced interrogation techniques", "extract confessions quickly using techniques harsher than...." it's part of the media coverup of torture condoned and conducted by these US agencies.
it also appears from the article that water boarding is the most extreme and effective form of torture that these psychotics in the national security system and CIA make use of.
The european nations should issue arrest warrants for Rice, Bush and the whole damn lot of them for conducting these sort of activities - like they did with Pinochet.
a curse upon them both, America and al Qaeda!
and a curse upon the Bushivites for their inhumanity, total lawlessness and degradation of basic human rights.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=1375123
london Times also has a good article, which notes
"It is alleged that the CIA runs a secret global abduction and internment operation of suspected terrorists, known as “extraordinary rendition”, which since 2001 has captured about 3,000 people and transported them around the world..."
I haven't read this number before - that some 3000 people have suffered rendition. one might add in passing that this is approximately the number of people that were killed in the attacks of 9-11.
all of this raises incredibly serious moral, ethical and political issues about lack of due process of any sort for such a large number of human beings.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFriendly/0,,1-10889-1904853-10889,00.html
Posted by michael72 at December 6, 2005 02:37 AMa quote by Arthur Miller sums things up on this issue and others, I think:
"The thought," he wrote, "that the State has lost its mind and is punishing so many innocent people is intolerable, and so the evidence has to be internally denied."
which is perhaps why we hear and have seen so little on this rendition/cia gulag issue in the so-called Free Press, until Rice's recent trip.
Posted by michael72 at December 6, 2005 02:40 AMArthur Miller drove Marilyn Monroe mad, then wrote a badly attended flop play exploiting her. I thought he was dead anyway. Wonderful article Steve, though I'm continually amazed how people wonder why the corporate media doesn't report the news? You know why Condi has that gap in her teeth? Worn out, baby, so many bosses, so many zippers to unzip. What a bitch! Hey, with all the crimes mounting up on BushCo, that he's still there,is a testament to the spinelessness of American voters.
Posted by Mal Feasance at December 6, 2005 04:51 AMI think you overestimate the fallout from renditions and secret prisons and torture. Did Abu Ghraib really generate a cacophony of protest from the American public? White Europeans are already resentful in many quarters of the influx of Arabs and Asians into their societies. Xenophobia is a universal attribute of humans, and Anglo/caucasian groups seem especially capable of dispensing with compassion and decency in pursuit of cultural and economic hegemony. How many rushed to prevent the slaughter of Native Americans during the western land/mineral grab? I think Bush can count on a plurality of Eurpoeans to be indifferent to, if not outright supportive of abuse, torture and imprisonment of anyone with brown skin or of a non-Christian religion. It is the way he is training the world to feel and act and despite all handwringing and protestations to the contrary his tutoring is taking effect quite well.
Posted by steve duncan at December 6, 2005 05:10 AMDiscrimination on the basis of skin color also exists in "colored" countries. Look at the caste system in India. Africans discriminate amoung themselves on the basis of skin color. This ability to discriminate is not the sole preserve of the white man.
Posted by matthew at December 6, 2005 05:16 AMMatthew, few other than white men can put their boot on your neck knowing if you wrestle free they possess enough arms to overwhelmingly obliterate your pesky ass. Bush will do what he wants, when he wants and to who he wants because ultimately attempts to deny him will just get you killed, starved or impoverished. He's received anything he's wanted in his life and isn't about to accept a change on that score now.
Posted by steve duncan at December 6, 2005 05:30 AMt lst l Qd cn tk cmfrt n th lvng cmmsrtn frm th lft.
[Editor: ignore=off]Someone needs to tell this sill bitch that the days of the Marshall Plan are over and the EU doesn't need the USA's help.
Who does she think she is crawling to Europe to lecture a continent of nations hundreds and thousands of years old to allow the USA to use their real estate to operate torture facilities?
Condosleaza is an embarrassmant.
.
Condi caught in another lie. I would say her credibility with the Europeans is at about 0 these days. Good for you George. The one thing we can count on is your lying and corrupt Administration to "never waiver" and always "stay the course."
Posted by Judith at December 6, 2005 05:49 AMThe thing is, Condi does not NEED to go to Europe to dis the Europeans into towing the line. That could be done quietly, behind the scenes. A little quid pro quo between pals. No talk. No problem. And, the newsies will move to another story by next week. (With this admin, God knows there will be ANOTHER story by next week).
But that is not how the admin has chosen to play it. Why? Could it be that this is ALL intended to show Americans just how tough this administration is and how "tough" is so much ass-kickingly better than "diplomatic". Could it be that this is all part of Bush, playing to the "America, Fuck Yeah" base, showing them all just how fearless the Chimperor is? Yeah. Could be.
What a metaphor for this admin. Make noise, threaten, act unilaterally. Demand. March around in Condi boots. The newsies will report the antics in terms of how "charming" Condi is to the Europeans, as if charm is the issue.
Meanwhile, reality continues to slap America((and Europe...AND Iraq...And, oh Hell, everyone you can think of) upside the head.
Posted by 1MaNLan at December 6, 2005 06:12 AMSo far the Media has failed to call Condo on her lies,bald-faced as they are. I mean, to stand up in front of the world and say "we don't torture" when actual *trials* and convictions of US soldiers for torture are now in the history books, not to mention Guantanamo....just pure in-your-face lies from the US Sec of State. Why, she's no better than Colin, is she?
Posted by T2 at December 6, 2005 06:13 AMHey you trolls, another "conspiracy" of the Left proven to be true.
Posted by Judith at December 6, 2005 06:14 AMIf I were a reporter I'd want to know ...
If torture is the be-all end-all where are the success stories? "Where's the beef" Approximately how many lives have been saved? Or if that's too complex how many additional terrorists have been captured as a result of the confessions?
Posted by Rubyeyes at December 6, 2005 06:19 AMIt continues to astonish that the Bush gunslingers have less-than-zero appreciation of human nature and have learned nothing from the unbroken string oflack of successes that has been the end result of criticizing countries who, deep down, would like to be on the U.S.' side.
Maybe we should take up a collection and send them all copies of "Getting to 'Yes'".
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0140157352/104-3152747-6123110?v=glance&n=283155
Posted by JB (not the U.N. John Bolton) at December 6, 2005 06:26 AMWell, Condi either can't think one move ahead (per Steve's post) or it's an intentional display of Condi in her leather outfit and whip for the erotic satisfaction of the frankly pro-torture American "conservative" yahoo (per 1ManLan).
It's a tough call, as both interpretations are ineffective and damaging to the country, as usual.
I'll guess it's another play to their violent reactionary base----that's Bushco's modus operendi nowadays.
And I doubt they have any other way to function.
Posted by euzoius at December 6, 2005 06:30 AMRubeyes, torture successes can't be revealed due to national security concerns. I myself have prevented the detonation of three nuclear bombs in New York City. I've thwarted 2 biological attacks at major theme parks and tackled a rather swarthy looking fanatic just as he was ready to pull the trigger on a stinger missile to bring down an airliner. Now, due to the need to protect the confidentiality of sources and methods I can't divulge anything more, you just have to trust what I say is true.
Posted by steve duncan at December 6, 2005 06:38 AMMrs. Pessimist, who normally takes what the SCLM spews at face value, was very outraged that Condi was thinking she could 'express' herself without revealing that everything she said was a lie through her delivery.
It makes one wonder just how the Red Staters can avoid seeing the truth.
Posted by pessimist at December 6, 2005 07:14 AMJust ran across this old story from the Washington Note. Those secret prisons and not so secret prisons, the renditioning of prisoners and torture has destroyed what little morale high ground we may have had, if we ever had it in the first place. It is so difficult to accept that we are talking about America and not Iraq (before liberation?).
Castro Benefits from America's Moral Slide on Guantanamo
Just a short note on this interesting article a loyal TWN reader sent me. It focuses on Castro, Guantanamo Bay, and America's "prisoners in paradise."
One thing that must be said. Fidel Castro has been uncharacteristically quiet about our use of the facilities at Guantanamo to detain "enemy combatants."
Why?
In my view, Castro realizes that America can't exactly criticize him about jailing political prisoners anymore -- as we are doing much the same thing on Cuban soil. I do get the fact that there is a difference between prisoners of conscience in Cuba -- whose civil liberties have been terribly violated by Castro. But detainees held indefinitely without being charged of crimes and not availed of a fair legal process make it practically impossible to morally distinguish between these cases.
America has forfeited the moral highground -- and Castro is enjoying it.
Steve Clemons
Ed. note: Thanks to VS for sending the article.
http://thewashingtonnote.com/
Posted by Judith at December 6, 2005 09:02 AM