Article

2008-03-12 Iraq

Severed fingers of 5 hostages delivered to U.S. officials in Iraq

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Posted by Seafarious 2008-03-12 19:12|| || Front Page|| [8 views ] Top

#1 There are no words.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-03-12 19:24|| 2008-03-12 19:24|| Front Page Top

#2 Just a cold, cold rage.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-03-12 19:27|| 2008-03-12 19:27|| Front Page Top

#3 And if we capture the perpetrators, and question them "harshly" (yell at them, call them names, insult their mother or their "manhood"), or deprive them of sleep, or make them stand a long time, or any other "torture", then WE are the monsters.
Puke.

Posted by Rambler in California">Rambler in California 2008-03-12 20:09|| 2008-03-12 20:09|| Front Page Top

#4 Inspired by 'Dexter'?

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2008-03-12 20:12|| 2008-03-12 20:12|| Front Page Top

#5 These folks should receive a Hellfire.

Posted by RWV 2008-03-12 21:46|| 2008-03-12 21:46|| Front Page Top

#6 And if we capture the perpetrators, and question them "harshly" (yell at them, call them names, insult their mother or their "manhood"), or deprive them of sleep, or make them stand a long time, or any other "torture", then WE are the monsters.

Haven't you learned anything? You can't get the truth out of a captive if you abuse him. The newer techniques where we befriend them, treat them kindly, and convince them to come over to our side work much better. They will tell us what they know, without holding back, and then we can torture the shit out of them.

Posted by KBK 2008-03-12 22:24|| 2008-03-12 22:24|| Front Page Top

#7 It's especially effective if they don't know which way it's going to go in the end....

Posted by KBK 2008-03-12 22:25|| 2008-03-12 22:25|| Front Page Top

#8 My point is that in some people's mind, even "pretending" to be their friend is not allowed. We must always be honest and straightforward. We must not do anything that would upset the poor dear terrorist.
Frankly, in my opinion, it is much easier to resist interrogation if you know that the interrogator can't do anything to really hurt you. He can't kill you or your buddy in front of you to get you to talk. He can't beat you, he can't yell at you. People can be trained to resist that kind of interrogation.
It is much more difficult to resist if you know that the interrogator can do ANYTHING he wants to you. He can beat you, put bamboo splints under your fingernails, and worse. He can kill you. It is much more difficult to teach people to resist that kind of interrogation.
I am not saying that we should do any of the things like that. The problem is that if the terrorists know we can't do anything - because of Congress - they will find it easier to resist.
True torture for the sake of torture doesn't work, because people will do and say anything to make it stop. However, there are other things we could do far short of torture that would be effective. If you define torture down to anything that somebody considers to be mean - or even sneaky, like pretending to be their friend - then we may as well not bother to interrogate them.
The Geneva Convention requires that prisoners of war cannot be forced to reveal anything but their name, rank and serial number. (The purpose of those is supposed to be so that their next of kin can be notified of their status by the Red Cross.) However, the people we are interrogating are NOT prisoners of war. They are illegal combatants. They can be interrogated, and after a short trial, executed.

Posted by Rambler in California">Rambler in California 2008-03-12 22:46|| 2008-03-12 22:46|| Front Page Top

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