Will the U.S. Face War Crimes for CIA Torture?

Will the U.S. Face War Crimes for CIA Torture?

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This morning, the Senate Committee on Intelligence released a redacted version of the executive summary of its investigation on the CIA’s detention and interrogation program. The report is being called simply the “CIA Torture Report“.

The full details of the report can be found here, but here are a few gruesome highlights. The detainees (not even convicts!) were subjected to near drowning, standing on broken legs partially nude and in the cold, non-stop interrogation for days or even weeks, forced rectal feeding, and severe sleep deprivation. Some detainees died as a result of such “enhanced interrogation techniques”. And if the grotesque torture were not enough, the Senate’s report found that the CIA lied to Congress about the effectiveness of the interrogation program, saying its program helped thwart specific terrorist plots and claimed terrorists were captured as a result of the use of the techniques.

Of course, the report continues to say that President George W. Bush was never briefed by the CIA on the details of the torture and secret detention of terror suspects for the first four years of its controversial program. This looks bad for Bush as a leader, as he had no idea about torture techniques being used under his own administration. Isn’t this the same rhetoric Republicans use against President Obama now, whether it’s for Benghazi, the IRS, the Secret Service, or his own health care website? Those on the right blast Obama when he can’t control or keep tabs on his own administration. Here’s more proof that Bush was guilty of the same thing (although I am not altogether convinced that he knew nothing about the program details).

President Obama’s response is no better than Bush’s denial of knowledge. According to the Huffington Post, President Obama said the report sheds light on a troubling program that is contrary to our values. Obama went on to say that he unequivocally banned torture when he took office and that he will continue to use his authority to ensure that torture is not used in the future. This hypocritical response comes from the president who oversees the killing of dozens (if not hundreds) of innocent men, women, and children in drone strikes in the Middle East. The latest in a series of nearly non-existent headlines in the mainstream media is a drone strike in Pakistan that aimed to kill two militants, but actually killed 233 people, including 89 children.

We are living in a very dark time in history, similar to the time of World War II or slavery in the United States. I hope that, had I lived during one of those times, I would have given support to the cause of justice. However, putting all wishing and hoping aside, I can look at the situation America is facing and give my support to the right side now, in the present. I do not want to look back and realize I supported the U.S. government in its massive military and intelligence overreach. Instead, I stand fully against them.

What about you? Will you be on the right side of history?

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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