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January 22, 2009
Good News, Bad News
In addition to signing an executive order to close Guantanamo and CIA "Black Sites", the president also signed an order which further prohibits the use of torture. Here's the good news:
_Required all U.S. personnel to follow the U.S. Army Field Manual while interrogating detainees. The manual explicitly prohibits threats, coercion, physical abuse and waterboarding, a technique that creates the sensation of drowning and has been termed a form of torture by critics.
"All personnel," it says. So this would ostensibly include CIA interrogators. As you might recall, there was legislation banning the use of torture by the CIA. This bill failed and, strikingly, John McCain not only voted against the bill, but also urged Bush to veto it.
But here's the bad news -- if accurate:
However, a Capitol Hill aide says that the administration also is planning a study of more aggressive interrogation methods that could be added to the Army manual — which would create a significant loophole to Obama's action Thursday.
Now the AP has a reputation as a stridently anti-Obama news agency, so take this information with a grain of salt. That said, if it's accurate, well, let's hope it's not.
Filed under: Executive Orders || Guantanamo || Torture
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Posted By Bob Cesca | January 22, 2009 12:01 PM
Comments
I don't see what's bad about this. There's torture, and then there's the Army manual, and then there's the potential other stuff that could be delineated hat fits in neither category.
IIRC, there was some degree of agreement that the Army manual was the best that we had to work with, not the best that we COULD have. I also don't have any problem with regular soldiers having one standard of processing for routine soldiering, and special ops/CIA types having a different, but still in accord with the Geneva conventions standards. In fact, I prefer not having regular soldiers being given extra room to do stuff.
QT
Posted by: QueenTiye at January 22, 2009 1:06 PM
It's political cover for a rewrite of the FM. When all's said and done, there will be specific prohibitions and specific recommendations -- and waterboarding will be OUT.
Posted by: Matt Osborne at January 22, 2009 1:08 PM
I'm doubting that the "Capitol Hill aide" part of this story is true. If that were the case, then the Obama administration would be no better than the Bush administration in this regard. Bush claimed "we don't torture" after DOJ redefined torture. If they are now redefining the Army Field Manual to create a loophole, it would be just another variation on a theme.
Does anyone know what or how a "Capitol Hill aide" would know of such things? Also, if this is preceived as a leak by the BHO Admin on Day Two, I think some heads are gonna roll pretty quickly.
Posted by: Broadway Carl at January 22, 2009 1:17 PM
I agree Carl. It seems awfully convenient that they found a "Capitol Hill aide" to say this. Who was it? Probably Boehner's Spray-A-Tan applier.
Posted by: Jamie at January 22, 2009 1:22 PM
Oh wait! Just saw this on AmericaBLOG:
Finally, the Order creates a Special Task Force with two missions. The Task Force will conduct a review of the Army Field Manual interrogation guidelines to determine whether different or additional guidance is necessary for the CIA. It will also look at rendition and other policies for transferring individuals to third countries to be sure that our policies and practices comply with all obligations and are sufficient to ensure that individuals do not face torture and cruel treatment if transferred. This Task Force will be led by the Attorney General with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence as co-Vice Chairs.
That makes more sense.
Posted by: Jamie at January 22, 2009 1:23 PM
Personally, a little "rough" treatment is no more torture than promising an inmate something, and lying about it. Bruises heal. Psyches, not always so much. You can't imagine the mindfucking prisoners of war get, simple stuff, and yet, all you guys can talk about is waterboarding?
Posted by: politicalpartypooper at January 22, 2009 1:35 PM
This whole GITMO and VP powers thing must be illegal as selling crack. President Obama's Administration is running the fuck away from this shit as fast a possible. One question.
If Pres. Obama didn't change these policies could he be held responsible?
Posted by: GItheScholar at January 22, 2009 1:44 PM
Not just waterboarding, P3. Sleep and sensory deprivation, stress positions, testicular electrocution, solitary confinement, etc. But yes, I do agree with you that psyches are really in danger when you incarcerate someone indefinitely without charges or benefit of representation or trial. That can really fuck up someone's mind.
Posted by: Broadway Carl at January 22, 2009 1:50 PM
