Wither waterboarding?
Apparently the Googlesphere has a burning question on their minds:
What is waterboarding?
Since many people view this as treading into murky waters, I shall refer to The Swamp in this discussion. Mark Silva writes that President Obama may have only discovered the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how often the torture tactic was used under the G.W. Bush administration’s consent.
Before telling you how often, consider this, taxpayers. Is this what you want the government to be doing with your tax dollars? Then turn around and tell you that online cash advance and installment loans aren’t OK when you need help between paychecks?
How does 266 times on two prisoners sound to you?
Here’s part of a recent New York Times report:
The CIA officers used waterboarding at least 83 times in August 2002 against Abu Zubaydah, according to a 2005 Justice Department legal memorandum. Abu Zubaydah has been described as a Qaeda operative… former C.I.A. officer, John Kiriakou, told ABC News and other news media organizations in 2007 that Abu Zubaydah had undergone waterboarding for only 35 seconds before agreeing to tell everything he knew.
The 2005 memo also says that the C.I.A. used waterboarding 183 times in March 2003 against Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the self-described planner of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Human rights vs. national security
We already know that CIA employees who utilized the practice will not be tried in court. Rahm Emanuel recently reiterated this, and informed ABC News’ “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that the president is still editing his official statement on waterboarding before their release. We also know that Mr. Obama has ordered that all interrogations be conducted according to rules contained in the Army Field Manual.
Inevitably, there are critics of Obama’s position. Mike Hayden, a former director of the CIA under George W. Bush, said that releasing CIA memos that reveal the use of waterboarding “makes the nation less safe” by instructing terrorists as to the extent of America’s interrogation techniques.
On that human rights thing
I know some of you will argue that those who conspire to commit mass terror – to kill – may forfeit certain rights. I can only agree with you to a point. I do not want to invest my tax dollars in supporting what amounts to a moral end around. I have suspicions that the intelligence community could stand to expand their recruiting efforts and rely more upon the power of method acting. Judging by the state of disarray before and after 9/11, our nation’s intelligence was not prepared. Now they should know what problems need fixing.
But what if life imitated the television program “24?” What if information was needed to save lives, and agents only had moments to get it? Ideally, with a proper intelligence network in place, these scenarios would not occur. However, in an emergency, I’m hoping we’ll perfect the technology to read brain engrams. Oh yes, we’re part-way there already. Technology will serve us in that capacity. It’s like poet Emily Dickinson wrote in poem 185:
“Faith” is a fine invention
When Gentlemen can see—
But Microscopes are prudent
In an Emergency.
If you like, we can discuss the invasion of one’s thoughts in the comments section. Excelsior!
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Waterboarding is one of the biggest scandals of the last five years. Similar “enhanced interrogation techniques” were used by the Spanish Inquisition and the Khmer Rouge, so I doubt that it’s definition as torture can really be disputed. I sincerely hope that proof emerges as it becomes declassified that proves that terrorist attacks were prevented by information gained from Gitmo and the PATRIOT Act (otherwise known as the repeal of the Fourth Amendment), as that would be the only way that the ends would justify the means.