Senate Report: Harsh Interrogation Tactics Used To Find Iraq-al Qaida Link

[LostInAnomie]

Huffington Post
04/22/09 02:24 AM


A report released Tuesday by the Senate Armed Services Committee presented new details regarding Bush administration officials' approval of the military's use of harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects. The 232-page, newly declassified report was approved by the Armed Services Committee on November 20, 2008, and had since then been under review at the Department of Defense for declassification.

A former U.S. Army psychiatrist, Maj. Charles Burney, told Army investigators in 2006 that interrogators at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility were under "pressure" to produce evidence of ties between al Qaida and Iraq.

"While we were there a large part of the time we were focused on trying to establish a link between al Qaida and Iraq and we were not successful in establishing a link between al Qaida and Iraq," Burney told staff of the Army Inspector General. "The more frustrated people got in not being able to establish that link . . . there was more and more pressure to resort to measures that might produce more immediate results."

As for the impact of the report, the Washington Post notes that "the new findings are expected to add further pressure on the White House to authorize an independent investigation of the Bush-era interrogation policies." Earlier in the day Tuesday President Obama said he was open to the possible prosecution of Bush administration officials.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/21/report-harsh-interrogatio_n_189817.html

Drip, drip, drip.

[Adsos Letter]

1. Let's see now...

Zelikow admits (and proof exists) that he warned the Bush administration about his opinion that the legal basis for torture was unsound.

Despite this, the Bush administration opted for a legal decision that would allow them to bring maximum pressure to bear on individuals, with the stated goal (by Maj. Burney) of eliciting a specific, pre-determined conclusion about a relationship between Iraq and al-Qaida, in order to justify an attack and occupation of Iraq.

I think there must be people on both sides of the aisle beginning to sweat bullets...especially after Zelikow's suggestion to de-politicize the situation,let DOJ do it's job,and let the chips fall where they may.

Drip, drip, drip, indeed...

[Nostradammit]

2. Headline should be: Torture Used to Elicit False Information for U.S. Propaganda

"Harsh Interrogation Tactics" is the most vile euphemism since "collateral damage."

:puke:

[BR_Parkway]

3. I guess we shouldn't be surprised - they were going to stop at nothing

to have their war in Iraq.

And your headline sums it up so disgustingly well.