The ticking bomb of translation

Abarinov's justification of torture and "rendition "/1/ is written in Russian. This changes quite a lot - in English, this rant would be indistinguishable from the general stream of neoconservative PR stories. For example, Mr.Abarinov uses the infamous "ticking bomb argument". According to this logic, torture is justified to investigate and prevent imminent large scale terrorist attack - the "ticking bomb". In English, this argumentation is well known, but in Russian, it looks almost original. However, readers of this article are not supposed to compare it with English language news!

As for Abarinov's argumentation itself, legal, moral and historical considerations aside, it fails to account for escalation effect. Rebels do not hesitate to use and experience torture, so using it against them only escalates the conflict. From the other side, intelligence extracted under torture is notoriously unreliable.

In fact, its main usage is likely to be black PR rather than operational. This is exactly what happened to infamous Iraq-Al-Queda link. Now it appears to be based on testimony under torture /2/. In fact, main purpose of this PR operation was to create general confusion and justify the invasion of Iraq.

Finally, we can remember the recent scandal with propaganda planted in the Iraqi media. In both cases, translation manipulations work pretty much the same way. Like Russians, Iraqi consumers of these "news" are not supposed to compare texts they have in their hands with news in English - and connect the dots.

1. Grani. V.Abarinov. For whom the bomb ticks: http://grani.ru/opinion/abarinov/m.99391.html

2. NYT. DOUGLAS JEHL. Qaeda-Iraq Link U.S. Cited Is Tied to Coercion Claim: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09/politics/09intel.html
The Bush administration based a crucial prewar assertion about ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda on detailed statements made by a prisoner while in Egyptian custody who later said he had fabricated them to escape harsh treatment, according to current and former government officials.
The officials said the captive, Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi, provided his most specific and elaborate accounts about ties between Iraq and Al Qaeda only after he was secretly handed over to Egypt by the United States in January 2002, in a process known as rendition.

3. Rick Jervis, Zaid Sabah. Probe into Iraq coverage widens: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-12-08-media-probe_x.htm
A U.S. investigation into allegations that the American military is buying positive coverage in the Iraqi media has expanded to examine a press club founded and financed by the U.S. Army.
The Baghdad Press Club was created last year by the U.S. military as a way to promote progress amid the violence and chaos of Iraq, said Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a military spokesman.