WP op-ed: Torture has been an instrument of oppression, not intelligence

Torture's Long Shadow
By Vladimir Bukovsky
Sunday, December 18, 2005; Page B01
CAMBRIDGE, England

....So, why would democratically elected leaders of the United States ever want to legalize what a succession of Russian monarchs strove to abolish? Why run the risk of unleashing a fury that even Stalin had problems controlling? Why would anyone try to "improve intelligence-gathering capability" by destroying what was left of it? Frustration? Ineptitude? Ignorance? Or, has their friendship with a certain former KGB lieutenant colonel, V. Putin, rubbed off on the American leaders? I have no answer to these questions, but I do know that if Vice President Cheney is right and that some "cruel, inhumane or degrading" (CID) treatment of captives is a necessary tool for winning the war on terrorism, then the war is lost already....

***

Today, when the White House lawyers seem preoccupied with contriving a way to stem the flow of possible lawsuits from former detainees, I strongly recommend that they think about another flood of suits, from the men and women in your armed services or the CIA agents who have been or will be engaged in CID practices. Our rich experience in Russia has shown that many will become alcoholics or drug addicts, violent criminals or, at the very least, despotic and abusive fathers and mothers.

If America's leaders want to hunt terrorists while transforming dictatorships into democracies, they must recognize that torture, which includes CID, has historically been an instrument of oppression -- not an instrument of investigation or of intelligence gathering. No country needs to invent how to "legalize" torture; the problem is rather how to stop it from happening. If it isn't stopped, torture will destroy your nation's important strategy to develop democracy in the Middle East. And if you cynically outsource torture to contractors and foreign agents, how can you possibly be surprised if an 18-year-old in the Middle East casts a jaundiced eye toward your reform efforts there?

Finally, think what effect your attitude has on the rest of the world, particularly in the countries where torture is still common, such as Russia, and where its citizens are still trying to combat it. Mr. Putin will be the first to say: "You see, even your vaunted American democracy cannot defend itself without resorting to torture. . . . "

Off we go, back to the caves.

(Vladimir Bukovsky, who spent nearly 12 years in Soviet prisons, labor camps and psychiatric hospitals for nonviolent human rights activities, is the author of several books, including "To Build a Castle" and "Judgment in Moscow." Now 63, he has lived primarily in Cambridge, England, since 1976.)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/17/AR2005121700018.html?nav=most_emailed

National Anthem: Torture Splattered Banner
red - viciousness and heartless , white- ignorance and putrid, and blue stands for violence, perversion, and just a bunch of torture freaks

National Bird: Chicken - for cowards

National Motto(s): E Pluribus Torture and In Torture We Trust

Pledge: "I pledge allegiance to the flag(see above) of the Torture States of America.....one nation, under Torture"

National Tree: Any tree with a good hanging branch and thick trunk will do. Hang'em up or nail'em down...either way, can't torture properly unless they're secured and can't fight back. It's to save America, of course.

Liberty Bell is now the Torture Bell

Statue of Liberty is now the Statue of Torture

Thank you,DeepModem Mom, for all you do!

I bookmark you all the time...you post articles I always go back to for reference.

:hug:

I read this on Digby yesterday and wanted to post it here, but then got distracted by other stuff. It's a very powerful piece that ought to be seen by as many folks as possible.

We have GOT to pull this country to sanity somehow!

sw
(k & r)