I guess Rumsfeld won't be traveling to France anytime soon

BBC NEWS | Europe | Col Gaddafi faces torture lawsuit: "A Palestinian-born doctor jailed in Libya for allegedly infecting children with HIV has filed a suit for torture against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi."

I know, I know, diplomatic immunity and all that but this is important. Gaddafi very much wants to play big kids. If he wants to have relations with first world countries then he needs to clean up his act. One of the many things he needs to do is reject torture.

Silly dictator, only America is allowed to torture.

APA Rules on Interrogation Abuse - washingtonpost.com

APA Rules on Interrogation Abuse - washingtonpost.com: "SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 19 -- The American Psychological Association ruled Sunday that psychologists can no longer be associated with several interrogation techniques that have been used against terrorism detainees at U.S. facilities because the methods are immoral, psychologically damaging and counterproductive in eliciting useful information."

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Torture doesn't work. Torture did not work during the inquisition. Torture did not work during the Salem witch hunt. Torture has been the source of demonstrably false information during the war on terror.

A freedom-loving people does not condone torture.

Advisers Fault Harsh Methods in Interrogation - New York Times

Advisers Fault Harsh Methods in Interrogation - New York Times: "WASHINGTON, May 29 — As the Bush administration completes secret new rules governing interrogations, a group of experts advising the intelligence agencies are arguing that the harsh techniques used since the 2001 terrorist attacks are outmoded, amateurish and unreliable."

Told ya so.

Now, for the attention-span impaired: 1) TORTURE IS IMMORAL and 2) IT DOESN'T WORK.

Can we stop now? Please?

General Petraeus Values Message

Values Message (10 May 07).pdf (application/pdf Object)

The Pentagon recently released a survey discussed here in this blog in which alarmingly high percentages of US Forces serving in Iraq condoned torture and said that they would not report abuse of non-combatants. General David H. Petraeus, Commander Multi-National Force Iraq has published a values message to his troops:

"Our values and the laws governing warfare teach us to respect human dignity, maintain our integrity, and do what is right. Adherence to our values distinguishes us from our enemy. This fight depends on securing the population, which must understand that we—not our enemies—occupy the moral high ground. This strategy has shown results in recent months. Al Qaeda’s indiscriminate attacks, for example, have finally started to turn a substantial proportion of the Iraqi population against it.

In view of this, I was concerned by the results of a recently released survey conducted last fall in Iraq that revealed an apparent unwillingness on the part of some US personnel to report illegal actions taken by fellow members of their units. The study also indicated that a small percentage of those surveyed may have mistreated noncombatants. This survey should spur reflection on our conduct in combat."

I never had the honor of serving with General Petraeus. He is one of the great warriors of my generation.

I learned about this off of Blackfive. I lifted the quote off of Michael Yon's blog.

Troops at Odds With Ethics Standards - washingtonpost.com

Troops at Odds With Ethics Standards - washingtonpost.com: "More than one-third of U.S. soldiers in Iraq surveyed by the Army said they believe torture should be allowed if it helps gather important information about insurgents [emphasis added], the Pentagon disclosed yesterday. Four in 10 said they approve of such illegal abuse if it would save the life of a fellow soldier."

Well that my friend is the mother of all "ifs."

I could use the Inquisition as an example, or maybe the Salem Witch Trials, but what the hell... let's use something more current. In February of 2003 then Secretary of State Colin Powell testified before the United Nations that Al Qaida had gone to Iraq to learn about chemical and biological weapons. [reference] This statement was based on the "confession" of a man known as al-Libi who, having failed to talk to his US interrogation team, had been rendered to Egypt. The Egyptians play hardball and there is very good reason to believe al-Libi was tortured. [reference] The problem with the confession, and it makes the case for duress, is that al-Libi later recanted. [reference]

Put yourself in the shoes of someone being tortured. What's your focus going to be? Stopping the pain, right? Your primary focus is going to be figuring out what the evil son of a bitch with the jumper cables wants to hear and telling him exactly that. And if the evil son of a bitch wants you to confess to a crime that occurred a decade before you were born, you'll do it.

Torture as a path to the truth? Torture as a means of extracting valuable intelligence? You've got to be kidding me.