If the U.S. didn’t torture; if the report is such an exaggeration of what the CIA did; then why has the Obama administration put the Marines on high alert protecting U.S. facilities around the world?
This morning, the “liberals” on MSNBC are challenging Senators who fought to release the report on why “you are risking American lives,” even though “we don’t do this anymore?” Senator Udall pointed out that former interrogators had told him that it’s not the report that endangers U.S. lives, but what U.S. forces did that created animosity to the U.S. around the world, and among all kinds of people. He even suggested that a future president could go back to using torture.
Well, duh.
In a way, it’s laughable that the government is so worried about a digest of a report that’s already been so watered-down it doesn’t even use the word “torture” to describe the Bush era torture camps, secret renditons and so-called “black sites.”
As weak and redacted as the document is reported to be, the Obama administration has still fought to keep it secret, even until this weekend. Remember the Presidential candidate who wanted transparency? He became the President who opposes accountability when it comes to war crimes.
The report will raise the issue, again, of other governments such as Poland, which fully collaborating with the torture regime. Will it talk about the Murbarak regime in Egypt, Assad in Syria, and Jordan providing the facilities & torturers where U.S. victims of rendition were disappeared?
The best summary of look critically at this report comes from Dan Froomkin: 12 Things to Keep in Mind When You Read the Torture Report.
Then there’s artist Clinton Fein’s tweet (@clintonfein), linking to his gruesome, brave work from 2007. Abu Ghraib as the indelible mark on “America,” land of torture, indefinite detention, and rendition. Thank you, Clinton!
We are what we do. We are what we allow. We are what we tolerate. #InOurName http://t.co/gN0omOycbO #TortureReport #tcot #tlot #torture
— Clinton Fein (@clintonfein) December 9, 2014