Torture by CIA published

Recently, the Senate intelligence committee published a report regarding the torture performed by CIA in the era of George Bush administration in the US. Its content ignited broad criticism from foreign countries.

The Verge: Senate report details heinous torture methods used by the CIA after 9/11

After the 9.11 terrorism destroyed the World Trade Center, the US government became much keen to control over terror inflicted by Al-Qaeda or other forces. Continuity of Operations Plan was carried out for the first time since it was enacted. Concern to the risk of terrorism was elevated, leading to strengthened security checking at the airports. Some of the responses were proven as excessive to minimize the cost-effectiveness.

My past entry: Cognitive bias and risk control

According the the published report, several suspects were tortured by the CIA. It utilized even inhuman methods to get the information of terrorism from the subjects, calling it "enhanced interrogation techniques."

Financial Times: IA torture report: The key findings

Furthermore, such techniques looked not so efficacious to make the terrorists, even if true, confess the right information. After all, forced confession by torture has been only effective in a crime novel.

Whether George Bush was involved in this plan is not clarified. The report denied the awareness of him to the conduct. But it is doubtful that the president of the US did not know about the activity of the CIA. Dick Cheney, former vice president said that the permission of the president was necessary to carry out the program. He also insisted that this program was justifiable for protection of the US citizens from terror.

NBC News: Dick Cheney Says Report Faulting CIA Interrogation Is 'Full of Crap'

More or less, there may be injustice in national espionage. Nevertheless, such tortures cannot be accepted. Using such cruel ways, the US would lose the validity of its own ideology of respecting liberty and fairness.

The only thing to be admired is the fact that the report was published by the US people. It is pleased that they were no longer concealed, even if it was done by political games.


*Sequel