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The Psychologists of Torture

Medical professionals designed and helped to implement Bush administration interrogation practices.

By Frederick Clarkson

One of the key, if underreported, findings in Tuesday’s bombshell Senate committee report on the Bush-era treatment of U.S. military detainees was the role of civilian and military psychologists in devising, directing and overseeing the torture of prisoners. While the report highlights the role of senior Bush administration officials in approving “aggressive” interrogation techniques, it also exposes how medical professionals helped… return to article

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    The Geneva Conventions promulgated a set of actions and behaviors to make wars more humane: organized military formations, recognizable uniforms and insignia, limits on certain weapons, etc.  Governments that signed and observed the Geneva Conventions could expect humane treatment for its personnel, including its personnel held captive. 

    Any person or any nation violating the Geneva Conventions removes themselves from consideration for protection under the Genva Conventions.  Thus, during the Battle of the Bulge, Germans speaking English and dressed in American uniforms infiltrated American lines to cause disruptions.  When they were caught, they were summarily shot and no one had cause for complaint.  The same applies to terrorists and pirates.  “Pericardis alive or Raisuli dead” served wonderfully well to sharpen the minds of miscreants 200 years ago, and would do the same today if we availed ourselves to methods that we know will work, and are in strict accord with the Geneva Conventions. 

    Marxist Lenin, Marxist Stalin, Marxist Mao among them killed near 100 million innocent people by working them to death, starving them to death, torturing them to death, or executing them outright.  Marxist Pol Pot killed one-third of the people in the Cambodian nation, and Marxist Kim Jong-Il has more recently starved and tortured million of his own people to death and this continues to this date. 

    So it is more than ironic that Marxist Obama and the left is suddenly dismayed that Americans should pour water on the faces of terrorists or put a pair of panties on their head. 

    It defies belief that Marxists care one way or the other about anything other than their own march to power, following in the footsteps of Lenin, Stalin, and Mao.  The Marxists are creating a great stink about nothing by releasing classified documents; this is a distraction. 

    Obama’s real agenda is seizing control of the banks (Item 5 in The Communist Manifesto) and seizing the means of production (Item 7 in The Communist Manifesto).  While too many people are fretting over torture or homosexual marriage or spotted owls, Obama is taking extra-legal and patently unconstitutional actions that will destroy our Constitution and our way of life.  If we choose to let him do so.

    United States Posted by scorp on Apr 30, 2009 at 9:01 PM

    Think about it…

    What if interrogating Mohamed Atta or any of those involved in 9/11 would have prevented the WTC and Pentagon attacks by using waterboarding or even,

    “...beating, sexual and cultural humiliation, forced nakedness, exposure to extreme temperatures, exploitation of phobias, sleep deprivation and sensory deprivation.

    Would you have done it?

    If your answer is “NO!” how would you feel about that?

    President Obama and his Attorney General seem willing to put their own “comfort level” of acceptable treatment of prisoners ahead of protection of the USA.

    Not a great idea if being nicer doesn’t change the terrorists’ behavior. (Oops we don’t call them nasty names anymore.)

    United States Posted by whattheheck on May 4, 2009 at 2:33 PM

    Whattheheck….this logic or truthfully Blackhorse should referr to this train of thought as illogic or mislogic or fearmongering; but none the less ; only makes sense if one is say….clairvoyant or possible has the ability to read minds…Amerika cannot and should not go around torturing humanbeings in the obscure hope that in some pervented way this will prevent the possiblity of a terrorist attack . To the contrary , my over zealous friend or should I say fiend…this ungodly behavior , may or does cause individuals too plot said terrorist activities…Furthermore one must also take into consideration the poor unfortunate bastard that had nothing to do with any of this behavior but none the less…becomes a victim of your dastardly fearful behavior..Torture is wrong..immoral and ungodly , studies have proven the information gathered to be unreliable…My dear sir…me thinks you protest wrongly too the highest degree of insanity…...............true

    United States Posted by blackhorse on Jun 26, 2009 at 9:15 PM

    Now scorpy you know this Obama bashing…is just your little way of being the petty little man that you have always been . Face it ; Obama is ten times the man you could never be…accept it…Obama is not the cause of Amerikas problems , it’s pinhead Bushy , such as yourself that have caused Amerikas problems..Take responsiblity for your own nonsense , be a MAN for once in your life ...Stop hating…Blackhorse would say more , but I’m late for my workout…Back too bash you at another time….....................true

    United States Posted by blackhorse on Jun 26, 2009 at 9:32 PM

    P.S…WTH…Blackhorse has missed talking with you…I have been off-line for some time now…If you don’t recognize my lefty style..this is or was at one time none other than your old antagonist REDHORSE!!! I see not much has changed in your reasoning ablities in the past couple of years…one would guest that the old sayings are the truist , unfortunately ” You can’t teach an old dog new tricks “...Well anyway ” Hello”, and remember too always live and learn…......Bye now…

    United States Posted by blackhorse on Jun 26, 2009 at 9:45 PM
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