Torture: one of the most shameful and overused forms of warfare. On Wednesday, December 10th, the CIA released the first part of the long awaited extensive report on the methods used proceeding the 9/11 terrorists attacks. What was released was the first part of a 6,000 pages. I am sure that the first series of this information released is only scratching the surface of the brutality used in the war on terror. The Washington Post stated' “An exhaustive five-year Senate investigation of the CIA’s secret interrogations of terrorism suspects renders a strikingly bleak verdict on a program launched in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, describing levels of brutality, dishonesty and seemingly arbitrary violence that at times brought even agency employees to moments of anguish.”
This statement alone honestly fills me with shame and it hurts to think about the physical and psychological torture conducted under America's name. Obviously, the people receiving this torture are suspect and often guilty of awful crimes against the US, but this torture even brought CIA personnel immense amounts of psychological injury. If the CIA wants to take punishable routes, maybe they should approach it in a way that doesn't harm their own agents.
Especially referring to the 9/11 attacks, I feel this torture is completely failing its purpose and therefore unnecessary. The religious fanatics that comprise Al Qaeda were willing to do anything for their faith. They committed suicide and murdered three thousand others when they flew commercial aircrafts into the World Trade Center: a symbol of America's prosperity and success. The pride for their faith and Al Qaeda has led them to do horrific acts, I believe that this specific cultural group would be especially resistant to torturous methods as a form of interrogation, that they would rather die than abandon their faith.
As the world superpower, I believe we have a standard to uphold. Torture and keeping prsoners. In our socio-economic, social, technological position, it is fully possible to win a war without the use of
torture. President Obama stated the Senate report "documents a troubling program" and "reinforces my long-held view that these methods were not only inconsistent with our values as a nation, they did not serve our broader counterterrorism efforts or our national security interests." We as a nation set a moral and ethical precedent for the world to see. Obama also said, the CIA's interrogation program "did significant damage to America's standing in the world and made it harder to pursue our interests with allies and partners." I agree with his statements. There are more effective ways of interceding information that are more effective and beneficial for this country's reputation and morale.
Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war, spoke openly and passionately on the recent release of this information. He himself was beaten, starved, humiliated, and isolated for five and a half years during the Vietnam War. He is the only person of his national status to have the credidation to fully offer an opinion and I believe he expressed it perfectly. McCain described the CIA's methods post 9/11 as a stain on America's honor and with barely any practical value.
Regardless of one's support or repulsion of the use of prisoner torture, I think it is pretty universal that it is one of the most shameful chapter's of American history. Treat others that you want to be treated. America's people would chastise any other nation brutally for using the methods that we ourselves have been quietly using for the pat thirteen years.
Sources: USNI News, Albert Mohler, Washington Post,
No comments:
Post a Comment