The Horror! The Horror! Gulag Gitmo Stories Continue to Leak OutTime Magazine has a story on the
approved "torture" techniques used on the man authorities apparently believe was supposed to be the 20th hijacker on 9/11:
More Muscular Strategies: Al-Qahtani’s resilience under pressure in the fall of 2002 led top officials at Gitmo to petition Washington for more muscular “counter resistance strategies.” On Dec. 2, Rumsfeld approved 16 of 19 stronger coercive methods. Now the interrogators could use stress strategies like standing for prolonged periods, isolation for as long as 30 days, removal of clothing, forced shaving of facial hair, playing on “individual phobias” (such as dogs) and “mild, non-injurious physical contact such as grabbing, poking in the chest with the finger and light pushing.” According to the log, al-Qahtani experienced several of those over the next five weeks. The techniques Rumsfeld balked at included “use of a wet towel or dripping water to induce the misperception of suffocation.” “Our Armed Forces are trained,” a Pentagon memo on the changes read, “to a standard of interrogation that reflects a tradition of restraint.” Nevertheless, the log shows that interrogators poured bottles of water on al-Qahtani’s head when he refused to drink. Interrogators called this game “Drink Water or Wear It.”I know, I know, you're saying, "This isn't the country I grew up in, not one that allows poking in the chest with the finger and light pushing." And as to the guys who poured water on al-Qahtani's head, well, hanging's too good for them.
Okay, just kidding. But surely we can all agree this is going too far:
The quizzing now starts at midnight, and when Detainee 063 dozes off, interrogators rouse him by dripping water on his head or playing Christina Aguilera music.Please, effendi, I will tell you want you want, just don't play
What a Girl Wants again!
Around the Horn:
Dinocrats
calls for reparations for the victims of the American Gulag.
Captain Ed
has more.
Lileks chips in,
but funnier.
Hat Tip (On Lileks):
Tinkerty Tonk
