I guess ... it looks .... like torture is a something that elicits false confessions - at least in other places (as implied by the Liberal NYTimes)
Reading this article in the Times (http://www.nytimes.com/...) I once again drop my jaw. It's in the tone.
The tone tells me that "horrific practices" were used to elicit these confessions in Iran. My quotes because the tone is read between the lines - and - it is as it should be. "Confessions" elicited from sleep deprived prisoners who are effectively being tortured should be viewed with total skepticism. Because in the rational world, the thinking human projects that under torturous methods we ourselves would say just about anything. It's that damn liberal empathy that doesn't require us to study the words of legal guardians to come to this conclusion.
So ... where the fuck is that tone ... in dealing with US? With our little habit of indefinitely detaining 'high level prisoners' where the fuck is that manifest clear and unabated rejection of torture which doesn't require some jackass lawyer to nitpick over semantics when it comes to what we have done?
In 2001, Ali Afshari was arrested for his work as a student leader. He said he was held in solitary confinement for 335 days and resisted confessing for the first two months. But after two mock executions and a five-day stretch where his interrogators would not let him sleep, he said he eventually caved in.
The irony here is to me beyond the pale.
Others have diaried regarding the skewed and confused coverage which has been given to the situation in Iran. The truth for me is that I don't know a shred enough about the truth to be any contributor in that discussion. What I do know though is that this piece in the NYT holds its nose against inhumane methods of getting information and implies that the information is suspect under those situations.
Come to the carpet and write the same article about our "High Level Detaineees" at "Gitmo" and other places. I'm betting we never see that day. Please note - this is not an op-ed piece - it's in the news.
Oh - no snark - happy 4th to everyone. As loud as we yell at times I hope we all still want to be Americans - I know I do.
UPDATE - first Rec list - thanks - wish I had time today to answer alll the comments but we're entertaining for the 4th - have a happy one!