The Torture Memos, 10 Years Later

The Atlantic Wire:

On February 7, 2002 -- ten years ago to the day, tomorrow -- President George W. Bush signed a brief memorandum titled "Humane Treatment of Taliban and al Qaeda Detainees." The caption was a cruel irony, an Orwellian bit of business, because what the memo authorized and directed was the formal abandonment of America's commitment to key provisions of the Geneva Convention. This was the day, a milestone on the road to Abu Ghraib: that marked our descent into torture -- the day, many would still say, that we lost part of our soul.

Read the whole story: The Atlantic Wire

Comments

[Bryant Wikins]

10:08 PM on 04/06/2012

Bush is the Anti-Christ, Satain.

[topflight13]

12:00 PM on 02/07/2012

I was so confused by all of this since fox news reported Bin Laden dead 12/26/2001.
untreated lung infection. That meant Bin Laden was already dead on 02/07/2002.

[stargazer13]

11:59 AM on 02/07/2012

all I want for Christmas

is an investigation of the allegations

[stargazer13]

11:32 AM on 02/07/2012

this should be on the front page !!

[stargazer13]

11:31 AM on 02/07/2012

the world no longer believe,s in us

or our dream of equality for the good of all
we have shown our true colors to the world

and the world is horrified

and so am I to be quite honest
that this has been allowed to happen with 51% in my country approving of such dark and twisted behavior by our own !! Elected who decide to walk on the dark side
for not only did we torture we sexually tortured people so dark very very dark eeewwwhhh !!

and please don't reply to my post trying to defend such disgusting dark and twisted behavior

to me !! for I will not be turned in my belief that it is wrong ! wrong ! wrong !

how ever you choose to spin it !!
it is soooooooooooo wrong

[stargazer13]

11:14 AM on 02/07/2012

I as an American born women

am still waiting for the trial to begin !

the ARC of Justice shall bend towards Justice for all

[stargazer13]

11:30 AM on 02/07/2012

at least two :)

[JeanValjean]

10:26 AM on 02/07/2012

I remember very well that during the post 9/11 period, the entire Government appartus (then fully controlled by Republicans) and the media went in a frenzy. Anyone who had the audacity to call for reason was called "unamerican". Many citizens who happened to be muslsims were threatened. To these days, they still remain suspects in the eyes of too many. And neither our elected officials, neither the media did anything significant to reverse that trend. Some political figures still play that angle.
Back then, I was very suprised to see how elected I then held in high esteem caved.
While the Bush administration is the main culprit here, the rest of our then representatives is also guilty by remaining silent.
It will take generations before our image can be restored abroad. And starting new conflicts is certainly not the right path to rehabilitation and return to civilization.

[stargazer13]

11:43 AM on 02/07/2012

I don;t know about the poster above ?

but as for me and my house

we disagree with it !!

[JeanValjean]

11:50 AM on 02/07/2012

In one word: disgusting. This an open door to abuse. The sad part of it is that I believe that most citizens are aginst it, but most lawmakers do what they think is best, regardless of constituants' wishes. It is important to bring to Government back to the people: we have lost it to money and power brokers. So unfortunate.

[Djay0252]

08:51 AM on 02/07/2012

I am reminded of the movie: Kingdom of Heaven where a man (maybe a monk or priest) is announcing that to kill an infidel (Muslim) is the path to heaven...Seems like George Bush gave the centuries old Crusade new birth. He should be brought to trial.

[PandaUnbound]

03:12 AM on 02/07/2012

Illiterate liberals re-writing their revisionists narrative.

[stargazer13]

11:15 AM on 02/07/2012

rewriting history ? really ??

try again !!

[PandaUnbound]

02:46 PM on 02/07/2012

I'll leave that to the revisionists. Waterboarding isn't torture.

[KIVPossum]

01:20 AM on 02/07/2012

Until the US admits it practiced war crimes and violated the Geneva convention, we can never expect the world to believe us again, or do more than laugh when we talk about 'rights'.

[stargazer13]

11:29 AM on 02/07/2012

I agree we will pay for this crap !!! for that is what it is crap !!

for many years !!

[vascopyjama]

01:12 AM on 02/07/2012

Kill and torture all you want because you will only get 3 months home detention.

[waldopepper]

12:08 AM on 02/07/2012

"...we are still too blind to see, or honestly acknowledge, the damage we've done."

Truer words were never spoken.

[Frog in a pot]

11:15 PM on 02/06/2012

Torture
Rape
Murder
And republicans still dont care.

[loki]

11:02 PM on 02/06/2012

and yet W walks free while some poor hard working stiff is in jail for 15 years for having a joint in his car.

What a country we live in. Scared that if we bring a world criminal to justice it will give the US a black eye to the rest of the globe just because he was a president. The truth is, it would raise our status in the world being seen as a country that polices its self. But no, we are run by elitist, and elitist dont do such things. its not proper you know..

[Readbetweentheelevens]

12:09 AM on 02/07/2012

Yeah, like the elitist from Harvard presently sitting in the oval office who successfully prevented the prosecution of the last administration, and has continued and expanded the Bush policies.

[stargazer13]

11:36 AM on 02/07/2012

and when that became clear

our people who thought he was the people ,s man

said ?

Rut !! Row !!

[Readbetweentheelevens]

10:19 PM on 02/06/2012

...and yet he claims he deserves another 4 years? It goes on today and worse. Soon we will see the NDAA in action against protesters.

[loki]

11:04 PM on 02/06/2012

what ???????????????????????????

[waldopepper]

12:09 AM on 02/07/2012

Translation for you loki? What Bush did is Obama's fault because he did not fully undo it.

[stargazer13]

11:56 AM on 02/07/2012

what do you think ?? NDAA means ??

for our future as a society of citizens