Ex-Interrogators Are Mad as Hell About Torture, and They're Not Gonna Take Cheney Anymore

More and more, former interrogators and counterinsurgency experts are using Dick Cheney's recent ubiquity to expose his iniquity regarding the torture and abuse of detainees. Earlier this week, I wrote about Major Matthew Alexander, the former Senior Interrogator who conducted over 300 interrogations in Iraq and supervised 1,000 more. Alexander relied upon conventional means of interrogation, and his efforts led to the capture and killing of al-Qaeda leader Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi. Yet Alexander also witnessed the perilous consequences of Cheney's torture policy.

In an exclusive interview with Brave New Foundation, Alexander said, "At the prison where I conducted interrogations, we heard day in and day out foreign fighters who had been captured state that the number one reason they had come to fight in Iraq was because of torture and abuse, what had happened at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib."

Today, MoveOn.org and VoteVets.org joined the growing movement to amplify the testimonies of former interrogators and reveal the repercussions of treating prisoners inhumanely. Their joint campaign features a video with Jay Bagwell, an Afghanistan veteran and counterintelligence agent, who reaffirmed Alexander's assessment of Cheney's torture policy. According to Bagwell, "Torture puts our troops in danger, torture makes our troops less safe, torture creates terrorists. It's used so widely as a propaganda tool now in Afghanistan. All too often, detainees have pamphlets on them, depicting what happened at Guantanamo."

Thanks to Alexander, Bagwell, and other former interrogators who have come forward, it's now abundantly clear that the Bush administration's highly controversial, unlawful methods of extracting information were both unsuccessful (read TIME's recent article "After Waterboarding: How to Make Terrorists Talk?") and counterproductive. Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib now stand as evidence of the Bush administration's criminality and morally bankrupt behavior, and they have become recruiting tools for insurgents and terrorists to attack American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The MoveOn/VoteVets video comes in conjunction with a petition urging Congress to support Obama's decision to shut down Gitmo once and for all. Honestly, this campaign couldn't have come soon enough.

Last week, the Senate rejected Obama's call for funds to close Gitmo. And while Obama kicked off his administration by announcing plans to shutter Gitmo and release the Justice Dept's torture memos, as Jonathan Schell explains at the The Nation, Obama has since: hampered the formation of an independent commission to investigate the Bush administration's use of torture; reversed courses on the release of Pentagon photos documenting abuse; supported the continuance of the Bush administration's unconstitutional military commissions; and backed the indefinite detention of detainees.

That's why it's encouraging to see MoveOn throw their weight behind this issue right now, particularly since the video focused on a vet from Afghanistan. "The most powerful grassroots organization in the peace movement" took a lot of heat from activist Tom Hayden recently for largely failing to criticize the Obama administration's plans for military escalation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hayden's absolutely right in that we need MoveOn to play a more active role in shaping public discourse about the long war and torture.

Rather than allow the Obama administration to buckle under right-wing pressure and fearmongering in the wake of Cheney's "Torture Tour," we have to encourage both the president and Congress to close Gitmo, restore America's reputation, and bring guilty members of the Bush administration to justice.

Comments

[GreatNews27]

Torture is now a legal, defensable, desirable tactic in law enforcement. Times change. Get used to it.

[den1953]

Every red blooded American needs to write , call , email whatever it takes to let there congressman & woman,every senator the president anyone who will listen press this issue it is against the law.If you threaten them that there seat is up for grabs whether 2 years or 4 years there out, they will press and get something done!This is for all the troops out there if they get captured you can bet there life from that point will be living hell thanks to the chicken hawks trust me they don't care!This issue does not care whether your one party or the other the captives don't ask they just act on how the other side of war treats there own.

[TeeLolly]

I supported Obama and all he claimed to stand for. However, I am appalled by the extent to which the left now excuses and thereby enables his refusal to investigate or punish Bush-era torturers and policy-makers, and his reinstatement of detention without trial, military commissions for detainees, etc., not to mention his support for the Wall Street thugs who trashed our economy and his side-stepping his promise to eliminate DADT as valuable service members are let go. I sincerely hope Sotomayor does not turn out to be another Tim Geithner, but her record on civil rights cases smacks of Geithner's past associations and personal tax "errors." The question no one seems to be asking is how she will rule on torture, indefinite detention, and other issues affecting the individual rights of those least able to protect their own interests.

[tbone99]

I can't help but wonder when is the date that Huffpo liberals will stop making excuses for him such as
"he's got a lot on his plate, after he takes care of X, he 's trying to be bipartisian, , some other Dept should take care of this- its not his place"

They have been willing to overlook his support of FISA, keeping Bush's emails secret, military tribunals, etc. What will be the wake up point? Or is it as long as a goodlooking, well spoken minority does it ,its it all good?

I voted for change . I am still waiting for it.

[jhamm1]

Here here.

It's been 6 months and already he's instituted 500 Sister-Sou­ljah-momen­ts too many.

[timm553]

Take some solace in the fact that meaningful change doesn't happen at once. Hell, you usually have to wait nine months, just for one baby. Try looking at it from that perspective.

[couillardsucks]

Cheney and the rest of the Bush thugs should just shut up and get a life.....Tim

[Polly]

couillardsucks - I want them to be prosecuted getting a life is too good for them.

[jhamm1]

Indeed. I don't want them to either "get" or "have" a life.

And by "life", I mean as in "the presence of a pulse and brain activity"

[hrholmes]

Unfortunately for America the people we elected to 'change' this mess are now continued enablers. I wrote to my congressional representatives and so far only Sen. Bill Nelson D-FL has replied quote;

Dear Mr. Holmes:

Thank you for contacting me about the U.S. policy on interrogations. I appreciate your taking the time to share your views with me.
I support President Obama, who has said no CIA officials should be prosecuted for doing things the Department of Justice told them were legal. Meantime, I am part of a congressional investigation into the CIA"s past detention and interrogation programs. I will be considering accountability for people who acted outside of Department of Justice guidelines.
As the debate continues and our investigation proceeds, I will make sure to keep your views in mind. If you have any additional concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Sincerely,
Senator Bill Nelson

I guess torture and war crimes are or at least were legal for awhile. Even when we vote we lose via enablers like Nelson. Thanks a pantload Bill. When they come for you I'll be cheering!

[zest]

The terrorists didn' t start coming to our part of the world until we built military bases in their part of the world i.e. Geo. H. W. Bush's air base in Saudi Arabia. So when they fight back we label them "terrorists", which if the situation was reversed and they built military bases in our country which we would try to eject, we would label ourselves "patriots". Go figure.

[tbone99]

great point . This country has one standard for the rest world and a different standard for ourselves
and this is exactly what is sticking in people's craw.

[normathumb]

Isn't it obvious, we are the chosen people. God bless America. When the rest of the planet gets with the program we will all be so much better.

[dessertsfirst]

Perhaps it can be understood that Obama would be reluctant to investigate the previous administration, but as more and more comes to light, it's going to be next to impossible not to do it eventually. Right now, Obama has a lot on his plate to get this country back in business again. Hopefully, looking at the abuses of the past administration is only on the back burner for now.

[demfriend]

From both sides of the subject I look at this and wonder why is it that so many want Obama to be doing things instantly and without preperation for issues that are part of the whole? Is there any reason we should expect Obama to fulfill every single thing he said he would do or try to do when he got into office within the first 6 months when his load is far greater than almost anyone could be expected to have to deal with? I look at the list of things that has grown since he was elected for him to deal with and am amazed that the majority of complaints are he's not down everything yet and wonder why people think he must be superhuman or they are showing their own lack of inteligence. Way too much was left over and hidden by the Bush/Cheney show until they blew town and along with the wars, economy, health care and so on to expect and demand too much from one man is the fault of who? If he is not performing instantly then why are people expecting him too? Weird. I think he is doing as good as he can with what he has to deal/work with.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

I agree. I find people almost rabidly impatient. Regardless of the group, everyone wants Obama to do everything they demand and they want it right now.

[LoriAnn]

I hope listening to "real" people who lived and worked under these policies will continue to bring these issues to the forefront. It is important that all is brought to light regardless of party or affiliation. We need to approach this methodically and surgically to get to the root of the cancer and irradicate it from our society. To continue the health care metaphor... how else can this nation recover from what has been a traumatic 8 years if we cant work thru the truth and the lies to admininster some kind of cure to go forward !! Avoid all the mud being slung as a screen.... our American creed depends on a thorough realistic investigation!!!

[masher]

because millions are suffering right now. So far he has spent his political capital bailing out people who completely failed with hundreds of billions. And he has gotten involved in GM's bailout which will only hurt him. So Obama has done everything to make it impossible to fix the core problems like health care. Obama has already spent hundreds of billions on the banks, GM, and Chyster.

What Obama should have been doing is removing federal regulations that suppress wages in the US. Its simple economics that if wages do not rise then people can not spend. And its a fact that right now the US government in importing labor into the US. And its simple supply and demand. The more labor Obama brings into the US then the less wages will be for US workers.

The only way wages will rise is through a temporary bubble. And it appears that pumping up a bubble is Obama and Geithner's plan right now. But this is not change, its Bush 2.0.

If you can see that then you understand why people are frustrated and impatient. Or well like me, since I tend to notice trends earlier than others, pissed.

Right now I only see this happening one way, bubble. Obama will limp through the midterm on a fake bubble recovery and then he will do everything multi-nationals wants. He will finish the work Clinton and Bush started. But Obama will do it with really great and inspiring talk.

[LazarusLong]

Restructuring the world's largest economy can't be done overnight. There are too many large egos with their fingers on massive amounts of resources that have no intention of changing their behavior.

Stabilize first. What may seem like the making of a bubble is just a temporary return to the familiar so that real changes can be implemented.

The structural changes to the regulatory mechanisms won't start in earnest until AFTER health care reforms are well underway (which will dramatically alter the business landscape - if done correctly).

President Obama is very good at seeing the big picture, making realistic plans and following through - but he's got more patience than most of us.

[timm553]

"What Obama should have been doing is"

Just what the hell do you know about what the President "should have been doing"? What are your qualifications? Do you realize that you only have a small part of the big picture at your disposal and therefore no idea what the man is dealing with? Give me a f***ing break.

[grave-robber]

Disregard my previous comment, I thought it was the same interrogators.

[RTIII]

Next time reply to your own post so it's in-context and where the comment might be misunderstood.

[Yermammy]

Thank you, Mr. Heller in keeping this in the forefront on people's conscience. Bagram AFB is still a big problem, especially since Barack's DOJ is fighting a Federal judges ruling (Bush appointed no less!) that detainees there are to have habeas corpus rights. Hopefully whistleblowers will get the protection they deserve and we can get a full accounting of this with investigations.

[tbone99]

The other problem at Bagram will be that Obama just promoted Gen McChrystal to Commander over Afghanistan. This guy was Cheney right hand man and very involved in torture In Iraq

http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=94884&sectionid=3510203

[Pleneras]

Matthews, Hannity, O'Reilly, Blitzer and all the other's except Olberman & Maddow will not ask the former interrogators to come to their show nor would they pressure Cheney, Rove or any other Bush supporter like the criminal Gordon Liddy and the rest of them with charges of their racists and classless degrading coments. Matthew's will push Burris around but he will not push Rove or Cheney. Why? Some people they can mess with other's they're too coward to confront.

[mbaty]

They wanted to create more terrorists. Imagine that, you torture the citizens of a country you are wrongfully occupying, holding them indefinitely, and what do you know? They get mad. Anyone should have been able to see that one coming--and they did. Obama didn't realize quite what he was getting into, and he probably had no idea that the photos would be so horrific. I still believe in his character. But there are those who have vested interests in continuing the unwinnable and decidedly abstract war on existential fear. Creating new "terrorists" was just part of the plan.

[woodsywizz]

I think we live in an imperfect world, and Obama is doing his best. As for his 'reversals' listed above -
1) an investigative commission: like the 9/11 one, that never got to the truth and filed no charges? The investigation properly belongs in the Justice Department, and/or Congressional committees. And that's where it's happening. Maybe slower than we would like. Massive crimes take lengthy investigation.
2) The Pentagon photos: 279 have been released, 44 are being held back. As the post above says, combatants carry pictures like this for motivation in battle. Should we give them more? But my main point - these pictures are EVIDENCE, and should be held for war-crimes trials.
3) Military commissions: they have been part of our judicial system for centuries. They are a form of court-martial. Obama has REWRITTEN the rules; these are NOT Bush's commissions!
4) Indefinite detention: a POW may be held until the end of the war. Pure Geneva Convention. How, exactly, does this apply to terrorism and unconventional conflict? We may be establishing new law here. Or POW law may cover it.

I feel we are being a bit quick to criticize an insightful, strategic actor who can only clean the stable one shovel at a time.

[sviolette]

This should not take legnthy investigation. These criminals have been all over the airwaves admitting to their crimes. Look at the tapes and arrest the criminals. That could be done today. It's not like we don't know who these people are.

[relevancematters]

You still have to prove it; you have to make a case. This isn't The Tudors on tv.

[Mark Miller]

Nice spin.

[We-Are-The-Ones]

It is not spin. It is fact.

[Yermammy]

The Nuremberg Trials didn't take a long time. They were damned quick, relatively speaking. We can do it, but not with apologies (such as yours).

[We-Are-The-Ones]

Even the Nuremberg trials took more than 4 months to begin.

the poster is not apologizing, he is just not impatiently vengeful.

[augiegram]

The Allies started planning for the Nuremberg trials in 1942. And then it took six months after the defeat of Germany to start the trials. Different circunstances

[FernandoRuiz]

Where are all of the Republicans defending their love of torture? Why is it that the interrogation experts all agree that torture is counterproductive to gathering intelligence and it saved no lives. But Republicans choose to believe a man who refused to serve his country because he "had other priorities at the time". Imagine if the rest of our country were like Dick Cheney and our soldiers in WWII had "other priorities at the time".

[Rogan]

I was just wondering, where all the Republican trolls and paid hacks today? I guess it's Sunday... and those folks only have computer access at work...? (Or maybe they're ALL paid hacks, and they report to the office pool for regular monday-thr­ough-frida­y hours, like telemarketers...)

[bronceye]

If, as cheney says, the torture was justified and fruitful, why are we still at war with people who have done us no harm?

[grave-robber]

It was justified and fruitful in that there were not other mass murder attacks on American soil such as 9/ll

[dessertsfirst]

riiight.... one of the rethugs inane talking points, which really doesn't equate. You have to remember that al Queda bombed the WTC in 1993, and then didn't make another stab at it until they had everything in place.... in 2001. So just because they didn't attack again, really has nothing to do w/ the Bush administration. And we should feel smug because they left America alone, and instead, bombed Madrid and London, and where was it... Malaysia?
Besides, bin Laden wanted to bring America to her knees, and GW Bush did it for him, so actual attacks on American soil wasn't necessary.