"It is a very gray, blurred line for how far to go to get information," said Justen Sweeting whom I interviewed for the War Story, concerning the ethics behind interrogation and getting intelligence from prisoners of war. I was very pleased with the interview I had with Sweeting becuase of his extensive knowledge of Iraq and opinions on the Bush Administration. He was very bitter and annoyed with how the Administration handled Iraqi soldiers and the lack of experience and knowledge US superiors had regarding Iraq. There was a great blockage of communication between the Iraqis and Americans which ultimately led to large scale domestic violence viewed as terrorism. The Iraqis just wanted US troops out of their country; would you expect anything less than revenge and violence from 500,000 men who were forced to abandon their jobs and traditions?
These "terrorists" were not protected under the Geneva Convention which the documentary, "Taxi to the Dark Side" thoroughly explained. This Academy Award-winning documentary revealed exactly what torture and interrogation meant to the Bush Administration by explaining particular cases at interrogation/prison camps: Bagram, Abu Ghraib, and Guantanamo. Although President Bush eventually pardoned himself (and others from his administration) of war crimes, the ex-soldiers interviewed in the film who were stationed at the camps were not pardoned, and were discharged from the army for bad conduct. These soldiers all agreed they did nothing besides the orders given to them from their superiors, and were often criticized for being "too nice" to the detainees. In reality, the soldiers were poorly trained in interrogation and there was no written orders and directions, so when the soldiers were sent to court, they did not have much to defend themselves. Such measures of interrogation permitted by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was forced nakedness and humiliation (forced to wear women's clothing), forced to stand for a great amount of time by being handcuffed to the ceiling (sometimes 40 hours), forced lack of sleep (most detainees had to stay awake for 20 hours each day), forced masturbation, blows and kicks to the legs to "gain control," and long periods of time in isolation with no light. These psychological measures were meant to "break down" the detainees, but hardly anything was ever accomplished or revealed. Furthermore, the film said almost 93% of the detainees were captured by Palestinians and Afghanis (not US troops) and turned over to US troops for monetary compensation. What?!
It is difficult to remain neutral in this great controversy but I know it is necessary to really have a fair debate. I acknowledge the private sector like Blackwater not paying attention to Geneva because, well, they are private, but what about US troops? A human being is a human being and regardless of their background or beliefs should be treated as a human being. No human being should be subjected to the humililation the detainees at Bagram, Abu Ghraib, or Guantanamo went through. Even Presidential nominee, John McCain, said torture and the interrogation the Bush Administration permitted does not work. What does work, as one lawyer pointed out in the film, is breaking down the barrier of communication between the US troop and the detainee so the prisoner can become comfortable and speak. Can you expect anything more than mumbling from a prisoner who has been naked and cold for three days with a great lack of sleep and no food? You surely can't expect a coherent explanation of their ties with Al Qaeda!
However, these assholes bombed our country on 9/11 and killed hundreds of America's brothers, fathers, and mothers! The detainees should receive nothing less than the agony and torture they put us through. With a lack of orders and superiors constantly reminding soldiers of the great damage those "sons of bitches " caused America, the soldiers working at the camps felt an obligation for revenge and took matters into their own hands, as many soldiers admitted to in the film. Something has to be altered in the way prisoners of war are interrogated. Soldiers, who were constantly referred to as "kids" in the film, must be trained thoroughly, not just for a few hours, in the process of interrogation. I have a feeling, though, the debate will never disappear: how far should we go to get information and what exactly are the ethics of war and torture?
