Bush-era torture use 'indisputable,' Guantanamo must close, task force finds

[joeybee12]

An independent task force issued a damning review of Bush-era interrogation practices on Tuesday, saying the highest U.S. officials bore ultimate responsibility for the "indisputable" use of torture, and it urged President Barack Obama to close the Guantanamo detention camp by the end of 2014.

In one of the most comprehensive studies of U.S. treatment of terrorism suspects, the panel concluded that never before had there been "the kind of considered and detailed discussions that occurred after 9/11 directly involving a president and his top advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some detainees in our custody."

"It is indisputable that the United States engaged in the practice of torture," the 11-member task force, assembled by the nonpartisan Constitution Project think tank, said in their 577-page report.

The scathing critique of methods used under the Republican administration of former President George W. Bush also sharpened the focus on the plight of inmates at Guantanamo, which Bush opened and his Democratic successor has failed to close.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/16/17781845-bush-era-torture-use-indisputable-guantanamo-must-close-task-force-finds?lite

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

I'm gonna K&R each time I see this.

[BlueToTheBone]

2. Can we send the to the Hague yet?

Round them all up with the latest terrorists and put them on trial.

[hedda_foil]

3. k&r

[AnotherMcIntosh]

4. Here's the 577 page report:

http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/684407/constitution-project-report-on-detainee-treatment.pdf


From page 1:

The events examined in this report are unprecedented in U.S. history. In the course of the
nation’s many previous conflicts, there is little doubt that some U.S. personnel committed brutal
acts against captives, as have armies and governments throughout history.

But there is no evidence there had ever before been the kind of considered and detailed
discussions that occurred after September 11, directly involving a president and his top
advisers on the wisdom, propriety and legality of inflicting pain and torment on some
detainees in our custody.

Despite this extraordinary aspect, the Obama administration declined, as a matter of policy,
to undertake or commission an official study of what happened, saying it was unproductive to
“look backwards” rather than forward.

[Mojorabbit]

5. I hope this pushes the ptb to do something but I am not holding my breath. :( nt