A new congressional report was released last week detailing the controversial CIA torture program during the years following the September 11 attacks on the twin towers. The report detailed several despicable ways detainees were treated at various CIA black sites, detainees endured waterboarding, sleep deprivation, confinements, rectal feeding and death from hypothermia. The most despicable aspect of the report was that psychiatrists, psychologist, and some physicians originated some of the torture techniques used by the CIA. After 9/11 there was tremendous fear in the country, this fear was soon replaced by anger, then this anger manifested in a ubiquitous urge, in everyone, to help in bringing those responsible to justice. This pervasive …show more content…
As a medical student the involvement of American doctors in torturing prisoners of war is troubling since it is reminiscence of Nazi doctors experimenting on Jews in concentration camps during WWII. Also, as students we are taught to “do no harm,” but do no harm to whom? In this case, the prisoners or the American people. For example, if a physician perceives that helping the government derive ways to torture prisoners would prevent the next terrorist attack, as a citizen, is he obligated to help? In this instance, who is the physician responsible to: the American people or the Hippocrates oath? If the physician helps the government inflict harm on prisoners, innocent or not, he is breaking his oath; but if he declines to help and there is another terrorist attack, then he is betraying his fellow citizens. These questions would be easier to answer if physicians were not citizens of any state, but only healers and nothing more. But this sentiment is naïve and only feasible in an idealistic world. However, we don’t live in a perfect world, instead we live in a world confined by borders, marred by terrorism and imbued with nationalism and statist
government sets to preserve safe, humane and ethical procedures on people.” (PRIYANKA BOGHANI) Furthermore, a Columbia University task force observed that Medical officials in the CIA “played a critical role in reviewing and approving forms of torture, including waterboarding, as well as in advising the Department of Justice that ‘enhanced interrogation’ methods, such as extended sleep deprivation and waterboarding that are recognized as forms of torture, were medically acceptable.” (PRIYANKA BOGHANI), therefore holding CIA responsible for inappropriate behaviour while intergoating with detainess like Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud. The Case CIA v. Ben Soud conclude by proving that the CIA is and has been corrupt and will to to all extreemes to cover up the brutal treatment with detainess. An example if the process of filing this lawsuit since it had been refused due to past efforts to hold the CIA accountable, the U.S. government blocked cases from moving forward, arguing that lawsuits would risk exposing state secrets and other corrupting cases. But since the release of the Senate torture report, much of the relevant information for the case is now
We are aware of some of these “enhanced interrogation techniques” from various leaks and the CIA’s torture report. Some of these techniques consist of rectal feeding and rehydration which is a debatable technique itself since it is thought to be a helpful method to dehydrate detainees who refused to eat. Another technique is the confinement in a box where detainees are kept inside small boxed for long periods of time. The most commonly heard about, waterboarding: where the detainee is strapped on the board tilted down, head to the ground while the face is being covered with a cloth and water is poured down making them have a drowning sensation. Other techniques also include beating and threats to their family members and loved ones, along with
In the Toronto Star Newspaper editorial “Send in the psychologists to study the psychologists” (2015), Rick Salutin asserts that the American Psychological Association (APA) conspired with the Department of Defense (DOD) to allow and participate in the torturing of detainees for their own selfish motivations and had they been objective scientists, they would have recognized the phenomenology of torture (2015). Salutin addresses the recent scandal involving the APA and some members, physically participating as well as sanctioning the legality of torture. He cites his reasoning with the recent reports released by government, news outlets, and an independent investigation. The author also offers that several high level officers
A prison located in Iraq, “Abu Ghraib” was occupied by United States army in the early 2000s, where Iraqi detainees and tortured. While the United States hoped to acquire information about terror in hopes to save a greater number of people, reducing other people to merely a means was unethical. In this review of the case of Abu Ghraib, I will examine various events and possible contributing factors to unethical treatments of prisoners. Further, This essay will explore two opposing perspectives for and against reasoning for tortures. To respond to the unethical nature of the guards' behavior, I will apply Kant's method to ethics. Additionally, while trying to explain why the United States actions, I will refer to Utilitarianism. Lastly, This
The US Senate Intelligence Committee released a report in 2014 about the interrogation tactics used by the CIA during George Bush’s Presidency after 9/11. Composed mainly by Democrats, it is seen as containing a strong bias which led to the CIA being depicted as cruel and unjust, and guilty of illegal torture. Coined the “torture report,” it’s unsurprising that there are a few who are wary of the CIA after reading this. However, it seems that the Senate report misinterpreted the interrogation methods of the CIA as torture. There may be instances in which the interrogation goes too far, but there is no denying it has significantly helped America’s fight against terrorism and saving lives. Although the CIA’s interrogation program is intensive,
“With its provocative detail splashed across the TV screens, front pages and websites of our media, the report will undoubtedly endanger American lives” (PRO: Report gives extremists a rallying cry). The Senate report released about the CIA tortures detailed actions made by CIA officials towards torturing prisoners. It explains the use of various forms of torture in the United States ever since the September 11th, 2001 attack and 2006 during the war on terror. Many people argue that the CIA torture report did not hurt the United States and its interests, but there is enough evidence to believe otherwise. For starters, the Senate report encourages extremists to further attack the United States, it leaves the US completely defenseless due to the fact that not many countries will be willing to help the US in any oncoming war, and lastly it caused immeasurable damage to the United States' public standing, as well as to the United States' longstanding global
The United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence reviewed the eight most cited examples as evidence of success by the CIA and assessed whether the Enhanced Interrogation Program played a legitimate role in these cases. (Please note that in the following cases, information given about the cases themselves are based on research by Apuzzo et al. In the article “Does Torture Work? The C.I.A.’s Claims and What the Committee Found,” references are made to the Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. For clarity of citations, quotes from the Senate report will be cited as “U.S. Senate page
Torture is one of the most provocative topics within modern day government and interrogation practices. While the United States constitution’s eighth amendment states that the use of cruel and unusual punishment is a violation, there have been instances whether you look at the Civil Rights era or post-September 11, 2001. Torture has been unfortunately remained a fairly common practice. This book delves into the perspectives of many authors on their views of torture.
Torture, being defined by the 1984 Convention Against Torture is the “cruel, inhumane, or degrading infliction of severe pain or suffering, physical or mental, on a prisoner to obtain information or a confession, or to mete out a punishment for a suspected crime” (Beehner), is condemned and considered illegal by the United States of America and carries severe punishment for those that carry out the act. Yet the numerous amounts of maltreatment of the detainees held by the US during the War on Terror has led to humanitarian interference and, more notably, concern from the United Nations assembly. The most prominent facility in which these detainees are being held is the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, a site used for indefinite detention (mostly without trial), yet other secret prisons (operated by the CIA) are scattered about the world, which are also used for “enhanced” interrogation purposes.
On December 9th, 2014, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) released a 525 page excerpt of a 6,000 page report detailing the findings of the study of the Detention and Interrogation Program conducted by the CIA. The SSCI condemned the actions of the CIA and its constituents for they had committed numerous acts of tortious conduct. As this report is processed by the public, the CIA has distanced itself from the situation pronouncing premature accusations have been made considering the whole truth has yet to be unclassified. A central debate is whether or not the torture committed by the CIA provided intelligence information that prevented acts of terror or aided in the apprehension of terrorists. Two ethical issues
Mohamed al-Kahtani was a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay who endured numerous disgusting and truly horrifying acts of torture. Being seduced by prostitutes and female officers, told to act like a dog and forced to crawl on his hands and feet while barking, and forced to urinate himself are just a few examples of the type of life prisoner’s at Guantanamo Bay are living. They are held in solitary confinement, while all day and night their lights in the rooms are kept on. Each day prisoner’s are tortured. Whether it is psychical or emotional torture, it is occurring all round the camp. Prisoner’s being tied down and forced to listen to extremely loud rock music for and extended period of time is one of the tactics used
Before delving into the exploitation of doctors during war we must first understand their value in society by examining the values upheld in being a doctor. The path of ‘doctorhood’ generally entails a lengthy and laborious pathway that can very well last over a decade. Along this course of attainment, the core values of human rights and ethical practice are repeatedly pounded into the individuals. In consequence, those who reach the end of the road are the cream of the crop and are assumed to be exceedingly exceptional human beings. Furthermore, all newly qualified doctors uphold the Hippocratic Oath
The Committee Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's Detention and Interrogation Program The rest of it remains classified. The report details actions by CIA officials, including torturing prisoners, providing misleading or false information about classified CIA programs to the media, impeding government oversight and internal criticism, and mismanaging of the program. It also revealed the existence of previously unknown detainees, that more detainees were subjected to harsher treatment than was previously disclosed, and that more forms of torture were used
Torture has been used throughout history to obtain pertinent information from terrorists of the state by using many different techniques both physical and emotional. The definition of torture as it pertains to gaining information is any “act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession” according to the Convention Against Torture. The legality of torture has been discussed within the international community multiple times creating multiple treaties. Such treaties came from the Geneva Convention and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. While the countries who sign these treaties have an obligation to create effective legislation against the torture of terrorists, some countries still skirt around the international laws. The United States has used torture in the recent years to obtain intelligence from suspected terrorists. The moral dilemmas behind these actions are controversial and are debated whether or not such actions should be used to achieve information. While some organizations believe the torture of terrorists is beneficial to the United States, torture is immoral, unjust, and should not be used by any organization or state to achieve its goals. The basis for the argument against torture can be affirmed using well known and accepted moral understanding from known
After 9/11 attacks happened, With President Bush’s consent, the CIA constructed new interrogation techniques that mainly focus on using cruel and inhuman ways to breakdown the suspects in order to acquire information that the CIA believes they have and extract confessions for things that the CIA believes they have done. Some of the cruel interrogation techniques includes “sleep deprivation, slapping, subjection to cold and simulated drowning, known as "waterboarding".”( CIA Tactics ) Take waterboarding for example, “in which a person is strapped on a board with a rag or cloth covering his or her face and doused with water” (Does Waterboarding Have) During the waterboarding, water will get into lungs and it is proven that waterboarding will cause profoundly traumatic to not only lungs, but also brain damage from oxygen deprivation, not to mention the serious psychological damage afterwards. Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, one of the key prisoners from