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Andrew Sullivan still pushing Abu Ghraib story

Andrew Sullivan is still mad about what he considers to be a cover-up (link) and he includes a link to a Time Magazine article that contains some brief descriptions of heretofore unrevealed abuses by Military Intelligence interrogators, but nothing about cover-ups. This is what Andrew writes:

We are getting information that electrocution of genitals, rape and murder are also part of the "coercive interrogation techniques" allowed at Saddam's former torture-palace. All the more reason to find out if these methods were approved by higher-ups, all the way to the secretary of defense. I will be harangued for continuing to write about this. But it is a huge deal if torture has been sanctioned by this administration in secret and on the authority of only the president, against U.S. and international law. We need to know what is in the April 2003 memo entitled "Coercive Interrogation Techniques approved by the Secretary of Defense." Did Rumsfeld authorize Abu Ghraib? Is he responsible? Is the administration knowingly scape-goating underlings for doing what they were told? The memo should help clear it up, and presumably exonerate Rumsfeld. So why won't he clear his name? It should be subpoenaed, if necessary.

As you know if you’ve read my blog, I am mad at the news media for pushing the Abu Ghraib story but downplaying the beheadings of American hostages. Especially with respect to the repeated showings of photos from Abu Ghraib.

I also believe there is something to the viewpoint that in order to fight a successful war against insurgents, we need to use some bad-ass tactics, including coercive interrogation techniques.

But I am outraged that low level soldiers are being court-martialed while higher-ups who implemented the policies pretend they know nothing. No one is man enough to say “yes, this was the policy, and let me tell you why it’s necessary for us to be bad-asses…”

posted Monday, June 21, 2004

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