Justices… how in earth could you refuse to HEAR the case of a German Citizen who was wrongly “retained” and tortured by the CIA for FOUR MONTHS. Mr. Masri’s horrible experienced ended when he was dropped off on an Albanian hill top after months of interrogation and an initial stripped, beat, shackled, diapered, drugged and chained flight to Afghanistan… All of this pain and outrageousness caused because Mr. Masri was a victim of “mistaken identity” apparently the CIA confused him with a “terrorism suspect” of a similar name… uggg
The Arguments from the side happy with this rejection proclaim that by allowing a court hearing to progress “state secrets” would be revealed… what a simple distraction tactic! Claim our security will be bruised and suddenly its OK not to hear a case about torture and American abuses abroad… its suddenly ok for Bush to take liberties with our own liberty and to run the American image through the mud even more…
I realize that sometimes there ARE state secrets that are important, and I also admit that I do not know all of the “secrets” that may or may not have come out from such a trial but I do strongly feel that there still MUST be a way for justice to be served and for those responsible for allowing and the instruction of such horrible operating procedures to face the consequences. Its far to easy to claim the national security trump card, especially when there is no end in sight to this “war” we are supposedly in and no end in sight of the outrageous over step of power this Admin feels its entitled to. The debate over freedom vs security will rage on for sometime and I hate to use an over drawn quote but its quite relevant…
Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.
In fact, by giving up Liberty you lose both it and your own safety… some have realized this, many more need to…
On a side note…
What would happen if you disappeared for 4 months with no contact with your friends and family? Many would suspect you dead, you’d lose your job and would probably return to a financially ruined life… all because someone in the Bush Admin decided that equal protection and due process do not apply to those they see as being involved with this “war” on terror. It saddens me that the CIA ruined this mans life. I don’t have any first hand knowledge but have little faith that any type of restitution or even an apology was given to this man.
Please, heaven forbid I resemble someone the CIA wants to talk to… I’d probably never be heard from again.
We MUST continue to use torture to obtain information….unless you can come up with 16 year old virginis.
Pagano
October 11th, 2007
That is False. Studies – Research – information from the people who KNOW (IE those who specialize in these things) have made it quite clear that torture does not provide good creditable information. When you’re subjected to that crap you will say ANYTHING to stop the pain. Listen to McCain on this one, he knows, hes been there done that. Also, you yourself mentioned 16 virgins… if you had that waiting for you because of a cause you believed in so adamantly that you were willing to kill innocent civilians wouldn’t you simply prefer to die from the torture and get your prize than to give up information that would then insure you get nothing but a ugly girl with a VD after death?
On top of this truth, is the fact that we AGREED as a NATION not to conduct torture by signing the Geneva Conventions. If we don’t abide by the laws we helped to create and then signed, what WILL we abide by?
Additionally there are many other issues raised by Mr. Masri’s ordeal, many liberties where stomped upon and its a sad fate that the court wont hear this case.
Mental Dribble
October 11th, 2007