Open letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein:
I find it fascinating you presented a 6,700 page report (which took five years to complete) on CIA's interrogation techniques. Does this mean the Congress of the United States was totally ignorant of any sort of torture being done by the CIA in the name of our country?
Possibly, you might recall the Abu Ghraib torture scandal back in March of 2003 in which the CIA committed a series of human rights violations (torture) which included physical and sexual abuse, torture (including water boarding), rape, sodomy and murder. In fact, 60 minutes, the New York Times and the Associated Press had extensive coverage which included pictures of naked prisoners being led around with some sort of dog collar and straps. Does this sound familiar?
At that time (2003) there were news reports of "Extraordinary Rendition" by the US where suspected terrorists were abducted and shipped to countries known to torture prisoners. Moreover, multiple news reports indicated harsh torture techniques (including water-boarding) were being used at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp (GITMO). In fact, a legal memo dated March 14, 2003, approved harsh interrogation techniques against terror suspects and that President George W. Bush's wartime authority trumped any international ban on torture.
Even though this memo was rescinded in December 2003, it was clear this country was encouraging harsh interrogation techniques in violation of US law and the human rights doctrine established by the Geneva Convention. In your official report (March 11, 2004) you refer to a CIA briefing:
"The resulting staff report (2009) was chilling. The interrogations and the conditions of confinement at the CIA detention sites were far different and far more harsh than the way the CIA had described them to us."
Really? Are you saying your Intelligence Committee and the Congress of the United States were totally unaware of the vast use of torture techniques even after extensive world-wide reporting revealed ugly and disgusting pictures along with extensive documentation?
The Geneva Convention defines torture in the following terms:
"Any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from . . . information or a confession, punishing him for an act he . . . has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him."
With respect to Abu Ghraib, and after considerable world-wide criticism, eleven soldiers were convicted of various charges related to this publicized disgrace. Most soldiers only received minor sentences, and no one was convicted for the murders of detainees.
The real question here is: Now that you have a 6,700 page report which defines our role in acts of harsh torture techniques, WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO DO ABOUT IT?
In order to salvage our country's reputation, don't you think those persons responsible for acts of torture as defined by the Geneva Convention (which this country ratified) should be brought before some sort of magistrate or court of law?
Gee Senator Feinstein, you and your committee opened this can of worms - many of us are waiting to see if you, along with Congress, have the moral turpitude to do something about it!