Dick Gordon "The Story" on NPR

[Triana]

He interviewed a former IRA prisoner ('Jim') who had been tortured in much the same ways the US is now torturing prisoners in AbuGhraib and Gitmo. Then, he interviewed an 'interrogator' who was in the Army in the past year and who worked either at Gitmo or A-B (can't remember which). The interrogator said he KNEW they were committing war crimes. The story of 'Jim' (the IRA dude) was horrendous. To think that WE or our gov't is doing to people in Iraq what was done to this guy is just absolutely sickening. I literally got sick listening to it.

My GOD. Both men said we're only CREATING MORE TERRORISTS by torturing people (duh). 'Jim' said he wasn't in the IRA but joined AFTER he was tortured because he was so angry about what had been done to him (can you say 'insurgent')? The interrogator acknowledged that more than 90% of the detainees they tortured were innocent. People they just pulled off the street because they happened to be near a bomb, explosive, or guns.

Then, Dick had some airhead woman on who could not sufficiently answer the question as to where the lines ought to be drawn and would not admit that what is being done IS TORTURE - even though it is. She danced around his questions, obfuscated, avoided direct answers, of course. She kept saying that the Geneva Conventions and the 'rules' concerning treatment of war prisoners and detainees were too strict - she said it's OK to cross those lines but simultanously that she was NOT condoning torture. :wtf: Yea. Right. I wanted to grab that beyotch and choke her. What she said made absolutely NO sense at all. She had to ack that it's finally up to the individual 'interrogator' whether to torture or not - because there are no clear rules against it (WTF are Geneva conventions?).

If you remember, Dick Gordon's new show is replacing The Connection on NPR and if you missed today's show, you missed a very important one - not only the first, but on a very timely subject - torture.

[Roland99]

1. The same techniques were used in Abu Ghraib as on Sayyid Qutb in 50s/60s

in Egypt.

The CIA had trained the Egyptians in torture techniques.

[Triana]

2. How many times do we have to relearn the same lessons?

That's one thing that came up. The Geneva Conv were put in place because torture didn't work and it caused more problems than did any good. Now, it's suddenly gonna work? There's no difference in results. They can say "well it's a different war" if they want to but it's not THAT different. Torture didn't work before. It won't work now. It's not working. Innocent people's lives are being ruined, innocent people are being killed, and meanwhile, we're creating more hatred and terrorists.

How damn dumb can it get? :shrug:

Not to mention illegal.
Not to mention that we're as bad as Saddam or terrorists when we're torturing and killing innocents - we can't fix the problem of terrorism by BEING terrorists.

duh.

[Roland99]

5. Well, the neocons are 0-for-3 in creating boogeyman. Iran will make 4.

[Triana]

7. Iz the PNAC plan, man! (n/t)

[KoKo]

3. Kick and Recommend...........Wasn't Gordon just re-hired by some NPR

Stations? Was the show re-named.

[QuettaKid]

4. more info here.

http://wunc.org/thestory/

[Triana]

6. I'm not sure...

...I thought he and the show were new and that he replaced someone. I can't remember all the details now. Mighta been posted about here on DU. Anyone else remember?

Anyway, it was quite a show today - and v.timely!

[Triana]

8. shameless self-kick for evening crowd...

...sorry but this program was just compelling. I probably won't for it for a long time.

[QuettaKid]

9. One more kick

it really was a very compelling program. Especially the interview with the former US soldier who described what torturing people had done to him.