Tuesday
Jan202009
A Farewell to George Bush: Does Torture Carry a Cost?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at 9:11
Before we close the door on the Bush Presidency....
For political reasons, there will be no enquiry into the illegal actions of the Bush Administration, let alone an attempt to hold its officials accountable before a criminal court. That makes it even more important that the public investigation --- first as a study of current politics and US foreign policy, later as history --- of how the Executive could bypass Congress, the US courts, and international law to sanction torture should be thorough, ongoing, and unrelenting.
Keith Olbermann, in his provocative and incisive manner, offers a summary: "Mr President-Elect, you have been handed the beginning of [our] future, use it to protect our children and our distant descendants from anything like this ever happening again."
[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hOBbunLBW9w[/youtube]
For political reasons, there will be no enquiry into the illegal actions of the Bush Administration, let alone an attempt to hold its officials accountable before a criminal court. That makes it even more important that the public investigation --- first as a study of current politics and US foreign policy, later as history --- of how the Executive could bypass Congress, the US courts, and international law to sanction torture should be thorough, ongoing, and unrelenting.
Keith Olbermann, in his provocative and incisive manner, offers a summary: "Mr President-Elect, you have been handed the beginning of [our] future, use it to protect our children and our distant descendants from anything like this ever happening again."
[youtube]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hOBbunLBW9w[/youtube]
Reader Comments (1)
3 points:
1. The US also tortures its own citizens
A. Lethal injections.
B. At least 5 states still retain the use of the gas chamber. It's a very painful way to die. It's terrible.
2. As far as I know, only 3 of these foreigners were waterboarded.
3. If the US tortures its own citizens, then why it is any surprise that it tortures those who are not?
http://www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/lethal-injection/page.do?id=1101012
TORTURE DID NOT START AFTER 9/11.
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THE PROCESS
'The prisoner is bound to a gurney; two needles are inserted into the prisoner's veins and a saline solution is injected.
Sodium thiopental, an anesthetic, is injected to put the prisoner to sleep.
Pavulon, or pancuronium bromide, is released, inducing paralysis and stopping breathing.
Finally, the flow of potassium chloride stops the heart. This chemical can cause excruciating pain if the prisoner is still conscious.
The Potential Problems
The prisoner resists and delays establishment of an intravenous line.
The execution team is not able to find a suitable vein.
The mixture or composition of drugs is wrong.
The direction of flow of the injection is wrong.
The chemicals are directed into tissue rather than a vein.
The prisoner does not react normally to the drugs.
The Results
If not rendered unconscious, the inmate will feel excruciating pain; if paralyzed by the pancuronium bromide, the inmate will be unable to show this pain.
Some executions have lasted between 20 minutes to over an hour and prisoners have been seen gasping for air, grimacing and convulsing during executions.
Autopsies have shown severe, foot long chemical burns to the skin and needles have been found in soft tissue.'