Administration of Torture: A Documentary Record from Washington to Abu Ghraib and Beyond

[UpInArms]

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/978023114/9780231140522.HTM

Listen to a podcast interview with Jameel Jaffer and Amrit Singh.

Read sample government memos and documents from the book.

Read an excerpt from the introduction.

Listen to Jameel Jaffer and Amrit Singh on NPR’s Talk of the Nation

"Administration of Torture is a powerful account of the devastating effects of deviating from longstanding legal prohibitions on the mistreatment of prisoners. Through government documents, Jameel Jaffer and Amrit Singh bring to light the grim reality of the torture and abuse of prisoners held in U.S. custody abroad. This book will serve as a historic reminder of the dangers of curtailing human rights protections in the name of national security."-"
—Mary Robinson, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 1997-2002 and President of Ireland 1990-1997

"The issues raised in this book are too fundamental to be left unaddressed. The years ahead will continue to test our security, and we will again be tempted to violate our values in the mistaken belief that we will be made more secure by doing so. Jaffer and Singh remind us that when that test comes, we must find the courage to defend our principles more firmly. It would be difficult to overstate the importance of this message."
—Alberto J. Mora, former U.S. Navy General Counsel

"After the Second World War, the United States played a leading role in developing the rules that govern the conduct of states during times of peace and war. Simply by letting the facts speak for themselves, Jaffer and Singh show how far the country has strayed from that tradition. They go on to present a compelling case for rebuilding what the Bush administration has torn down."
—George Soros, chairman, Open Society Institute

"In gathering these truly telling documents Jaffer and Singh have distilled the essence of an evil that has shamed America. Exposing it can only help remove a terrible national stain."
—John W. Dean, Nixon White House counsel and author of Broken Government: How Republican Rule Destroyed the Legislative, Executive and Judicial Branches

...more...

[razors edge]

1. Torture has only one State purpose.

To stop those who have not yet been tortured from openly opposing the State.

[PDJane]

2. Actually, it is more useful than that...

It "proves" the existence of a shadowy, threatening, world-wide web of islamofascists too, don't ya know. I mean, some guy under torture admitted to knowing about all of it, eh?

[razors edge]

3. The booga booga

has taken my soul. I don't know what I would do if I had to live with the threat that my country's policy decisions could ever affect me and my precious life (savings).

You are beginning to trouble my beautiful mind.