The Interrogator: What Happened After He Confessed

[babylonsister]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19140640/site/newsweek/

The Interrogator: What Happened After He Confessed
Newsweek

June 18, 2007 issue - What happens when a whistle-blower blows the whistle on himself? Eric Fair confessed in a February Washington Post opinion piece to abusing a prisoner while serving as a civilian interrogator in Iraq in 2004. Fair told NEWSWEEK he had hoped the mea culpa would encourage other interrogators to talk openly about torture. Instead, it ruined friendships and prompted death threats. "I didn't anticipate how palpable the hatred would be," the 35-year-old former GI said from his home in Bethlehem, Pa. Readers accused him of undermining troop morale, even of engaging in treason. Some suggested he appease his own guilty conscience by committing suicide (Fair said in the op-ed that images of the prisoner's standing naked all night in his cell disturbed his sleep). A few offered to pull the trigger.

Still, for every hostile letter writer, two expressed support—including interrogators who said they wished they could tell their own stories. "For people who want to continue working for the Pentagon or for contractors, speaking up is a career ender," he said. One handwritten letter stood out. It encouraged Fair to continue talking publicly about Iraq and about the abuse of prisoners. The letter was signed by former president Bill Clinton.

The ordeal cemented Fair's decision to change course and attend seminary school beginning this fall. Will his confession prevent him from being ordained as a Presbyterian pastor? "There are going to be issues that will come up about my behavior in Iraq," Fair said. But he can always teach theology. Or write more articles.

—Dan Ephron

[hootinholler]

1. K&R for the Big Dog's encouragement. n/t

[gratuitous]

2. "A few offered to pull the trigger."

Gee, isn't that nice? A torturer confesses, and folks want to do him in instead of looking at their own government's culpability in ordering and sanctioning the torture. When the lizard-brains say we're up against an enemy unlike any we've faced before, they aren't kidding. It's just that this enemy is running our beloved country's government, wearing tailored suits and power ties.

[babylonsister]

3. It's hard to fathom; there are none so blind... nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. The same thing happened to Japanese veterans who

confessed to committing atrocities during World War II.

Their fellow veterans cut off all contact with them and/or sent them death threats.

There's a nasty streak in a large portion of the population.

I remember when Lt. William Calley was court-martialed for his role in the My Lai massacre. There was a sickening amount of public support for him. I remember one LTTE in particular: "So what if he ordered the killing of children? They only would have grown up to become Communists anyway." :puke:

[truedelphi]

5. "Christian"ministers are teaching their congregations

That the final battle between good and evil as prophesied in Revelations
Is now at hand

There is a choice to be made - be good and oppose the muslims with all your hearts and souls or
be bad and ask for peace or ignore the muslim threat.

In such a society it is not surprising that this guy received death threats

[HardRocker05]

6. correct. according to the "Left Behind" series, the sec. gen. of the UN will be the anti-christ, and

those who are on 'god's side' will be doing right by fighting against the UN and those calling for peace when Armegeddon approaches. IOW, when it looks like the end of the world might be near, christians should be trying to hasten that end, not avoid it.

[knitter4democracy]

7. Those letters would be from the ones who think torture is a good idea.

They're out there--the ones who think torture works and therefore is needed in order to keep everyone safe. They don't think of how someone under that kind of duress would start saying anything and everything to get it to stop. They don't think of how their own children would react or survive. They just care about staying safe. Scary.