Today's readings linked me to an article by William R. Polk on Torture
(guest editorial on Juan Cole's blog)

He was writing about lessons (not learned) from the French handling of the Algerians during the French-Algerian War.

"One of the most influential books on that war, written by Colonel Roger Trinquier, a French paratrooper, argued that torture is to “modern war” what the machinegun was to World War I. Horrified by what they learned was happening, French critics called torture the “cancer of democracy.” Using it, the French not only destroyed their claim to legitimacy in Algeria but also nearly destroyed French civil life.

If there was a lesson to be learned by the Algerian experience, it certainly was not heeded.

Influenced by the French – Trinquier’s book was translated and made available by the CIA "



Out of curiosity, I googled Colonel Roger Trinquier.

The top returns were US militiary sites and this was an interesting item from http://www.usafa.af.mil/jscope/JSCOPE03/Schrepel03.html (U.S Airforce).

It sheds a bit of light on the widening distance between the "from the trenches" military leaders and the Bush/Rumsfield approach.

"Algiers should instruct us about the ethical landmines and limitations of using soldiers in urban terrain, in and among civilians. In the near future, American soldiers may be forced by strategic or operational necessity to operate in urban terrain among a hostile indigenous population. One may assume such battlefields would necessarily be found abroad. In reality, the likelihood of conducting urban operations in domestic cities within the United States should not be ruled out. Wherever an enemy adopts asymmetric attacks, including terrorism, American soldiers must respond to challenge to the American way of war. Combating terrorism in urban areas pits soldiers into uncomfortable and unfamiliar roles. In order to defeat a terrorist enemy, American soldiers at all levels of command will require prior training and education to prevent military operations from becoming moral quagmires without victory or justice. While the message for general officers is plain, political leaders must not be excluded from the educational process. Taking the Pontius Pilate route of symbolically washing one’s hands after the event is no longer a permissible option."

And warnings from the Army:

"This requires an extremely capable intelligence infrastructure endowed with human sources and deep cultural knowledge. Indeed, intelligence is key. As the Commander of the US Army's 1st Armored Division in Iraq, Major General Martin Dempsey, observed in November 2003, "Fundamentally, here in Baghdad we do two things: We're either fighting for intelligence or we're fighting based on that intelligence." Despite unparalleled improvements in military intelligence, the United States does not seem to have the depth and breadth required in human intelligence (humint) and cultural intelligence arenas. Arabic linguists are lacking. .....Mistakes made in the process of waging a counterinsurgency war often reinforce an insurgent's propaganda. For example, accidental shootings, deaths during interrogations, misdirected raids, and inappropriate behavior by new police organizations fuel insurgent claims that the new regime is corrupt or unable to protect the population"

Reading further, it seems that Lieutenant-Colonel Roger Trinquier was reportedly the architect of brutal repression in Algiers. The necessity of "secrecy" was stressed rather than a push to not do the wrong. We see that in the administrations response to the torture.. basically a "we're sorry this got out and the troops will no longer be allowed access to cameras" .

This thinking was behind the atrocities (covertly sponsored by the US-CIA) perpetrated in South America, Latin America, Africa, etc. over the past 50 years. The effectiveness?? We are the most hated nation in the world... We have been instrumental in the "disappearance" of millions of people under the guise of "humanitiy" and "democracy".

I just don't get it !!

The past week has brought many politicians, pundits, and columnists into discusson of "human rights" vs terrorist rights. One of the best articles was Juan Cole's reaction the the waffle by Lieberman on justification of torture.
see: Informed Comment - Juan Cole (archives) date of article: May

"There are several things wrong with this stance. Although Lieberman was trying to distance himself from the Abu Ghuraib practices, he was slipping in a justification of torture under some circumstances. In fact, there is every evidence that "that" was not a long way from Abu Ghuraib at all, and it was precisely Lieberman's reasoning that led to it, starting at Gitmo and spreading. First, torture does not work, and there is no evidence that it worked at Abu Ghuraib. (It may work tactically on a limited basis, but it doesn't work strategically; it throws up bad information with the good and creates lots of enemies; if it worked Algeria would be French soil).
Second, the argument that the ends justify the means always turns human beings into monsters. If something is morally wrong, you don't do it if you hope to remain a moral society. Society would be a lot safer if all known heads of identified criminal organizations were taken out by police snipers. We don't do that. Why? Sen. Lieberman should think about it. That way lies a descent into barbarity before which September 11 would pale.
Third (as a reader reminded me) there were no terrorist suspects at Abu Ghuraib, only persons suspected of knowing something about the insurgency or being involved in it (and apparently from what the Red Cross says, a lot of them were picked up in error anyway).

We Americans either stand for something or we don't. What I always assumed we stood for was the US Constitution. Our State Department annually rates other countries by how well their record stacks up against the US Bill of Rights. That custom seems an implicit admission that we hold these rights and values to be universal, not limited to US soil or only a privilege of citizens. And here is what the founding generation of Americans thought about Abu Ghuraib and torture:
Article 8:
"Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."

The War's Lost Weekend - Frank Rich ... NY Times
"Through a cruel accident of timing, each of (this week's) images (of Iraq) was cross-cut with a retread of a golden oldie: President Bush standing under the "Mission Accomplished" banner of a year ago. "I wish the banner was not up there," Karl Rove had told a newspaper editorial board in the swing state of Ohio in mid-April. Not "I wish that we had planned for the dangers of post-Saddam Iraq before recklessly throwing underprepared and underprotected Americans into harm's way." No, Mr. Rove has his eye on what's most important: better political image management through better set design"

This is surreal ! A not funny parody??

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 5, 2004
President Bush Meets with Al Arabiya Television on Wednesday
Interview of the President by Al Arabiya Television
The Map Room
10:33 A.M. EDT

My thoughts on some of the statements:
"I want to tell the people of the Middle East that the practices that took place in that prison are abhorrent and they don't represent America"
Jerry Springer show? Take the average values shown on American TV and this behavior unfortunately does represent the worst of America...

"it's important for people to understand that in a democracy that there will be a full investigation. In other words, we want to know the truth. "
These abuses were reported by the Red Cross MONTHS ago. Nothing was done until someone finally went public with photos.. And the Pres STILL has NOT READ all the reports.

"there will be a full investigation and justice will be delivered"
Many of the abuses were committed by our mercenaries (not our soldiers) and are thereby "outside" of any law. We set a precedent in Guantanamo when our Pres and cronies decided to do away with the Geneva Convention, the Constitution, or any "Rule of Law" except perhaps the "law of the jungle"...

"the people in Fallujah are tired of foreign fighters and radicals and extremists preventing them from living a normal life"
So does that mean we're getting out???

"still Mr. Sadr in defense with U.S., how do you think this person should be dealt with?

THE PRESIDENT: I think he ought to be dealt with by the Iraqi citizens who are getting tired of him occupying the holiest of holy sites. And
we are very respectful for the holy sites in Iraq, we understand their importance to the Iraqi citizens. Mr. Sadr is occupying those sites as if they're his, and I think the Iraqi citizens are getting tired of that. "
He's the cleric for the mosque and his followers... We bombed the mosque and abused and disrespected the people???

"Free societies do not allow thugs to roam streets and hold people hostage to their whims"
That's a nice thought... so we're going to repeal the "Patriot Act", give the hostages in Guantanamo justice and spend our resources dealing with the thugs in our streets?

Give us a break !!!! Geez.....

Don Rumsfeld: "I think that -- I'm not a lawyer. My impression is that what has been charged thus far is abuse, which I believe technically is different from torture. I don't know if it is correct to say what you just said, that torture has taken place, or that there's been a conviction for torture. And therefore I'm not going to address the torture word."

Taguba Report: "Breaking chemical lights and pouring the phosphoric liquid on detainees; pouring cold water on naked detainees; beating detainees with a broom handle and a chair; threatening male detainees with rape; allowing a military police guard to stitch the wound of a detainee who was injured after being slammed against the wall in his cell; sodomizing a detainee with a chemical light and perhaps a broom stick, and using military working dogs to frighten and intimidate detainees with threats of attack, and in one instance actually biting a detainee."