Revealed: the tough interrogation techniques the CIA wants to use
Details emerged yesterday about the seven interrogation techniques the CIA is seeking to be allowed to apply to terror suspects. Newsweek magazine reported that a New York lawyer, Scott Horton, who has acted as an adviser to the US senate on interrogation methods, had acquired a list of the techniques. The details were corroborated by information obtained by the charity Human Rights Watch.The techniques sought by the CIA are: induced hypothermia; forcing suspects to stand for prolonged periods; sleep deprivation; a technique called “the attention grab” where a suspect’s shirt is forcefully seized; the “attention slap” or open hand slapping that hurts but does not lead to physical damage; the “belly slap”; and sound and light manipulation.
These things don’t seem to me to be quite the same as pulling out someone finger-nails. I would certainly be open to arguements as to why any or all of these things are absolutely unacceptable, but at first glance I don’t see a real issue with subjecting ‘high value’ targets to them.
