| TRUTH, TORTURE, AND THE AMERICAN WAY The History and Consequences of U.S. Involvement in Torture Jennifer K. Harbury Amy Goodman (Fwd.) Boston: Beacon Press, September 2005 |
Rating: 5.0 High |
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| ISBN-13 978-0-8070-0307-7 | ||||
| ISBN-10 0-8070-0307-7 | 227pp. | SC | $20.00 | |
This book provides an overview of the history of torture and murder as tools of repression in Iraq, Afghanistan, and many nations of Latin America, and it touches on such activities in Viet Nam and East Timor. It is a very thorough and well-documented account — and a grim and harrowing one.
The common thread that runs through all the cases described here is U.S. involvement.
"U.S. sponsorship—financing, training, arming—of brutal regimes was by no means limited to Latin America. Independent journalist Allan Nairn is well known for exposing U.S. support for the Guatemalan military. But I traveled with him to East Timor to investigate the U.S.-backed Indonesian occupation. On November 12, 1991, we witnessed the Indonesian army—armed with U.S. M-16s—gun down more than 270 Timorese. The soldiers beat us and fractured Allan's skull. But we believe they decided not to kill us because we came from the same country their weapons were from." – Amy Goodman, Page XIII |
This involvement was clandestine, and much information on the specific nature of that involvement and the identities of the Americans involved still is being withheld. But Jennifer Harbury has amassed enough information to establish the frequent presence of obviously American individuals at torture sessions in Latin America. The time period of our involvement in Latin America is hard to pin down, but it roughly corresponds to the Cold War — and the declared motivation for it was always preventing the spread of Communism. However, this motivation was more ostensible than genuine, because the brunt of the repression fell on those who dissented from harsh government policies in the first place. These were most often indigenous people trying to earn a living by farming when the government or foreign interests owned most of the land and treated indigenous people as serfs. Claiming to act against Communism was a convenient smoke screen for local governments and a way to ensure continuing support from Uncle Sam — despite the methods used.
The book focuses on Central America, specifically the generations long civil war in Guatemala which is where Jennifer Harbury and Sr. Ortiz were active. But it also discusses U.S. involvement in South America, the Philippines, East Timor, Vietnam, and Iraq & Afghanistan.
This describes a scenario in which a large bomb — perhaps even a nuclear bomb — is known to have been hidden in a major city. When it will detonate is not known, but this is expected soon.
The point is that preventing detonation justifies using any methods to make the suspects talk — even the harshest of torture. And though such a scenario has never played out in reality, it has been used regularly since 9/11 to justify the general use of torture by the U.S. in the "War on Terror."
The tragedy is threefold: First, the U.S. neglected intelligence methods that might have revealed the 9/11 plot, and even some intelligence data that was revealed, in time to permit stopping it. Second, it was used to excuse torture against every alleged threat, real or imagined. Third, there is already a way to solve this problem: one-time use of harsh methods, followed by prosecution of the torturers and eventual pardon or commutation of sentences. Rules legalizing torture — of any kind — are not required.
So what will you learn by reading this book? I'll summarize its lessons thus:
"In short, we are not thinking. Instead, we are allowing our ancient survival instincts and corrupt national leaders to drag us toward a true apocalypse. We have been in similar situations before. The Cuban Missile Crisis, for example, comes to mind. As the world reeled toward a catastrophic nuclear war, it would have been all too human for either Kennedy or Kruschev (sic) to rush to press the little red button first. Indeed, many in the military urged precisely that. But both leaders were able to reason, to allow their minds to overrule the spiraling sense of fear and distrust. So, too, as world wars became a modern phenomenon, and weapons of mass destruction began to proliferate, the human race has been able to think its way to new humanitarian restrictions on the conduct of war itself. We saw the results of genocide when the gates of Auschwitz opened. After Hiroshima we understood only too well what Einstein meant when he said, 'I know not with what weapons the third world war will be fought, but the fourth one will be fought with sticks and stones.' We must continue to think." – Page 188 |
Because of its subject material, this is one of the more difficult books to read. Also, published in 2005, it is somewhat dated. Nevertheless I strongly suggest you read it, for it tells a straight story. That's not easy to find these days of "fake news." It is thoroughly end-noted and has a good index. I give it top marks and rate it a keeper.
To contact Chris Winter, send email to this address.