Must See Discussion about Counterterrorism Policy and Alleged Human Rights Violations
The Center for Strategic and International Studies recently hosted a discussion about counterterrorism policies after 9/11, alleged human rights abuses and the need for both accountability and effectiveness. These are important issues that all Americans will have to grapple with, especially as we examine the long-term significance of the detention center at Guantanamo Bay and our engagements abroad.
Admiral Lee Gunn (Ret.), former Inspector General of the U.S. Navy and President of ASP, detailed his work on banning torture and detainee abuse:
For the past several years, I’ve been an active member of a coalition of retired generals and admirals who speak out against torture. Our group, now numbering about 150, joined together in 2004 with the assistance of Human Rights First to implore the United States government to put a stop to abusive interrogation techniques. Although we are members of both major parties and independents and we represent a wide variety of military backgrounds, I can safely say that we are unanimous in our view that the Bush Administration’s decision to sanction the use of torture and other cruel techniques came at an enormous cost to our nation, to our values, our laws and our security.
He added:
Ending abusive detention and interrogation policies requires dismantling the legal framework that sanctions torture and cruel treatment. It also requires building a more sustainable national security policy going forward. We cannot improve our national security policy unless we understand and learn from our past mistakes. …
It is the responsibility of the Commander in Chief and of those in Congress, in my view, to ensure and demand that the behavior of Americans toward those who are in our custody comply with the Geneva Conventions and with the highest standards dictated by international agreements on detainee treatment.
To watch the discussion in its entirety, click here.
