Saturday, August 04, 2007

CIA Interrogation Techniques Cause Serious Mental Damage

Perhaps the CIA reasons that its victims should be as mentally impaired as most agents, ala Tim Weiner.

The Washington Post's Walter Pincus writes: "Intelligence and its discontents: On the very cusp of British PM Gordon Brown’s first official visit here, a parliamentary report excoriates Bush’s practice of 'renditioning' terror suspects for 'enhanced' interrogation overseas, the Times’ Raymond Bonner and Jane Perlez report. As long as the CIA continues languishing as 'a sclerotic bureaucracy mired in mediocrity.'"

- AC
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CIA Interrogation Techniques Cause Serious Mental Damage
Havana. August 2, 2007

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3. — Interrogation techniques used by the CIA on alleged terrorists can cause serious mental damage and are illegal in the United States, according to a report released Thursday by two non-governmental organizations, Physicians for Human Rights and Human Rights First.

The report, titled "Leave No Marks, ‘Enhanced’ Interrogation Techniques and the Risk of Criminality," was drafted by medical and legal investigators from both groups and based its conclusions on extensive medical documentation and various cases of torture survivors.

Researchers analyzed CIA techniques, which include sensory and sleep deprivation, exposing prisoners to excessive heat and/or cold for long periods, placing prisoners in "stress" (extremely uncomfortable) positions, sexual humiliation and simulated drowning of prisoners via a technique known as "water-boarding."

The report found that these practices can cause long-term consequences such as post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, substance abuse, and suicide, and for that reason are illegal, the AP reported.

Translated by Granma International
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:2HfC1TN_yIAJ:www.granma.cu/ingles/2007/agosto/vier3/CIA-techniques-cause-serious-mental-damage.html+CIA+Interrogation+Techniques+Cause+Mental+Damage&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us