K and w1

Theory of Knowledge

Knowledge and Work assignment 1:

      This article is about the alleged abuse inside the CIA Secret Prisons. There have been reports in CNN and Newsweek regarding the brutal torture inflicted on a suspected Al Qaeda Prisoner using a gun and electric drill technique to scare the prisoner and make him reveal the supposed truth.

           In the article, an apparently reliable source gave information on the long – concealed inspector – general’s report that was due to be made public on that particular Monday. This information was conveyed by “ sources familiar with the report confirmed to CNN ”.

           These particular unknown sources revealed that a CIA interrogator threatened an al Al Qaeda prisoner with a gun and an electric drill trying to scare him into giving up information. Other information that was given that attorney General, Eric Holder is considering appointing a prosecutor to investigate a CIA interrogation program. The gun and drill were used in two separate interrogation sessions against Abd al – Rahim al- nashiri, this was said by one of the sources. Nashiri is accused of plotting the 2000 attack on the USS Cole, which left 17 U.S Sailors dead. The sources did not want to be identified because the report, completed by the CIA’S inspector general in 2004 had not been yet released in public. However the federal judge has ordered a redacted version of the report released Monday as a part of a lawsuit filed by the ACLU. The interrogations took place in the CIA’s secret prisons before 2006, when then  - President George Bush moved all his detainees from such facilities to the federal prison in Guantanamo Bay, both sources said. Details of the report were first published by the Newsweek magazine that Friday. The same sources revealed that interrogators staged mock executions to try to frighten detainees into talking. Another instance was that a gun was fired in another room next to one terrorist suspect so he would think another prisoner was being killed. Such “ enhanced interrogation techniques were inflicted upon the accused. However the CIA spokesman said that the CIA in no way endorses such behavior that goes behind formal guidance. He also claimed that all these grotesque techniques had been looked at and professional in the Department of justice decided if and when to pursue prosecution. According to the spokesman, Paul Gimigliano’ this particular system of work had been going on for a long time.

           Also a former intelligence official, who was familiar with the report, said that while the report “ reaffirmed” the interrogation program, it also showed that some interrogators had strayed off from the usual interrogation techniques. He claims that only one official was prosecuted for misconduct and two of them resigned on account of not facing the CIA. The official also said that the CIA did not tolerate such incidents and the individual who had used the drill technique had been removed from the force.  However Anthony D Romero, executive director of ACLU claimed that interrogators have committed such serious crimes and such techniques are not only reprehensible but also illegal. Romero also added that releasing the report with minimal redactions is essential to the knowing of who committed the crimes and what techniques did they use exactly.

            Thus, the sources in the article; one that wishes to not be named, then the media, CNN and Newsweek, CIA Spokesman, Paul Gimigliano, a former intelligence official and Anthony d Romero, the executive director of the ACLU.

            The first source wishes to be unnamed and according to the particular source, the gun and drill incident was part of a long concealed report which was to be made public. However the source wishes to be unnamed till the report is made public. Perhaps the source could have been an accused prisoner or a person against the CIA. The source could have had its own personal bias. But later on in the article the source is confirmed by other sources such as Eric Holder and the former intelligence official who claim that such heinous techniques are used to torture prisoners without really knowing whether they are really terrorist or to brand them as terrorist because they have Muslim names. 

This arises from the fact that many Americans believe that all Muslims are not terrorist but all terorists are Muslims. It is a problem of the past experiences; such interrogators would have faced while questioning such prisoners. Muslims, especially from Pakistan face a lot of problems in America after the 9 11 attacks. They are looked at suspiciously and often imprisoned for no fault of theirs except being of that race. A lot of racial discrimination is carried out in heinous ways while interrogating such prisoners. This is not mentioned in the article. However they have called this crime reprehensible and illegal and plan to file a case against the CIA’s officials for not having conformed to the rules of interrogation                     Often these interrogators take out their personal frustration on the prisoners, they may urinate on them or make the prisoners take off their clothes and poke fun at them. Such grotesque crimes are not mentioned in the article.

       Also the federal judge handling the case has ordered a redacted version of the report as part of the lawsuit filed by the ACLU. Such redactions in the report would compromise on the correct information and even conceal the people involved in this. IN this way it shows that the judge is lenient and is on side of CIA. This is brought out clearly by Eric Holder’s statement.

            The various claims are somewhat connected besides being garnished with each ones’ bias. If this is true then the human rights commission should take action against the CIA, as the lawsuit might not be the best answer to solving the problem. I think such grotesque techniques used on prisoners is atrocious and even though they might have committed a crime they are humans and should be treated with dignity.

                                                                                                 Chaahat Wadhwana