Torture R US

Human Rights First has just issued a report titled “Command's Responsibility: Deaths in U.S. Custody in Iraq and Afghanistan” which details very disturbing information about the 100 detainees who have died since 2002. Their primary focus is, as the title says, on the reponsibility of military commanders. Of the 100 deaths, 34 were homicides under the U.S. military’s definition.

“Looking closely at these cases, we found time and again badly flawed investigations, and a lack of command responsibility for what’s gone wrong – especially in cases where victims were tortured to death. The result across the board has been to create a culture of impunity, where no one, especially not command, is held fully accountable for detainee deaths,” said Deborah Pearlstein, Director of the U.S. Law and Security Program at Human Rights First.

These findings come as no surprise. But something did surprise me because I haven't followed the courts martial very closely.

Despite the high number of homicides and unexplained deaths, only 12 detainee deaths to date have resulted in any kind of punishment for any U.S. official, military or civilian. The report finds that often the more serious the case – particularly those involving people tortured to death – the less severe the punishment; the highest sentence in a torture-related death is five months in prison.

Five months in prison for torturing a human to death! I'm no proponent of the death penalty. I see it as revenge and nothing more and a case could be made that the torturers didn't premeditatedly plan to cause death. But a slap on the wrist like this isn't right.

Speaking of right, it isn't right for the CIA to get a pass. Not just a Get Out of Jail Free card, but an even better Don't Go Near Jail Free card.

Overly broad classification of information and other investigation restrictions have left CIA and Special Forces essentially immune from accountability;[.]

This is the first comprehensive report of its kind.

(read the Executive Summary)
(read the Full Report - warning PDF 1MB)