19
votes
submitted by rodeox 15 months ago, from nytimes.com
President Obama’s decisions this week to retain important elements of the Bush-era system for trying terrorism suspects and to block the release of pictures showing abuse of American-held prisoners abroad are the most graphic examples yet of how he has backtracked, in substantial if often nuanced... More
21
votes
submitted by chiasma 16 months ago, from latimes.com
In a strikingly defensive explanation of his stance on Bush-era anti-terrorism tactics, President Obama on Wednesday acknowledged for the first time that the harsh interrogation techniques he has banned might have yielded useful information, but that he was nonetheless willing to rule them out on... More
18
votes
submitted by bafficio 16 months ago, from latimes.com
The CIA used an arsenal of severe interrogation techniques on imprisoned Al Qaeda suspects for nearly seven years without seeking a rigorous assessment of whether the methods were effective or necessary, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the matter. More
18
votes
submitted by eooties 16 months ago, from nytimes.com
The program began with Central Intelligence Agency leaders in the grip of an alluring idea: They could get tough in terrorist interrogations without risking legal trouble by adopting a set of methods used on Americans during military training. How could that be torture? More
21
votes
submitted by trippie48 16 months ago, from news.bbc.co.uk
US President Barack Obama says CIA agents who used harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects during the Bush era will not be prosecuted. Mr Obama banned the use of methods such as sleep deprivation and simulated drowning in his first week in office. More
20
votes
submitted by trippie48 17 months ago, from washingtonpost.com
The CIA no longer operates any secret overseas prisons, Director Leon Panetta said yesterday, and has not detained anyone since he became chief in February. Panetta's statement, contained in a message to the CIA workforce, also said the agency will no longer use contractors to conduct... More
14
votes
submitted by grandie4 17 months ago, from news.yahoo.com
Courting Europe with an American-style campaign, President Barack Obama on Friday talked up his plans — popular here — to eliminate nuclear weapons, close the Guantanamo Bay prison and tackle global warming. More
19
votes
submitted by eooties 19 months ago, from kansascity.com
President George W. Bush on Monday used his 50th and final news conference to defend his service and thank reporters for theirs. “This is the ultimate exit interview,” Bush said in the White House briefing room. More
20
votes
submitted by agabriel 19 months ago, from cbsnews.com
On the seventh anniversary of the opening of the American military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where hundreds of detainees have been held for years without trial or even being charged with a crime, President-elect Barack Obama reiterated his promise to close the facility, although he could not.. More
17
votes
submitted by animaniac 22 months ago, from ap.google.com
President-elect Obama's advisers are quietly crafting a proposal to ship dozens, if not hundreds, of imprisoned terrorism suspects to the United States to face criminal trials, a plan that would make good on his promise to close the Guantanamo Bay prison. More
17
votes
submitted by trippie48 24 months ago, from usatoday.com
Former president Jimmy Carter called Republican presidential candidate John McCain a "distinguished naval officer," but he said the Arizona senator has been "milking every possible drop of advantage" from his time served as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. More
16
votes
submitted by riverdrops 24 months ago, from iht.com
In a significant reversal, the Bush administration has agreed to turn over documents that allegedly support allegations by a prisoner at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, that he was tortured while in American custody in Pakistan in early 2002, a British court said in a ruling Friday. More
19
votes
submitted by animaniac 25 months ago, from time.com
According to a former senior American official, it appears another locale can be added to the international roster of interrogation sites. The source tells TIME that in 2002 and possibly 2003, the U.S. interrogated one or more terrorism suspects on Diego Garcia, an island controlled by the UK. More
20
votes
by Pamela Hess from hosted.ap.org, 25 months ago
The Justice Department in 2002 told the CIA that its interrogators would be safe from prosecution for violations of anti-torture laws if they believed in good faith that harsh techniques used to break the will of prisoners would not cause "prolonged mental harm."... More
15
votes
by Lara Jakes Jordan from hosted.ap.org, 25 months ago
Former Attorney General John Ashcroft said Thursday "it was not a hard decision" to withdraw Justice Department legal opinions that approved the use of harsh interrogation methods which critics say amount to torture... More
