Torture in America: Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo scandals (2008)

Extraits

[...] Torture in America: Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo scandals (2008) Introduction Nowadays, torture is universally condemned by states, but it is also carried out by them. In most cases, the act of inflicting severe pain - as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty- takes place in secret. However, that secrecy is difficult to maintain with the new media coverage of the web. Moreover, it clearly appears that the United States, one of the biggest democracy in the world, practises torture not only in his country but also in some other countries where its soldiers are standing, for instance in Iraq and in Afghanistan. [...]

[...] Furthermore, the Supreme Court hasn't react yet for the disregard of the 8th amendment of the Constitution that forbid “cruel or unusual treatments” Conclusion To conclude, one only has note the queue that form to see Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors to see a danger: visitors can look unmoved on the display of appalling instrument of torture, believing that they are looking at the remote past. Yet they should be told that torture still goes on and that some of the methods are still in use especially in the US military prisons. As we've seen, there is a large gap between the laws and the practises. I believe that responsibilities do exist at every ladder: perpetrators at first but of course the US administration and consequently the US government. [...]

[...] Another prisoner claims he was interrogated hundreds of times, beaten, tortured with broken glass, barbed wire, burning cigarettes, and sexual assaults. On December United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged various to help the U.S. close the detention camp III Position of the US authorities A specific context New military campaigns, civil wars and terrorist group have sprung up, providing a fertile soil for torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment for the US army. Indeed, the 11 September tragedy made US security more important than freedom and torture is quite tolerated by a part of the public opinion. [...]

[...] Therefore, everyone should agree with the Declaration of the first Amnesty International conference for the abolition of torture (in 1973), which tells us that “There can never be any justification for torture. II 2 public scandals in the US: Abou Ghraib and Guantanamo 1 Abu Ghraib Abu Ghraib is a prison in Iraq with American soldiers that sadly became famous in 2004. Indeed, a lot of terrible photos of torture, sodomy and homicides on prisoners committed by the US army were unveiled by some media. The pictures show more humiliation than real mistreatment. [...]

[...] To my mind, only media and NGO such as Amnesty International can bring this phenomenon into focus and mobilize public opinion in order to shame the government and make it adopt a clear position. Bibliography - A glimpse of hell: report on torture worldwide. By amnesty International and Duncan Forrest, published by Ed. Relié - An End to Torture : Strategies for its Eradication. By Bertil Dunér, published by Ed. Reference : London, New York, Zed Books, 1998. [...]