And it Gets Worse

Posted on 04/24/2009 at 4:20 pm by Bob Cesca

No permanent physical damage? What about this from the August, 2002 OLC memo?

…a detainee could suffer spasms of the larynx that would prevent him from breathing even when the application of water is stopped and the detainee is returned to an upright position. In the event of such spasms, a qualified physician would immediately intervene to address the problem, and, if necessary, the intervening physician would perform a tracheotomy…. we are informed that the necessary emergency medical equipment is always present- although not visible to the detainee- during any application of the waterboard.

This is indefensible.

This entry was posted in Torture and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.
  • gypsy

    i think it’s called dry drowning. a little boy in sc died from this. he was in a pool, almost drowned, died hours later from it.

  • http://www.xkcd.com/ • Silly Ratfaced Git •

    It is also criminal. This is unequivocal.It also requires that the Doctors involved in such activities to be in violation of their oath. They should lose their license to practice medicine.We have already announced that we will not prosecute the inhuman criminals that were involved in this travesty. I have never cared for the “I was just following orders” defense. Some orders should not be followed ever.

  • ElMystico

    Remember that episode of MASH where Hawkeye talked Father Mulcahey through an emergency tracheotomy over the radio? See, not torture!

  • Ady

    You’re right, gypsy. It is called “dry drowning.” Arghhh. I don’t know if I can watch anymore. Chris Matthews just said that 2,000 pictures of prisoner abuse will soon be released or have been released. Oh my achin’ sides, y’all…And Senator McCain just said that it’ll be bad for the country to investigate war crimes?

  • http://tarackian.deviantart.com J M Ashby

    I think Reverend Wright was correct, if there is a god he would be damning America.

  • CitizenJ

    Of course it’s not torture if a physician is present to perform an emergency tracheotomy.

  • Ady

    OMFG I feel sick and in need of a shower…they’ll be releasing thousands of pictures of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here’s the link:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1173175/Obama-faces-new-Abu-Ghraib-approving-release-fresh-prisoner-abuse-pictures.html

  • Ady

    Here’s some of the story from the link I posted upthread: “America is bracing itself for another Abu Ghraib-style scandal as Washington agreed to release fresh pictures depicting the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan.The Defense Department will release a ‘substantial number’ of photos before May 28, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.The move is in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the group in 2004 and will include images from prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan at locations other than Abu Ghraib, the group said.’These photographs provide visual proof that prisoner abuse by U.S. personnel was not aberrational but widespread, reaching far beyond the walls of Abu Ghraib,’ Amrit Singh, staff attorney with the union, said in a statement.’Their disclosure is critical for helping the public understand the scope and scale of prisoner abuse as well as for holding senior officials accountable for authorising or permitting such abuse.’”

  • Nanotyrannus

    Not so fast, JM. The Torture Fanboys believe their god thinks it is perfectly ok to torture.

  • http://tarackian.deviantart.com J M Ashby

    My mother used to say to me that Bush made the country look so bad that she couldn’t wait to have a real president again. And I always told her “just wait until Obama is in office and we get the REAL story of what has gone on the past 8 years”Unfortunately I was right.

  • http://www.xkcd.com/ • Silly Ratfaced Git •

    Of course it’s not torture if a physician is present to perform an emergency tracheotomy.

    Of course it’s not torture if a physician is present to set the bones after you’ve broken them with a sledgehammer.Your statement is wrong. IT IS TORTURE.You are either a very amoral sick fuck or you were being sarcastic. I can’t tell which.

  • ceu

    sarcastic, Git…

  • gypsy

    >>>if there is a god he would be damning America.he would!this shit is what america was founded on and has happened ever since. but that doesn’t make it okay to continue. we have to stop this! we might not have the “we are america, we don’t torture” past but we can have a “we are america, we don’t torture” future!also, the bullshit, hypothetical, what if’s are not fucking “gotcha” arguments! beating the shit out of someone who killed your dog, kidnapped a kid, etc is not the equivalent to torturing someone who may or may not have information about someone who may or may not be a terrorists. i will attempt to beat ass for a lot less on a bad day but none of it is because i am a coward hiding behind torture procedures to display how big and bad i am. that’s fucking weak!