FRONTLINE This Week: "The Torture Question "

[LibertyorDeath]

Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings)

FRONTLINE
http://www.pbs.org/frontline/

- This Week: "The Torture Question " (90min.),
Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 9pm on PBS (check local listings)
- Inside FRONTLINE: The tip of an iceberg
- Live Discussion: Chat with producer Michael Kirk this Wed. at 11 am ET

Some time ago, FRONTLINE asked one of its veteran producers, Michael
Kirk, to take another look at what happened at Abu Ghraib. In the
course of investigating the story, he found that Abu Ghraib may be just
the tip of an iceberg.

In Kirk's report this Tuesday, "The Torture Question," American soldiers
give first-hand accounts of their involvement in the harsh treatment of
prisoners. Moreover, one former Army interrogator and member of a
special intelligence team insists that the use of torture was happening
all over Iraq. Other military sources, some of whom had to be disguised,
confirm that prisoner abuse is a more widespread problem than previously
reported.

Even as late as this August, the official story was that of a few bad
apples on the night shift at Abu Ghraib. But as one soldier who
requested anonymity told FRONTLINE, "most of the abuses around Iraq are
not photographed --".... in the back of a Humvee or in a shipping
container, there's no camera. And there's no one looking over your
shoulder, so you can do anything you want."

Kirk traveled to Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib for pieces of the story, but
the spine of this report traces what happened from the very beginning
when, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the Administration's top legal
minds developed a rationale for putting the Geneva Convention and the
military code of conduct aside in order to permit what was called
'coercive interrogation.' "The Torture Question" tracks how techniques
that began at Guantanamo eventually migrated to Abu Ghraib and beyond.
One interrogator describes the use of dogs during interrogations to
frighten the prisoner. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld has stated this was
never authorized. Yet it was done. Tuesday's report provides the context
for understanding how the rules were confused, how lines of authority
were blurred, and what happens when the authorization of 'coercive
interrogation' makes it way into the battle zone.

We hope you'll join us Tuesday night for "The Torture Question" and in
addition to the program's new revelations, you will find more on our Web
site, including FRONTLINE's interviews with White House, Pentagon,
Justice Department, FBI and CIA officials, special photos, a chronology
of the 'new rules of war,' plus the option to watch "The Torture
Question" again online beginning this Wednesday. And, take the
opportunity to express your opinion about it at
http://www.pbs.org/frontline/torture/

Louis Wiley Jr.
Executive Editor




--------------------------

+ Live Online Discussion on Washingtonpost.com ...

Producer Michael Kirk will be online this Wednesday, Oct. 19th, at 11am
ET, to discuss "The Torture Question"

For details, see:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/10/11/DI2005101101129.html

----------------------------

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

1. Why is it even a "question" I wonder... raises "questions" about the

nature of the U.S., doesn't it...

Rhetorical.. Sounds like the show will be a good one, showing clearly that Abu Ghraib is part of a comprehensive approach by shrubco and not an anomaly. Certainly didn't arise by accident since General Miller etc. was sent to Abu from GTMO to essentially make these methods happen.

[LibertyorDeath]

4. Good catch

That would be the subliminal I guess.

[me b zola]

2. The timing makes me think that they may discuss the new photos

I'm looking forward to the online discussion almost as much as the show.

[LibertyorDeath]

5. Hope they dig deep & go easy on the spin

rooms at The Hague for all of them.

[chat_noir]

3. Ted Kennedy quote

"Shamefully we now learn that Saddam's torture chambers reopened under new management, U.S. management."

[LibertyorDeath]

6. Good quote

There is it would appear a percentage of American politicians, military
commanders, pentagon officials, intelligence personnel and finally American citizens that for some BIZARRE reason think they can run around the planet torturing people with impunity.

Well any fool knows or should that for every action there is a reaction
they are in for a surprise & a shock torturing people no matter who they are and what they've done is against all Human codes of civility
not to mention the Geneva convention & many other treaties against torture
The fascists on the right say this is war so anything goes well that's precisely the mindset all these anti torture conventions came into being to guard against.

Torturing people as state policy is the end of the line for any so called civilized nation.

Where do they go from here.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

7. It's not only a question of whether it's "effective" or not, in getting

information... it's just inhuman!

By the way, Frontline has provided some of the best overall coverage on political/military topics. Many of their best old shows, on the source of Iraq war propaganda/PNAC policy etc. are available via stream online at their site.

[me b zola]

8. Kickety-kick

So that everyone knows to set their tee-vos :D

:kick: