What we did in El Salvador (and various other Latin American countries) was unconscionable. That we continue to do these things around the world ought to be a wake up call: when we refuse to punish our own for war crimes and other misdeeds (e.g. Iran-Contra) we're going to keep making the same horrific mistakes.
The Guardian/BBC Arabic investigation was sparked by the release of classified US military logs on WikiLeaks that detailed hundreds of incidents where US soldiers came across tortured detainees in a network of detention centres run by the police commandos across Iraq. Private Bradley Manning, 25, is facing a prison sentence of up to 20 years after he pleaded guilty to leaking the documents.
We wouldn't know about this at all but for Bradley Manning. And our government is threatening to put him in prison for life because of it. Think about this: rather than target the purveyors of torture, or war crimes, or financial crimes for that matter, our government prioritizes prosecuting whistleblowers.
This is supposed to be a democracy. Our current level of government secrecy is anathema to a free democracy. The DOJ under Obama has been a travesty.
This is supposed to be a democracy. Our current level of government secrecy is anathema to a free democracy. The DOJ under Obama has been a travesty.
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