The Torture Papers
The Road to Abu Ghraib
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Edited by Karen J. Greenberg and Joshua L. Dratel
Cambridge University Press
Due/Published
February 2005, 1284 pages,
cloth
ISBN
0521853249
The Torture Papers document the so-called 'torture memos' and reports which US government officials wrote to prepare the way for, and to document, coercive interrogation and torture in Afghanistan, Guantanamo, and Abu Ghraib. These documents present for the first time a compilation of materials that prior to publication have existed only piecemeal in the public domain. The Bush Administration, concerned about the legality of harsh interrogation techniques, understood the need to establish a legally viable argument to justify such procedures. The memos and reports document the systematic attempt of the US Government to prepare the way for torture techniques and coercive interrogation practices, forbidden under international law, with the express intent of evading legal punishment in the aftermath of any discovery of these practices and policies. Contents 1. Introduction Anthony Lewis; 2. From fear to torture Karen J. Greenberg; 3. The legal narrative Joshua L. Dratel; 4. Timeline; 5. Missing documents; 6. Biographical sketches; 7. Memoranda. "The Torture Papers: The Road to Abu Ghraib thoroughly documents repeated and shocking perversions of justice. The torture of prisoners became standard practice as the internationally accepted tenets of the Geneva Convention were bypassed and ignored. This is not a collection of complex legalese but pages where a clear episodic story unfolds free of bias and spin. The documents and their authors speak for themselves; key individuals approved torture as a coercive interrogation technique while others, namely Secretary of State Colin Powell, strongly opposed it. This is required reading for everyone concerned with fairness, justice, and difficult choices made under the pressures of our post 9/11 world." Nadine Strossen, President, American Civil Liberties Union |
