Human Rights, the Law and the Ongoing Threat of Terror
Host:
Produced by:
Subscribe to this Podcast:
Listen to/Watch entire show:
The transition from Bush to Obama has not eliminated the threat of terrorists who want to attack the country. Is Obama being forced to adopt some of the same counter-measures he criticized in last year's campaign? We hear about indefinite detention, rendition and what some refer to as "torture lite." Also, the US military launches an offensive in Afghanistan, and Saddam Hussein was more afraid of Iran than he was of America.
Making News
US Military Launches Offensive in Afghanistan ()
A US soldier reportedly has been captured by a terrorist group in Afghanistan. Not much is known, but the Agence-France Press says the group is promising a videotape along with some kind of demands. Meantime 4000 other marines are in involved in an offensive in Helmand Provence. Ben Arnoldy is South Asia correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.
Guests:
- Ben Arnoldy: South Asia Correspondent, Christian Science Monitor
Main Topic
Human Rights, the Law and the Ongoing Threat of Terror ()
Waterboarding was stopped before the end of the Bush Administration. Humane treatment of prisoners was required by an act of Congress. Rules were laid out in the new Army Field Manual of 2006. Candidate Barack Obama excoriated prisoners' "harsh interrogation" in what George Bush called the "war on terror," criticizing the indefinite detention of suspects that Bush said could not be tried as well as "rendition," sending them to be questioned in other countries. President Obama has proclaimed torture as contrary to America's founding documents and fundamental values. But controversy over so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" continues. Are the Obama White House and the CIA now embracing both those policies? Is the US still sanctioning torture? We look at the politics and the realities of national security.
Guests:
- Luke Mitchell: Senior Editor, Harper’s magazine
- Benjamin Wittes: Reserach Director, Brookings Institution
- Jameel Jaffer: Director of the National Security Project, American Civil Liberties Union
- Dafna Linzer: Senior Reporter, ProPublica
Links:
- McCain on his detainee treatment amendment
- Obama's Executive Order on closing Guantanamo
- Jaffer's 'Administration of Torture: A Documentary Record from Washington to Abu Ghraib and Beyond'
- Wittes' 'Law and the Long War: The Future of Justice in the Age of Terror'
- Luke's article on torture, Guantanamo
- Obama on Guantanamo detainees in today's AP interview
- Linzer's article on White House drafting of new executive order to allow indefinite detention
Reporter's Notebook
Documents Show Saddam Bluffed on WMD's out of Fear of Iran ()
Saddam Hussein was captured in his underground hiding place in December, 2003. For months afterward, he was interrogated by the FBI. Now transcripts of those interviews have been released under the Freedom of Information Act. James Gordon Meek has reported on them in a four-part series for "The Mouth of the Potomac," the blog of the Washington Bureau of the New York Daily News.
Guests:
- James Gordon Meek: Washington Correspondent, New York Daily News
Engage & Discuss
Further the conversation with your thoughts and comments. Agree, disagree, present a different perspective -- engage.
For information and guidelines click: Terms of Service | Privacy Policy
Please note, comments are moderated. KCRW reserves the right to edit and or remove posts deemed off-topic, abusive or not in accordance with KCRW's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
KCRW.com thanks our sponsor:
