Brian Dooley, Director, Human Rights First's Human Rights Defenders Program posted an article on Huffington Post on Jan 1st under the heading: "CIA Torture's Immeasurable Damage to U.S. Global Leadership."
Unlike those who were opposed to releasing the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on CIA torture, Dooley is not saying that the release of the report caused the damage. He writes: "After Abu Ghraib and earlier revelations from Guantanamo it's not much of a shock for foreigners that the CIA tortured detainees and lied about it to other parts of the U.S. government."
No, he argues, "making public and facing up to its mistakes are generally seen as a plus." However, the fact of the torture and lying "have diminished U.S. claims to moral leadership." He quotes a Spanish newspaper as saying the U.S. can no longer present itself as a "beacon of freedom." Dooley concludes:
And that, I insist, is the most important thing, more important than prosecuting Dick Cheney or sending someone to jail. What matters most, in my opinion, is that the truth about what was done in our name be made known -- so that it will be recognized in the future as a wrong decision that was not worth the consequences on any count. Those, like Cheney, who claim otherwise are wrong, and that should be the official conclusion and widely known.
Ralph
Unlike those who were opposed to releasing the Senate Intelligence Committee's report on CIA torture, Dooley is not saying that the release of the report caused the damage. He writes: "After Abu Ghraib and earlier revelations from Guantanamo it's not much of a shock for foreigners that the CIA tortured detainees and lied about it to other parts of the U.S. government."
No, he argues, "making public and facing up to its mistakes are generally seen as a plus." However, the fact of the torture and lying "have diminished U.S. claims to moral leadership." He quotes a Spanish newspaper as saying the U.S. can no longer present itself as a "beacon of freedom." Dooley concludes:
"The revelations mean being seen as friends with the CIA is less attractive than ever, and will make it harder politically for some allies to partner with US intelligence agencies. But releasing the report was the right thing to do: in the long run continuing the coverup and refusing to admit what really happened would have hurt the U.S. far more."This seems right to me. If it did nothing more than contradict Dick Cheney's sanctimonious, false claims, that in itself would move us closer to setting the historical record straight.
And that, I insist, is the most important thing, more important than prosecuting Dick Cheney or sending someone to jail. What matters most, in my opinion, is that the truth about what was done in our name be made known -- so that it will be recognized in the future as a wrong decision that was not worth the consequences on any count. Those, like Cheney, who claim otherwise are wrong, and that should be the official conclusion and widely known.
Ralph
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