o tempora, o mores
The BBC News website has an article about the director of the CIA defending the methods used in rendition camps to extract information from suspected terrorists:
"Nominee Michael Mukasey condemned one technique, water-boarding, as "repugnant" and possibly "over the line," but declined to explicitly rule it out as torture, saying he could not speculate on classified procedures. Water-boarding simulates drowning by immobilizing a prisoner with his head lower than his feet and pouring water over his face. "
How the US can complain about human rights in other countries whilst it's perfectly happy to carry out torture itself, is beyond the pale.
The other disgraceful piece of news today is that the boss of Stan O'Neal who oversaw an $8.4bn loss at Merrill Lynch is being forced to step down yet still receives a compensation package of $160m.
posted by Whispering Walls at 11:28 am
3 Comments:
There is no way that this kind of torture should be used by any society, let alone a civilised one.
The pay-off you describe is obscene, what do the shareholders have to say about it?
He was allowed to "retire" rather than being sacked so can keep $160m shares rather than "just" $60m. The shareholders should organise a vote of no confidence in the Board as apparently the contract it had given him did not allow him to be fired easily.
No torture should be used by any nation but it is particularly hypocritical of the "Policeman of the World" to use it. The other piece of news is, as you say, disgusting.
Post a Comment
<< Home