debate over the efficacy of torture

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"that spark of the divine", CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, Donald Trump, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, human rights reports, Rule of Law, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, United States, war crimes April 22, 2018

CIA nominee is presumptive war criminal; multiple reasons to reject Haspel nomination

Developing–preliminary draft We have grown tired under Donald Trump’s relentless assault on our democratic values and the rule of law.  With no responsible officials at…

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"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, International Law, Nobel Peace Prize, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, syria, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, vision of peace, war crimes

REPRISE: “A time to break silence”: Dr. King on the Vietnam war, and President Carter on America’s human rights violations

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Afghanistan, Barack Obama, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, debate over the efficacy of torture, Deutschland, European Union, France, freedom of speech, genocide, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Libya, NATO, Russia, Soviet Union, syria, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin

International Law and the Descent toward Barbarism: MSF —“Wars are being fought as in ‘barbarian times’

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Barack Obama, coverage of foreign events, Crimea, Crimes Against Humanity, debate over the efficacy of torture, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, electronic curtain, foreign correspondents, foreign news coverage, freedom of speech, Intelligence, International Law, NATO, public diplomacy, Russia, self-defense, State Department, Sudan, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes

How the West helps Putin suppress the truth about Russian military intervention in the Ukraine

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"that spark of the divine", Barack Obama, Brazil, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, Deutschland, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, Germany, History, human rights, human rights reports, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, United States, war crimes

Brazil publishes Truth Commission Report; U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee Report on Torture Released; U.S. officials debate whether torture “worked”

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"that spark of the divine", Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, elections, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, freedom of speech, History, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, NSA, religious belief, South Africa, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.S. Congress, United States, war crimes

Obama seeks to block publication of Senate torture report; Pillar of democracy at stake

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China, Crimea, debate over the efficacy of torture, European Union, France, Germany, International Law, Russia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin August 29, 2014

U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on Ukraine (August 28, 2014) —- with link to video webcast

On Thursday, August 28, 2014, the United Nations Security Council meet in emergency session at the request of Ukraine to consider the Russian military invasion…

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Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, United States, war crimes August 1, 2014

Obama: “We tortured some folks…It’s important for us not to feel too sanctimonious in retrospect about the tough job that those folks had. And a lot of those folks (our law enforcement and our national security teams) were working hard under enormous pressure and are real patriots.” (full transcript)

Developing Excerpt from President Barack Obama’s press conference today, Fiday, August 1, 2014: Q What about John Brennan? … THE PRESIDENT: On Brennan and the…

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Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, United States March 13, 2014

The qualities that are needed in a new CIA Director, Part I (with video links to Feinstein Senate speech and Brennan rebuttal)

(Developing story–check back for updates over the next few days) John Brennan’s battle with the Senate Intelligence Committee over the Torture Report Given his past…

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Azerbaijan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Libya, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes March 8, 2013

Senate confirms John Brennan as CIA Director—with tally and breakdown of vote

The United States confirmed the nomination of John Brennan to be Director of Central Intelligence on Thursday afternoon, March 7, 2013, by a vote of…

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Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, Dictatorship, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, Libya, Mali, Niger, Pakistan, self-defense, Somalia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes, Yemen March 3, 2013

UPDATE (MARCH 6) WITH LINKS TO SENATOR RAND PAUL FILIBUSTER; REPRISE: Secret Laws, the John Brennan vote, and the rule of law

SENATOR RAND PAUL FILIBUSTER UPDATE At 12:39 a.m. EST, Senator Rand Paul concluded a filibuster on the floor of the U.S. Senate that lasted more…

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Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, History, human rights, International Law, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Charter, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, United States, use of force, war crimes February 25, 2013

Brennan’s wristbands, McCain’s hold, and assertions of legality under international law based on secret operations and secret legal memoranda (with links to Brennan confirmation hearing video, transcript, and written questions and answers)

On Brennan’s May 23, 2016 testimony regarding Russian intervention in elections, and FBI investigation into intervention and possible collusion with Trump associates, see “Former CIA…

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Afghanistan, Bahrain, Barack Obama, China, CIA, Crimes Against Humanity, debate over the efficacy of torture, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Egypt, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, France, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Iran, Israel, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Middle East, Mossad, NATO, Nigeria, Nobel Lecture, Nobel Peace Prize, North Korea, Nuclear Proliferation, Pakistan, refoulement, Russia, self-defense, Somalia, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, Tunisia, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, united arab emirates, United Kingdom, United States, use of force, war crimes, Yemen February 20, 2013

Imagine: The Collapse of International Order, Syria, and Berlin in 1945

There is nothing inevitable about international order. The lessons of two world wars which informed the creation of the United Nations in 1945, and the…

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Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, Germany, History, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, U.S. Congress, United States, war crimes February 14, 2013

Brennan unclear in confirmation hearing as to whether “waterboarding” constitutes “torture” (with transcript)—The John Brennan File #2

The transcript of John Brennan’s confirmation hearing, before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on February 7, 2012, deserves a very close examination by the Senators…

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Afghanistan, Barack Obama, CIA, debate over the efficacy of torture, extrajudicial execution, extraordinary rendering, extraordinary rendition, human rights, Intelligence, International Law, Middle East, self-defense, State Department, State Department Human Rights Country Reports, State Department Legal Adviser, Taliban, targeted assassinations, targeted killings, Torture, U.N. Convention Against Torture, U.N. Torture Convention, United States, use of force, war crimes January 7, 2013

Key CIA official involved in Bush torture program criticizes “Zero Dark Thirty” for inaccurate depiction of “enhanced interrogation techniques”

Developing story You can’t make this stuff up. Jose Rodriguez, a former CIA official deeply involved in the Bush torture program, published an opinion piece…