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Truth, Torture, and the American Way: The History and Consequences of U.S. Involvement in Torture
Jennifer Harbury's investigation into torture began when her husband disappeared in Guatemala in 1992; she told the story of his torture and murder in Searching for Everardo. For over a decade since, Harbury has used her formidable legal, research, and organizing skills to press for the U.S. government's disclosure of America's involvement in harrowing abuses in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. A draft of this book had just been completed when the first photos from Abu Ghraib were published; tragically, many of Harbury's deepest fears about America's own abuses were graphically confirmed by those horrific images.
This urgently needed book offers both well-documented evidence of the CIA's continuous involvement in torture tactics since the 1970s and moving personal testimony from many of the victims. Most important, Harbury provides solid, convincing arguments against the use of torture in any circumstances: not only because it is completely inconsistent with all the basic values Americans hold dear, but also because it has repeatedly proved to be ineffective: Again and again,'information' obtained through these gruesome tactics proves unreliable or false. Worse, the use of torture by U.S. client states, allies, and even by our own operatives, endangers our citizens and especially our troops deployed internationally.
This urgently needed book offers both well-documented evidence of the CIA's continuous involvement in torture tactics since the 1970s and moving personal testimony from many of the victims. Most important, Harbury provides solid, convincing arguments against the use of torture in any circumstances: not only because it is completely inconsistent with all the basic values Americans hold dear, but also because it has repeatedly proved to be ineffective: Again and again,'information' obtained through these gruesome tactics proves unreliable or false. Worse, the use of torture by U.S. client states, allies, and even by our own operatives, endangers our citizens and especially our troops deployed internationally.
264 pages, Paperback
First published September 15, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 30, 2021
I’ve read enough about US human rights abuses after 9/11 that I’m starting to be able to be discerning about the individual books. This was good, but it was also the weakest to date. (Perhaps this was due to its 2005 publication; Jane Mayer’s comparable book The Dark Side wasn’t out till 2009, so maybe Harbury had access to less information so early in the war.)
The best part of the book was the description of the CIA’s involvement in destabilizing Latin America. I was aware that America was involved in toppling some governments but didn’t know anything about the torture that happened on our dime, so that was really eye-opening. The Latin American parts were actually the prime example used to display the US’s involvement in torture. Very important background for a book primarily about CIA’s abuse of prisoners—other books I’ve read (the aforementioned Dark Side, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Torture Report, etc.) didn’t even mention this extremely relevant information in their own examinations of CIA’s actions in the war on terror.
Strong proponent of the top-down explanation of torture, while I generally lead toward the bottom-up explanation.
Grievances:
• In need of a proofreader—a number of little forgotten words that resulted in clouding the meaning of some sentences, not capitalizing things like Army or IDF, “court-martials” instead of “courts-martial”, etc.
• There’s a little acknowledgment of how the MPs at Abu Ghraib of course committed abuses and should be held accountable, but I found the author really passed the buck onto the CIA, asking things like how lowly MPs could possibly have developed these “sophisticated” torture techniques on their own. CIA and the military’s uses of torture in the war are related yet distinct problems—each should be acknowledged in discussion of the other, but they are distinct problems that deserve their own analyses.
• Related, the treating of torture techniques, specifically those used in Latin America, as “highly sophisticated,” when in fact beatings, rapes, and dunking people’s heads in water go way back in human history. Torture is generally basic and any idiot can do it.
• Clearly written by a lawyer instead of an academic or journalist. The tone reminded me more of a persuasive essay than an examination of events that occurred. (Excusable, given her husband was a victim of these atrocities.)
Overall, a good introduction to America’s recent history of torture, but if you’re already well-versed in the human rights violations during the war on terror, the analysis may leave you wanting.
The best part of the book was the description of the CIA’s involvement in destabilizing Latin America. I was aware that America was involved in toppling some governments but didn’t know anything about the torture that happened on our dime, so that was really eye-opening. The Latin American parts were actually the prime example used to display the US’s involvement in torture. Very important background for a book primarily about CIA’s abuse of prisoners—other books I’ve read (the aforementioned Dark Side, the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Torture Report, etc.) didn’t even mention this extremely relevant information in their own examinations of CIA’s actions in the war on terror.
Strong proponent of the top-down explanation of torture, while I generally lead toward the bottom-up explanation.
Grievances:
• In need of a proofreader—a number of little forgotten words that resulted in clouding the meaning of some sentences, not capitalizing things like Army or IDF, “court-martials” instead of “courts-martial”, etc.
• There’s a little acknowledgment of how the MPs at Abu Ghraib of course committed abuses and should be held accountable, but I found the author really passed the buck onto the CIA, asking things like how lowly MPs could possibly have developed these “sophisticated” torture techniques on their own. CIA and the military’s uses of torture in the war are related yet distinct problems—each should be acknowledged in discussion of the other, but they are distinct problems that deserve their own analyses.
• Related, the treating of torture techniques, specifically those used in Latin America, as “highly sophisticated,” when in fact beatings, rapes, and dunking people’s heads in water go way back in human history. Torture is generally basic and any idiot can do it.
• Clearly written by a lawyer instead of an academic or journalist. The tone reminded me more of a persuasive essay than an examination of events that occurred. (Excusable, given her husband was a victim of these atrocities.)
Overall, a good introduction to America’s recent history of torture, but if you’re already well-versed in the human rights violations during the war on terror, the analysis may leave you wanting.
January 3, 2017
If you can't stomach the horrors of what this book shares, then don't pick it up. This is not for the faint of heart. It is really grueling to read what people have shared in this book. It is horrible to imagine the torture that women, mean & children went through & actually lived to tell about it. But that is actually not the worst part. They sometimes relive what they suffered over & over again to then wish they were dead instead. Learning about the ways that the US actually allowed torture to happen on it's own watch is mortifying. It is so upsetting to read how this has been going on for decades & not just in recent wars in the Middle East. I really can't even express my shock while reading this book. It is so alarming that despite torture being illegal, it still continues as if nobody is following the rules & it's just when it pleases the people in the FBI, CIA & military. It is such an eye-opener but at the same time you can't help but wonder how the hell they keep getting away with this. It just turns my stomach that this is the norm.
May 17, 2018
A telling look into the US's role in perpetuating human rights abuses from the Latin American Dirty Wars to todays wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jennifer Harbury peppers her insightful analysis with personal narratives of torture survivors, including her own experiences as the widow of a victim of torture during Guatemala's civil war. Harbury concludes her expose of US complicity in and use of torture tactics with an in depth analysis of the ramifications of such actions; drawing on insights from domestic, military, and international law, as well as exploring the geopolitical ramifications of the US normalization of the use of torture.
Although over a decade old, Gina Haspel's impending confirmation as acting CIA Director is just the latest of many examples of the unfortunately ongoing relevance of the issues raised in this book.
Although over a decade old, Gina Haspel's impending confirmation as acting CIA Director is just the latest of many examples of the unfortunately ongoing relevance of the issues raised in this book.
June 7, 2014
The weakest part of this excellent book is chapter four, concerning the law. Yoo, Gonzalez, and the rest of the Bush cabal have again proven that winners shape and use law, particularly when they shamelessly brandish that great cudgel of fear. And Congress- the creation of law is shamefully subservient to fear, cowardice, intimidation and job security. And the law does not enforce itself. When people are seen simply as kernels of information, collateral accessories or unknowing instruments of terror, law is irrelevant and the recollections in chapter three are being and will continue to be repeated. I can't stop your violence; but I can stop mine. Ends don't justify means; the means are the ends. The most courageous acts of the book were by Ms. Harbury herself- not the petitions and speeches and letters and seminars. No, they were the hunger strikes. Way of the Warrior, indeed.
July 14, 2008
Read this for my American Political Systems class...
If you can get yourself to see the Oscar nominated follow up to an Oscar winning (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) documentarian's work Taxi to the Dark Side it has been highly recommended to me & covers the changing "definition" and dare I say "policy" of torture in the post 9-11 climes as it examines the investigation into the homicide of an innocent taxi driver at the Bagram Air force Base in Afghanistan.
If you can get yourself to see the Oscar nominated follow up to an Oscar winning (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) documentarian's work Taxi to the Dark Side it has been highly recommended to me & covers the changing "definition" and dare I say "policy" of torture in the post 9-11 climes as it examines the investigation into the homicide of an innocent taxi driver at the Bagram Air force Base in Afghanistan.
July 16, 2018
Highly recommend. This book is still very relevant today.
April 14, 2011
Jennifer Harbury's personal story fighting injustice is incredible (read Searching for Everardo if possible first). She connects our lengthy history supporting torture in Latin America to US sanctioned torture in the Middle East and other places. Very disturbing and very revealing.
February 14, 2015
The title tells it all.
January 17, 2010
Painful to read we never learn, from our mistakes or others. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews