Torture of Abu Zubaydah

Today’s lead story in The New York Times is titled, “Divisions Arose on Rough Tactics for Qaeda Figure.” It describes the background in the decision to torture an Al Qaeda prisoner, Abu Zubaydah.

The story highlights the problem with approving the use of torture, as described yesterday. Once you have this new “capability,” you look for ways to use it. Interrogators of Abu Zubaydah had successfully used a less harsh technique based on establishing rapport with the prisoner.

The people on-site felt he had supplied all the information he knew, and much of it was very useful in exposing personnel and plans. But officials at C.I.A. headquarters insisted on escalating the situation after he had already been in confinement for several months.

The story describes the effect of torture on the questioner and prisoner alike. Quoting from the article, “Even for those who believed that brutal treatment could produce results, the official  said, ‘seeing these depths of human misery and degradation has a traumatic effect.’”

These details are all coming out as a result of President Obama’s decision to release secret Bush memos justifying the torture. Mr. Obama should be commended for revealing actions that must be purged from our collective consciousness. Doing so will have a cathartic effect and will help ensure they never happen again.