“Torture” Techniques
BY Herschel Smith
18 years, 3 months ago
My Marine son would laugh at this panty-waist list of “torture” techniques.
We now learn what the techniques are to which the pitiful John McCain and Lindsey Graham are so opposed. Courtesy of RWN, here they are:
The techniques sought by the CIA are: induced hypothermia; forcing suspects to stand for prolonged periods; sleep deprivation; a technique called “the attention grab” where a suspect’s shirt is forcefully seized; the “attention slap” or open hand slapping that hurts but does not lead to physical damage; the “belly slap”; and sound and light manipulation.
Now compare this to what our own men go through who train for the military. In School of Infantry, my son has undergone sleep deprivation, heat, cold, being wet for extended periods of time, 100 pound backpacks and 40 pounds of body armor on 20 mile hikes, being assailed by leeches, ticks, chiggers, and snakes, and food deprivation. The things that went on on boot camp … well, I say this honestly, I cannot discuss, because they inform young Marines that the things that go on in boot camp are not to be divulged. I am also circumspect enough to know that I cannot discuss the things I know about boot camp at Parris Island. But I can say without a shadow of doubt that the “torture” technques outlined above are panty-waist and pathetically laughable compared to what a young Marine goes through in boot training. Also see one commenter to my post Harsher Prisoner Treatment Justified:
Actually, waterboarding is in fact a humane way to interogate (sic) prisoners because they aren’t physically injured. I have been waterboarded in special forces training and I can tell you that is terrifying. You really think you are going to die, but, in fact, you are being closely monitored and in no real danger.
I knew about SERE training for our own men, but failed to mention it in my initial post on this subject. The link I gave you is worth the read, but fails to convey the real hardship that some of our special forces operators and pilots go through. I have heard about it first hand from a pilot. The prisoners at Gitmo have it good compared to our own men in uniform.
John and Lindsey, can we please cease and desist with the whimpering and hand-wringing now? It embarrasses you.
On September 20, 2006 at 4:01 pm, Mike said:
I posted about this recently, and mentioned that I went through some of the traing at SF SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape) school out at Camp Mackall (Ft. Bragg) when Col. Bill Rowe was out there. SOF troops and a lot of helicopter pilots go through the school (I think the USN and USAF have their own, right?), and it is a lot worse than what POTUS wants to do to captured terrorists. But then, we know our people will be subjected to much, much worse, don’t we?
On September 20, 2006 at 6:07 pm, Herschel Smith said:
Thanks for the comment Mike. Yep, I read your post. The notion (i.e., from McCain) that the U.S. genuflecting at the all-sovereign, all-righteous, all-powerful Geneva convention actually protects our troops because other countries will reciprocate, is so idiotic on its face that it doesn’t warrant further debunking. It just won’t happen, and school-child level reasoning can see figure this out and see it for what it is. It is an emotional wish rather than a rational fact. McCain quite obviously was affected by his captivity.
As for the question which branches have their own SERE programs (or is there only one?), this is for someone who knows more than I do. I know I have talked at length with a pilot who went through it, and it is torturous. He had to play various psychological tricks on himself to keep from going insane.
On September 20, 2006 at 11:41 pm, Mike H. said:
Yeah, the AF has a school that processes pilots from all the services. As far as bootcamp is concerned, I went through boot camp in the Navy in 64 and through the Marine Corps in 73. If McCain and Graham are saying that we should treat the enemy better than our own troops are treated, they need to find another job. McCain should forget about president also.