TomDispatch.com, posted June 07, 2009 5:32 pm (see sig)

When the Abu Ghraib photos were released in 2004, it seemed that most Americans were shocked by such novel and horrific images, but at least one was not. I'm talking about Alfred McCoy, who had been following the Central Intelligence Agency since the early 1970s, when it unsuccessfully tried to stop the publication of his book, The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade.

As soon as McCoy saw the now grimly iconic images of hooded figures, naked men on leashes, and the like, his reaction -- even grimmer than that of the rest of us -- was recognition. He had long been studying the CIA's pioneering research into methods of psychological torture. (The Agency had embarked on this project in the early 1950s, initially studying old Soviet and Chinese methods of interrogating and breaking prisoners.) As a result, he knew that what was unique at Abu Ghraib was not the methods of abuse, but those images. Thanks to cell phones and computers, these could be taken in quantity and passed around by anyone in the vicinity. Those photos, he also knew, were no record of aberrations: they represented policy and were recognizably out of the CIA's several-decade-old torture playbook.

That this was so still remains little understood today, even though in 2006 McCoy published an important book, A Question of Torture, on the subject (and even earlier wrote a post at TomDispatch laying out some of this grim history). His work has since been incorporated into, for instance, Jane Mayer's The Dark Side, a striking account of the war on terror as a torture fest. Yet the history offered in his book remains largely ignored or missing-in-action in our world -- and without it much of the so-called torture debate of this moment makes less sense than it should.

Recently, McCoy read a front-page New York Times piece headlined "U.S. Relies More on Aid of Allies in Terror Cases," which began this way: "The United States is now relying heavily on foreign intelligence services to capture, interrogate and detain all but the highest-level terrorist suspects seized outside the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, according to current and former American government officials."

Again, McCoy quickly recognized ancient history returning to haunt us. After all, until the Bush era, American administrations regularly outsourced torture (and torture techniques) to foreign allies. So read his latest piece of missing history below and then, if you want to grasp the depths of this old story, which shows no sign of ending, get your hands on a copy of his book. (To catch a superb TomDispatch audio interview with McCoy in which he discusses the CIA's "Manhattan Project of the mind," click here.)

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175080/alfred_mccoy_back_to_the_future_in_torture_policy

Patients United Now has received a copy of the expected bill (see sig) for Health Care reform. They've transcribed the entire bill and made it in a searchable PDF. Expect more updates to come as experts and commenters work their way through it.

http://patientsunitednow.com/?q=node/233

In the third excerpt of the Comey memo that Glenn provided, there was this statement:

“The AG explained that he was under great pressure from the Vice President to complete both memos and that the President had even raised it last week, apparently at the VP's request and the AG had promised they would be ready early this week. He added that the VP kept telling him “we are getting killed on the Hill.”

That might indicate that those congress critters who were briefed on the torture were pressing for legal affirmation for the torture or it could mean many other things. During a full investigation, it would be an interesting statement to pursue. The Dick doesn't say he is “getting killed” unless it is damn important to him.

Democrats postpone action on war bill

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0609/23372.html

Dem Leadership Moves to Kill Photo Amendment (see sig)

http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2009/06/dem_leadership_moves_to_kill_p_1.asp

Airing on C-SPAN right now is a 1hr 31minute hearing held on 6/4/09 (see sig). I have been out of touch due to a trip and don't know how much this hearing may have already been discussed. It is germane to the discussion today.

State Secrets Privilege Bill, House Committee, Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties

Witnesses: · Hon. Patricia Wald, retired Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia · Hon. Asa Hutchinson, Senior Partner, AH Law Group and former Congressman for the 3rd District of Arkansas · Ben Wizner, Staff Attorney, Security Project of the ACLU · Andrew Grossman, Policy Analyst, Heritage Foundation

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/includes/templates/library/flash_popup.php?pID=286833-1&clipStart=&clipStop=