Yes, the CIA tortured inmates suspected of terrorism in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Two of the primary men involved with creating this program are Mormon, one was called to be a Bishop after taking $81mn from the government to torture people. We discuss the report, how it came to light, some of the key figures along the way, and the fight over the FOIA release of the report in the courts. After that we talk about The Report, wherein Adam Driver plays Dan Jones who led the investigation at the direction of Senator Dianne Feinstein. Then we have some happy news about libraries getting funding that was promised to them.
CW: torture, suicide
Show Notes:
Torture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture#Punishment
Torture in the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_in_the_United_States#History_of_U.S._Accession
US Senate report on CIA torture “The Torture Report”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Senate_report_on_CIA_torture
The Torture Memos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_Memos
7 Key Points form the C.I.A. Torture Report by Jeremy Ashkenas, Hannah Fairfield, Josh Keller, and Paul Volpe: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/09/world/cia-torture-report-key-points.html
Jay Bybee: The man behind waterboarding, by Randy James: https://time.com/archive/6914445/jay-bybee-the-man-behind-waterboarding/
Bruce Jessen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Jessen
Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_interrogation_techniques
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival,_Evasion,_Resistance_and_Escape
Torture, Ethics, Accountability? By David R Katner: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://lawecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2791&context=luclj
CIA Paid Torture Teachers More Than $80 Million by Robert Windrem: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-torture-report/cia-paid-torture-teachers-more-80-million-n264756
Torture victims will bear psychological scars long after CIA report scandal fades: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/dec/13/learned-helplessness-enduring-effects-torture-haunt-victims
The Torture Debate by David Anderson: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2005/12/23/the-torture-debate/21435/
The CIA and the Church: https://mormonr.org/qnas/H2jKm/cia_and_the_church
The senate torture report is a condemnation of Mormon moral reasoning: https://bycommonconsent.com/2014/12/10/the-senate-torture-report-is-a-condemnation-of-mormon-moral-reasoning/
The Role of the LDS church in developing torture by Cherry O Top: https://churchofthefridge.com/role-lds-church-developing-torture/
Mormonism and Torture — Paradoxes and First Principles by Boyd Petersen: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://sunstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/69-71_Petersen_torture-3.pdf
Christopher Hitchens tries waterboarding via Vanity Fair
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LPubUCJv58
Nixon Tapes “Cancer on the Presidency” - Dean and Nixon discussing blackmail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnUJa6uuL_Y
Nixon “I’m not a crook”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEQP2-qOJk
Electronic Frontier Foundation on OPEN Governt Act
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/01/key-open-government-reform-legislation-becomes-law
ACLU Torture Report landing page
https://www.aclu.org/cases/senate-torture-report-foia
Executive Summary of the Torture Report
NPR on Abu Zubaydah
https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084161762/supreme-court-rules-against-disclosure-in-torture-case
NSI info sheet on FOIA
https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nsa/foia/guide.html
Electronic Frontier Foundation on history of FOIA
https://www.eff.org/issues/transparency/history-of-foia
Privacy Act of 1974
https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974
https://www.justice.gov/opcl/overview-privacy-act-1974-2020-edition
1966 hearing on CIA and FBI invasions of privacy
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-89shrg61406p6/pdf/CHRG-89shrg61406p6.pdf
MOGP: The Report: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8236336/
The portrayal of CIA in ‘The Report’: Separating Truth from Fiction by Brian Greer https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/portrayal-cia-report-separating-truth-fiction
Happy News:
Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism on his Speaking of Cults series. Our most recent discussion was on the Mountain Meadows Massacre: https://youtu.be/iJWirjCyWdk
He has had MANY different fascinating people on so go take a look! Here is the whole playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpGuS7GcsgA&list=PLGrPM1Pg2h72ADIuv8eYmzrJ-ppLOlw_g
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