AlterNet: 10 years later: The CIA 'Torture Report' and America's accountability deficit

[Dennis Donovan]

AlterNet - 10 years later: The CIA ‘Torture Report’ and America’s accountability deficit

by Yumna Rizvi, opinion contributor - 12/09/24 7:30 AM ET

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the release of the heavily redacted 500-page executive summary of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee’s landmark report, following its investigation into the CIA’s post-9/11 detention and interrogation program.

Also known as the “Torture Report,” it is more than 6,000 pages long. Adam Driver starred in a film about it. But virtually no one has ever read it. It remains classified and shielded from public scrutiny and accountability.

It is one of the most significant acknowledgments the U.S. uses torture. Yet its lessons remain glaringly ignored.

The release of the summary in 2014 was a seismic moment, offering a harrowing glimpse into the systemic cruelty of a program justified under the guise of counterterrorism. It confirmed the extensive use of torture techniques — including waterboarding, mock executions and rectal feeding — on detainees.

It also highlighted the program’s failures. Contrary to the CIA’s claims, so-called “enhanced interrogation” techniques did not result in any actionable intelligence. Despite this, none of the individuals who engaged in, authorized, or covered up torture were prosecuted. No amends were made to victims.

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[Solly Mack]

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