Is the torture report in response to the Snowden leaks?

It’s a very good question. The issue would certainly have been studied with or without Snowden. It’s a good bet that every aspect of the country’s history post 9/11 will be picked apart. For those of us living through this period, there is the unshakable suspicion that 9/11 and our reaction to it mark the starting line for an era in which our country “left the rails.” So many piss-poor decisions from a great nation that should know better. Obtuse bungling, and stupefying idiocy now define a place which in my youth was looked on as the light and hope of the world.

The investigation was kicked off well before anything happened with Snowden (I want to say 2007, but having trouble finding a date).

The report was finished and approved almost 2 years ago. Since then it’s just been argued what should be declassified and released. I’m sure those who requested the report wanted as much released as possible, and I’m sure everything that’s happened with Snowden helped those arguments, but I don’t think you can say Snowden directly led to the investigation or report at all. It was all in motion before he released anything.

the big wiki has a good article.

@funkdaddy Thanks once again.

Both Snowden and the torture report simply formalised what we already knew. It probably would’ve happened anyway, but the combined impact has certainly brought the effects of US hegemony into the spotlight.

I think it’s a matter of some correct-minded congress-critters doing something they should be doing, investigating criminal activity in the executive branch. Not related to Snowden.
The use of torture is not only illegal, and proven to be ineffective, it endangers U.S. citizens all over the world, especially our armed forces if captured.

The Snowden leaks had much more to do with the NSA and internal surveillance; not with the CIA and torture. I think the US is still trying to justify and continue the internal spying. The CIA torture report release was differently motivated.

No, they are unrelated.

Your statement, ”...release of the torture report the government trying to be more transparent… carries an implication of the US Federal Government as a single minded edifice. But there are significant parts of the Federal Government that were opposed to release of any thing in the Torture Report, and are critical of its accuracy. The release was mostly driven by Senator Feinstein, Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, who has Senate Oversight of the CIA.

Feinstein has been one of the CIA’s biggest cheerleaders over the years, to the consternation of the left, so her pushing to get it published is indicative of how awful it is.

The issue has been debated and decided in favor of the liberal point of view. I can’t see any benefit to bringing it up again. It just gives the Democrats another opportunity to ‘Blame Bush’ and apologize for America. Sowden had nothing to do with this. Democrats were about to lose control of the Senate so they wanted one last parting shot.

@Jaxk – so torture is a conservative value? I hope not, and if it’s not then how can this be decided in the “liberal” point of view?

I don’t care how politicians want to play it, they’ll all point fingers the other way anyway. It’s noise for anyone who isn’t a fanatic for their party or system. It’s not about blaming Bush.

People torturing prisoners in the name of national defense makes us all look like assholes and can be used to justify any hate the world sends our way.

Put another way, I think we can agree that the videotaped beheadings we’ve seen recently make anything else ISIS might have to say pretty much moot. Because they’ve captured, tortured, and ultimately killed a few Americans, nothing else matters.

That’s how torture used as interrogation makes us (US citizens, as a country and individuals) look to the world. That’s so far off our values that it’s not even a political issue other than the fact that the government carried it out.

@Jaxk Don’t worry, Cheney threw Bush under the bus.

Cheney would throw anyone under the bus to justify himself.

@funkdaddy – Not quite. I mean the liberal definition of what is acceptable won out. It is OK to blow them away with a hellfire missile but it is not OK to threaten to blow them away. You can stick a missile in their car but not their ass. You won that argument when Obama was elected. You won, let it go.

I don’t know what tactics ISIS uses has anything to do with that argument since it was settled before ISIS was created. Personally I don’t care what gets shoved up their ass nor whether it gets detonated.

@Jaxk – don’t give up grumpy. No one will ever win everything they want, and it’s not about politicians… no matter how they want to use it.