The Washington Monthly

March 8, 2010

COURTING DISASTER.... A former senior military interrogator who uses the pseudonym "Matthew Alexander" has been rather prolific in recent years writing about torture (he's against it). He had an especially interesting item the other day responding to a new book from one of the pro-torture crowd's most prominent media voices.

My gut reaction on reading Marc Thiessen's new book, Courting Disaster, was: "Why is a speechwriter who's never served in the military or intelligence community acting as an expert on interrogation and national security?" Certainly, everyone is entitled to a voice in the debate over the lawfulness and efficacy of President Bush's abusive interrogation program, regardless of qualifications. But if you're not an expert on a subject, shouldn't you interview experts before expressing an opinion?
Instead, Thiessen relies solely on the opinions of the CIA interrogators who used torture and abuse and are thus most vulnerable to prosecution for war crimes. That makes his book less a serious discussion of interrogation policy than a literary defense of war criminals. Nowhere in this book will you find the opinions of experienced military interrogators who successfully interrogated Islamic extremists. Not once does he cite Army Doctrine -- which warns of the negative consequences of torture and abuse. Courting Disaster is nothing more than the defense's opening statement in a war crimes trial.

While many of Thiessen's opinions are appalling from a moral perspective (he justifies torture and abuse through the religious writings of St. Thomas Aquinas), the book is comprised of errors, omissions, and a whopping dose of fear-mongering.

Alexander concludes that Thiessen's vision ultimately becomes a recipe for making the United States "less safe."

And DougJ added, "Fred Hiatt recently hired Marc Thiessen at the Washington Post editorial page."

—Steve Benen 10:55 AM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (11)

Comments

Courting Disaster is nothing more than the defense's opening statement in a war crimes trial.

Worse than that, it's a confession to war crimes.

-Z

Posted by: Zorro on March 8, 2010 at 11:02 AM | PERMALINK

Courting Disaster is nothing more than the defense's opening statement in a war crimes trial.

One can only hope so... Posted by: Bernard Gilroy on March 8, 2010 at 11:04 AM | PERMALINK

Courting Disaster is nothing more than the defense's opening statement in a war crimes trial.

Well, if we've already had the opening statement, let's go ahead and have the trial.

Posted by: Daryl McCullough on March 8, 2010 at 11:05 AM | PERMALINK

Calling Marc as first witness.

Posted by: IntelVet on March 8, 2010 at 11:17 AM | PERMALINK

My uncle, a career staff sargent in the army, once told me about the only celebrity he ever met in the service. It was the late 40s, and he processed the travel papers of another sargent who turned out to have an interesting specialty: he was the last officially qualified hangman in the United States army, on his way to Nuremburg. Presumably he also dealt with the Japanese waterboarders, as well.

Military tribunal or civilian court, these are capital crimes and they need to be punished.

Posted by: Midland on March 8, 2010 at 11:17 AM | PERMALINK

If...

Alexander concludes that Thiessen's vision ultimately becomes a recipe for making the United States "less safe."

...and...

And DougJ added, "Fred Hiatt recently hired Marc Thiessen at the Washington Post editorial page."

...then mightn't we conclude that Fred Hiatt is making the Washington Post less safe?

Dust off those resumes, kiddies; Freddie "Free-of-Common-Sense" Hiatt wants to put your jobs in danger.

Posted by: S. Waybright on March 8, 2010 at 11:25 AM | PERMALINK

i think it is super cool that Fred Hiatt hires a Christian Taliban -- some dickwad who quotes thomas aquinas -- to justify our terror and torture agst Islamic terrorists and torturers...

Yeah, that's the ticket!
Bring on the Dark Ages, Fred!

Posted by: neill on March 8, 2010 at 11:31 AM | PERMALINK

To us in the reality based community around the world, the year is 2010.

To the Christian Taliban, it's 1010. Really, no shit... these people literally are reverting back to dark age thinking.

We have to squash this devolution asap, our country's future is at stake.

Posted by: citizen_pain on March 8, 2010 at 11:45 AM | PERMALINK

Fred Hiatt recently hired Marc Thiessen at the Washington Post editorial page.

It wouldn't be the Washington Pest if they didn't do such a thing.

Watching the right defend the defenders of war crimes (Bybee, Yoo, etc.) and assault the defenders of the rule of law ("Al Queda 7") shows just what the right is after in this country: the imposition of a totalitarian, militarized dictatorship. This point needs to be made every chance they give us. They are no more "American patriots" than Hitler was a "German patriot."

Posted by: TCinLA on March 8, 2010 at 11:47 AM | PERMALINK

It has become obvious these past months, Marc Thiessen is living in a tortered state (of mind)! He must suffer from really bad dreams! In his wakened state, he projects his horrible fantasies on the rest of us. He definitely needs help! -Kevo

Posted by: kevo on March 8, 2010 at 12:51 PM | PERMALINK

Every time someone defends waterboarding and the other tortures employed by the Bush Criminal Enterprise in the name of our security, I weep with shame and anger!

Waterboarding and other tortures ARE against American law, international law, the dignity of mankind, and the basic tenets of all organized religions.

Anyone who proclaims that Americans can and should torture is LOUDLY PROCLAIMING that any American military captured (or kidnapped or 'renditioned') can be tortured!

American Exceptionalism should mean that we, as Americans, are setting a higher standard than 'our enemies'; not that we rate an 'exception' to human decency!

Posted by: SadOldVet on March 8, 2010 at 12:52 PM | PERMALINK