Description
Book SynopsisAn examination of the legal and national-security debates that made torture an acceptable act of counterterrorism.
Trade ReviewArsenault's book provides a much-needed historical context for the torture policy that emerged during the post-9/11 years. It is comprehensive, well researched, and, at the same time, digestible. -- Karen J. Greenberg, Director, Center on National Security at Fordham Law School One of the most perplexing and disturbing outcomes of the 9/11 attacks and the rise of global terrorism was America's adoption of torture against captured suspected terrorists-so-called detainees. This outstanding book by Elizabeth Grimm Arsenault lays out-in a reliable, scholarly, and readable manner-how this overreach occurred, how it profoundly violated U.S. norms and devotion to human rights, and what might be done to ensure a more appropriate balance between security and liberty for the United States in the future. For my own teaching and research endeavors, I keep this important volume close at hand. -- Loch K. Johnson, Regents Professor, University of Georgia This is a thoughtful and provoking account of how the United States abandoned its own-and the world's-legal and normative prohibitions against the use of torture. At its core are a compelling story about how once-cherished legal norms can unravel and the poignant observation that there is no single culprit but rather a system of actors-including top policy makers, their lawyers, and interrogators-aided by shifting public attitudes and cultural norms. -- Emilie Hafner-Burton, University of California, San Diego I recommend that you read this book. It will provoke thoughts within you, but it will also provide you a broader and deeper insight into human nature, regardless of where you lie on the line between assuring national security and upholding agreed-upon legal norms against torture. -- Sonu Chandiram Biz India
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Part I. Background 1. Introduction 2. History of POW Treatment in the United States: From the Revolutionary War to the Korean War 3. Modern POW Treatment in the United States: The Vietnam War, the Geneva Conventions, and the Pre-9/11 Era Part II. Evolution of Norms Around POW Treatment 4. POW Treatment and Lawyers 5. POW Treatment and Policy Makers 6. POW Treatment and Interrogators Part III. Conclusion 7. Implications and Recommendations Appendix A: Who's Who Appendix B: Timeline of Major Events Appendix C: Acronyms Notes Bibliography Index
