Dear Bleeding Hearts, Would You Like Some Cheese with that Whine?

Wow. In the course of research on NGO involvement in conflict resolution, I came across Human Rights Watch's list of "Table of Interrogation Techniques" in use at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Cry me a stinkin river.

The first comment is that our government has lost its mind. Approval was needed, and this is no joke, on interrogation techniques including:

• "Direct, straightforward questions"
• "Yelling at detainee"
• "Deception: multiple interrogators"

And the list goes on and on. Seriously. The HRW article is linked under the section "Torture and Abuse." So here are some of the real harsh interrogation techniques noted in the table, along with whether or not they were approved for use Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

• "Use of stress positions (e.g. prolonged standing)" - Not approved
• "Sensory deprivation (light and auditory stimuli)" - Not approved
• "Using detainee phobias (e.g. fear of dogs) to induce stress" - Not approved
• "Use of mild, non-injurious physical contact such as grabbing, poking in the chest, and light pushing" - Approved

Those poor terrorists. Imagine being made to stand up for a long period of time, or being in the dark for awhile. I'm sure they didn't do any of that while they spent time in the training camps of Afghanistan.

SO my first point is to the terrorists - the bleeding hearts of the world at HRW have your back guys.

Second, what the hell is wrong with us? Have we lost all common sense. These terrorists are people who, according to the 9/11 Commission Report, "desire death more than you [Americans] desire life" (52). A little slapping, a little pushing...WHO CARES? They sliced an innocent man's head off. For those of you did not see the so-called "beheading" video, it is worse than 9/11. After finishing a "prayer," the terrorists, with a 6" knife, SLICE a handcuffed man's head while he is laying on his side, squirming and squealing.

I think, having absorbed this information, the latest information on Iraq and Afghanistan, my recommendation is for the US to get some stones. Sometimes foreign policy decisions are complicated, Israel and Palestine for example, but the war on terror is simple. They WILL continue their fatwa until they are DEAD or securely imprisoned.

* I did not post the name of the American who was beheaded because I do not want page hits from search results on his name.

Bryan Taylor