I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq

Washington Post by Matthew Alexander (pseudonym) | Nov. 28, 2008 (Opinion)

I'm not some ivory-tower type; I served for 14 years in the U.S. Air Force, began my career as a Special Operations pilot flying helicopters, saw combat in Bosnia and Kosovo, became an Air Force counterintelligence agent, then volunteered to go to Iraq to work as a senior interrogator. What I saw in Iraq still rattles me -- both because it betrays our traditions and because it just doesn't work. Full Story »

Posted by Dwight Rousu

More Info

Tags Help
Subjects: World, U.S., Politics
Topics: Torture, Bush Administration, U.S. Military, War in Iraq
Member Tags: war crimes
Editorial Help
Posted by: Posted by Dwight Rousu - Dec 3, 2008 - 4:15 PM PST
Reviewed by: Dwight Rousu (review), Tanya J. Maurer (review)
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Dwight Rousu - Dec 3, 2008 - 4:20 PM PST

Reviews

Show All Comments
Show All | Notes | Comments | Quotes | Links
Dwight Rousu
4.8
 by Dwight Rousu - Dec. 3, 2008

This story and opinion is important to include in the discourse over torture, its morality and efficacy. If torture recruits terrorists faster than they can be killed, the returns seem as negative as the morals.

I learned in Iraq that the No. 1 reason foreign fighters flocked there to fight were the abuses carried out at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. Our policy of torture was directly ... More »

Dwight posted this story.
See Full Review » (13 answers)
Tanya J. Maurer
4.6
 by Tanya J. Maurer - Dec. 3, 2008
See Full Review » (11 answers)

Comments on this story Help (BETA)

Sort by: Oldest | Newest Hide All Replies
NT Rating | My Rating

Ratings

4.6

not enough reviews
from 2 reviews (20% confidence)
Quality
4.7
Information
5.0
Insight
5.0
Style
4.5
Context
4.5
Enterprise
5.0
Expertise
3.5
Originality
5.0
Relevance
5.0
Popularity
4.3
Recommendation
5.0
Credibility
4.0
# Reviews
1.0
# Views
5.0
# Likes
1.0
# Emails
1.0
More
How our ratings work »
(See these related stories.)

Links Help

  • US Interrogator in Iraq Says Torture Policy Has Led to Deaths of Thousands of American Soldiers

    Democracy Now by Matthew Alexander(pseudonym), Amy Goodman | Dec. 3, 2008 (Interview)
    () “My team of interrogators had successfully hunted down one of the most notorious mass murderers of our generation, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq and ...
    Posted by Dwight Rousu
    4.6
     See Reviews »
    • Add a related link