http://wikileaks.org/detaineepolicies/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/25/us-wikileaks-detention-idUSBRE89O0MA20121025

What else to say. Read and weep. Well, maybe not weep already, because they just started releasing the docs.

A cursory glance so far doesn't reveal any DoD-sanctioned torture techniques or anything massively incriminating, so let's wait and see what else comes up.

Edit: Did you just have a Daily Telegraph link there?

Changed the link. I'm not familiar with foreign press, what's reliable and what's not.

By the way, they are releasing the docs chronologically, to show how US policies changed over time.

I read a Stratfor article yesterday, the latest in security about a woman trying to sneak in from Mexico to US and they began to explain what "pocket litter" means in intelligence and law enforcement circles. Suffice to say since the US military invaded Afghanistan 2001 this technique (researching and processing information regarding a person's possessions and whereabouts) had apparently gotten very sophisticated, a lot more than so called interrogations. They didn't mention what type of interrogations but in modern times they probably use some experimental drug to extract infromation as pain alone won't do much.

I like this part: "This document is concerned with discreetly 'disappearing' detainees into the custody of other U.S. government agencies while keeping their names out of U.S. military central records - by systematically holding off from assigning a prisoner record number,"

Of course, nothing strange in how they deal with terrorists, they have to do something. Some terrorists cell operates on the belief that whatever they do is right no matter what so as long as they have that faith any techniques won't do much other than being the "better villain" so to say.

The shit nations do to keep their population safe is really sickening. I only got a cursory glance at the very surface and it was enough knowing that I don't want to be part of it.

The problem we currently have with this form of terrorism is that we are fighting not Muslims, or Islam or whatever bullshit Fox News rhetoric is proclaiming nowadays. We are fighting the middle ages.

The problem we have is best shown by the simple question those people in their offices are asking themselves everyday.

"How to you scare somebody who has nothing to lose?"

Attacking his faith? :P

Not sure how to do that but a lot of terrorist leaders uses religion, faith, geopolitical, political or geographics or whatever to promote their agenda. If you kill his sources along with financial support it's a good start.

Isn't it the Homeland catchprhase? ;D

But yeah, I agree with you. What is most worrying is that politicians use the word terrorism more and more often.

For example, Polish law allowing almost all authorities to obtain phone billing information about everybody was explained by terrorism. In Poland. And I still wonder what not paying alimony (one type of the prosecutions where is allowed to gather such data, or BTS data) is connected to terrorism...

Personally, after seeing what we have given up in the name of security, I came to the conclusion that our strongest defence is the open pluralistic society.

The US war on terror has done nothing but make them more vulnerable. Unless you are willing to completely and totally subdue your enemy, it is a lot better to take a different approach. There are still some die hard extremists that can't be reasoned and bargained with. But taking care of those should happen silent and precise. Not by invading countries with no proper military planning and not nearly enough troops.

But if you have an open and pluralistic society that respects personal freedom and believes, you pretty much take the enemy any justification for an attack. While you cannot stop every madman, you can curb the amount of followers he is getting.

And in the end the question remains, is our personal security worth giving up so much? I'm fairly certain more US citizens come to harm each year by hunting accidents then by terrorist attacks. Yet nobody is starting drone attacks in the Wisconsin woods.

But what does that mean? Does it mean respecting muslims customs? Like, for example, allowance of ritual killing of animals in EU? (yes, it already happened).

The biggest problem I see with this is (many?) muslims want EU to accomodate to their customs, not the other way around.

Basically, what extremist muslims want is to bring sharia to europe and america. And that simply can't happen. Non-extremist muslims live among us for many many years, and have no problems with us. Hey, they even stone their woman to death less often! :P

I agree with everything you just said SimonG but terrorism is a threat to politics, they take it personal that they have free rain because terrorists operates outside of law, morals etc.. and then governments use methods that are unconstitutional as a response.

You have to find a middle way. The German Constitution is the guideline, no question about it. But within those borders, they enjoy the same rights as others. I personally thing that any religion must ultimately be overcome as they are no longer necessary.

Many people in the west have a completely wrong impression of the majority of the Muslim populace. Same way around. Many people living in Muslim countries have completely wrong impressions about life in Europe/ the US.

Eg. Iran is as a society a lot more secularized and laid back than eg. Poland. But you never notice that, because of the current regime over there.

From my personal experience the "average Muslim" is no more or less religious than the "average American". Social status and education are here and there the deciding factors on how they handle their religion.

Btw, the ritual killing of animals is so strong, because the animal isn't allowed to suffer. Therefore, disallowing this because of animal rights is beyond ridiculous. But there are other issues that are a real challenge.

"Next time one of you blows themselves up here in America, we're nuking Mecca." That would be a very viable option :P

That would probably cause World War 3 :P

Thanks for the good laugh :D

Now that sounds like a reasonable policy! When will you stand for election?