Global Criticism of the U.S. Following Senate Report on the CIA

The release of the U.S. Senate report on the illegal interrogation and torture methods used by the CIA on terrorism suspects has sparked global outrage, from the United Nations to countries accused of human rights violations themselves, calling for accountability for those involved in the CIA and the U.S. government. Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated on Wednesday, December 10, that under the anti-torture convention, even wartime conditions do not justify torture. He added, "This convention does not allow anyone to escape responsibility - neither torturers, nor decision-makers, nor government officials who approved or issued orders in this regard." However, the CIA has had defenders, including Dick Cheney, former Vice President under George W. Bush, who described the Senate report as "horrific" and "completely wrong." Meanwhile, Heiko Maas, Germany's Minister of Justice, reacted to the report by stating, "The CIA's actions of torture are horrific. Nothing justifies such methods. Anyone involved in this policy should be prosecuted." Nevertheless, according to Reuters, a White House spokesperson announced that the Justice Department reviewed the interrogation documents and found no reason to prosecute anyone. Poland had long denied granting permission for the use of its prisons for CIA interrogations of terrorism suspects, but former President Aleksander Kwaśniewski revealed on Wednesday that his government had allowed the U.S. to establish a base for interrogations in Poland. However, when asked at a press conference whether he was aware of what was happening at that base, he said, "About what the CIA was doing? No. We had no information from inside the base." China, Iran, and North Korea, which are regularly criticized for human rights violations, condemned Washington for its use of torture in interrogating suspects. Hong Lei, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated that "Beijing opposes the use of torture and believes that the U.S. side should respond to this report, reform its methods, and respect international laws and regulations." Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, also referred to this report, saying, "It is expected that the exposure of these actions will be a precursor to legal action against the perpetrators and instigators of these criminal acts on the international stage." Meanwhile, U.S. federal prosecutors rejected requests from some senators to prosecute CIA personnel responsible for the violent interrogations of terrorism suspects. Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, December 9, the U.S. Justice Department's statement emphasizing that these cases are not legally prosecutable as the existing evidence is insufficient for convicting potential responsible parties. Two Democratic senators on Tuesday, coinciding with the Senate report's release on violent interrogations of terrorism suspects, called on the Justice Department to prosecute those responsible within the CIA. Senator Jay Rockefeller, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated that he believes prosecutors should pursue those responsible for such interrogations. Senator Carl Levin also emphasized that some methods used by CIA agents constituted "torture," asserting that U.S. judicial authorities should consider prosecuting those responsible for these interrogation methods. He remarked, "All I can say is that torture is illegal, and actions like 'waterboarding' are also torture." The U.S. Justice Department had previously opened a case in 2011 regarding the possible role of CIA interrogators in the deaths of two suspects held in U.S. custody, but this case was closed a year later. The department has now stated that it found no new information in the Senate report released on Tuesday. The White House emphasized that the Senate report has tarnished the moral credibility of the United States in the world. According to Reuters, Josh Earnest, White House spokesperson, stated at a press conference on Wednesday, "Even if, as CIA officials have said, these methods led to useful information, they should not have been used as they have tarnished America's image." He noted that President Barack Obama is concerned that these interrogation methods have "damaged America's moral credibility worldwide." The U.S. Senate report accuses the CIA of employing extremely harsh interrogation methods on Al-Qaeda individuals and other prisoners accused of terrorism between 2002 and 2006, misleading White House officials about this. Some of these methods included stripping detainees, keeping them awake for extended periods, slapping, and inducing the sensation of drowning by pouring water over the heads and faces of prisoners who were restrained to chairs or boards. The Senate report states that the CIA informed former President George W. Bush of its actions in April 2006. However, Mr. Bush stated on October 5, 2007, at the White House that this administration does not torture anyone.