When Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari was being beaten and interrogated for 118 days as an accused spy he expected death but not the Daily Show. During his beatings, the Iranian interrogator played a segment from John Stewart’s Daily Show under the apparent belief that it is a real news program and revealed Bahari’s spy activities.
Bahari was confronted with a video from the Daily Show where Jason Jones played the role of a redneck pretending to be a spy named Mr. Pistachio. Bahari had participated in the segment and the Iranian government (not big on humor but unwitting masters at irony) believed it was real.
Bahari was released from Tehran’s Evin Prison on Oct. 17th after being beaten and threatened with death for months. It is worth noting that the Iranians, while admitting that the segment was a spoof, could claim that its interrogations were not torture under the American standards. What the Iranians did to Bahari fell well short of the torture carried out by the Bush Administration. It will remain when one Bush’s most lasting legacies — denying us of the ability to denounce such treatment, particularly given Obama’s opposition to any investigation of torture.
He can only be thankful he did not do a clip on the Colbert Report.
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Let me get this straight. He was arrested for being a Spy. He was released after “only” being beaten. He was forced to watch John Stewart’s Daily Show.
Which one was the torture?
No trial, no stoning and free. Geeze America,somebody take notes. They Freed him. Hello, anyone listening?
Sounds like there is a similar I.Q. level in Tehran and D.C. when it comes to knowing what is news is and what is not.
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/09/intellectual-war-monger.html
Waterboarding is worse than a physical beating? Did I miss something?
@ShireNomad
And the “walling” performed by US interrogators/forces?
Attacks from military dogs while in custody?
Those seem like physical torture to me.
So does Waterboarding, though. Suffocating/drowning someone and stopping before they die still sounds like physical torture.
Then there’s the issues to psychological torture such as threatening prisoners with power drills, faking the murders of other inmates, threatening to harm their families, etc.
The list of approved “enhanced” interrogation techniques is appalling and one really needs to consider how US forces, their families, and the govt. would react if US citizens were subjected to such practices. Governments like Iran and China may have a terrible record when it comes to Human Rights abuses but it seems as if Bush/Cheney (and unfortunately Obama as well) are trying not to be outdone.