Musicians Protest Tunes Used in Interrogations
By
Bernie BeckerThis time at least, musicians Tom Morello and Trent Reznor want the music turned down.
Mr. Morello, formerly of
Rage Against the Machine, and Mr. Reznor, of
Nine Inch Nails, are among a group of musicians who have joined the National Campaign to Close Guantánamo and are supporting the group’s efforts to declassify records dealing with the use of music in detainee interrogations.
Previously declassified records and other reports have already documented some of the uses of loud music, including the playing of recordings by Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against the Machine. With the help of the National Security Archive, this group hopes to learn more about the use of music as an interrogation technique by filing Freedom of Information Act requests on Thursday with a host of government agencies — including the Defense Department, C.I.A. and F.B.I.
Mr. Morello, R.E.M. and The Roots said in statements that they were outraged that music had been used in interrogations and called for the closure of the detention center at Guantanamo. Other musicians backing the effort include Pearl Jam, Jackson Browne and Rosanne Cash.
“We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice – to now learn that some of our friends’ music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge, is horrific,” R.E.M. said in a statement. “It’s anti-American, period.”
A White House spokesman indicated that loud music was one of the techniques tossed away during a
policy shift on interrogations announced shortly after the president’s inauguration. And according to The Associated Press, a C.I.A. spokesman said,
when the music was used, it was not employed “for punitive purposes — and at levels far below a live rock band.”
Aaron Harison of Keep America Safe — the recently formed group that accuses President Obama’s administration of “turning away from the policies that have kept us safe” — said the group would not comment on the new move.
Jayne Huckerby of the International Human Rights Clinic at the New York University School of Law, which represents two former detainees who faced music as an interrogation technique, said the Thursday filings could increase the understanding of the “psychological impact this had on the individuals that were subjected to it.”
“We’re far away from understanding” the extent music was used in interrogations, added Ms. Huckerby, who also pointed to a
United Nations finding that the “sounding of loud music for prolonged periods” violated its Convention Against Torture.
According to Ms. Huckerby, Mohamed Bashmilah, one of the detainees represented by her group, has indicated that both “excruciatingly loud western rap and Arabic music” and “deafening music” were used while he was detained. Recordings by Metallica, Britney Spears and even from Sesame Street have also been employed as interrogation techniques, according to previous reports.
Kate Doyle, senior analyst for the National Security Archive, said that previous filings had not concentrated specifically on the use of music in interrogations.
“We expect to obtain documents that name bands and songs that were used in detainee interrogations,” she said. “The very small handful that we’ve already seen came up accidentally during requests that we’re not targeting music.”
Still, it’s hard to say how long it will take before Thursday’s filing produces any documents. Some of the petitioned agencies, Ms. Doyle said, have a history of being more responsive than others to information requests.
The filing comes two days after a group, the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo, released its
first advertisement, which criticized Congress for standing in the way of efforts to close the detention center.
The list of songs:
1. Fuck Your God – Deicide
2. Die MF Die – Dope
3. Take Your Best Shot – Dope
4. White America – Eminem
5. Kim – Eminem
7. Bodies – Drowning Pool
9. Meow Mix TV commercial
13. Shoot To Thrill – ACDC
14. Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
15. All Eyes On Me – Tupac
16. Dirrty – Christina Aguilera
17. America – Neil Diamond
18. Bulls On Parade – Rage Against The Machine
19. American Pie – Don McLean
20. Click Click Boom – Saliva
21. Cold – Matchbox 20
22. Swan Dive – Hed P.E.
23. Raspberry Beret – Prince
24. “Dirrty,” Christina Aguilera
25. “Shoot to Thrill,” AC/DC
26. “We are The Champions,” Queen
Recently, I’ve been trying to learn more about the American Health Care System - it’s general workings, it’s history, it’s problems, etc... Today I listened to a great episode of "This American Life" on NPR. It described how insurance companies in the US evolved - starting in Baylor, Texas as a way to get people into hospitals during the depression ($1 a day was much more affordable than the cost of one trip to the hospital) and expanding during WWII when there weren’t enough workers to go around and companies needed to find ways to lure people to work for their business without offering pay raises (all salaries were frozen nation-wide as part of the war effort).
Moustache Cake (SO in right now)
