Did Donald Trump’s Executive Orders Just Sanction CIA ‘Black Ops’ Torture Sites? [Opinion]
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No one can accuse president Donald Trump of sitting on his hands since his inauguration last Friday. Since Trump officially took office, he has signed a host of executive orders, some more controversial than others. It is perhaps ironic, that in January of 2016, the Hill was reporting that Trump had accused Barack Obama of the “irresponsible use of executive orders.” To be fair to president Trump, he did say at the time that he believed that president Obama had opened the way for him to get things done by executive order.
Trump has proved to be a man of his word as he has signed a host of executive orders since his inauguration. Over the past couple of days, Trump has either signed or announced that he will sign executive orders laying out the path for some of his most controversial campaign promises. Trump used his personal Twitter account yesterday to announce that he was about to sign an executive order to enable the building of his much-promised wall along the border with Mexico.
Trump is expected to sign several executive orders on immigration and border security this week. These executive orders are to include measures to restrict immigration from the Middle East and will include the “extreme vetting” of people, including refugees from countries like Syria.
Amongst the most controversial of Trump’s executive orders are plans that will allow the CIA to reopen “Black Ops” sites. In the past, these sites have been used when the CIA have illegally renditioned foreign nationals, and they are thought to have been the sites used for the torture of suspects by the CIA. In 2015, Anonymous released details of a number of CIA Black Ops sites across the world that they claim had been used to torture and abuse terrorist suspects.
In October of 2016, the Guardian reported the experience of two Tunisian men who were tortured at a CIA Black Ops site. The men claimed to have been anally raped, near drowned, and given shocks in an electric chair. Civil rights groups are furious that Trump is using executive orders to allow such sites to operate.
Trump Uses Executive Order To Lift The Ban On CIA Torture Sites
According to the New York Times, a draft executive order to be signed by president Trump will “clear the way for the CIA to reopen overseas ‘black site’ prisons, like those where it detained and tortured terrorism suspects before former President Barack Obama shut them down.”
They claim that the executive order will clear the way for the resumption of CIA torture sites. Trump has been bullish of the treatment of terrorist suspects. During his campaign, he stated that he would like to see the return of torture techniques like “waterboarding” and said that “even if it doesn’t work, they deserve it anyway.” Let’s remember that these are suspects; they have not been convicted of any crime.
The New Civil Rights Movement is fiercely critical of Trump’s use of executive orders in general, and of this one in particular.
“It’s important to note two issues. First, President Donald Trump has apparently decided to govern by executive order, which is what he and the GOP falsely accused President Barack Obama of doing.
“Second, while the executive order does not order torture and other programs, the programs the [New York] Times reports are contained in the order are illegal and violate the Geneva Conventions.”
It’s safe to say that the New Civil Rights Movement is not a fan of President Trump. They conclude the article with a withering attack on the newly inaugurated president.
“Donald Trump foments violence and hate, is a serial liar, a racist, a misogynist, a supporter of white nationalism, a fascistic bully, an authoritarian thug, a sexual assault and adultery braggart, a hypocrite, a defrauder, and is a danger to civil rights, freedom of the press, and peace around the world.”
The article does point out that there is considerable evidence to support claims that Black Ops and the use of torture puts the U.S. in greater danger of a terrorist attack. Terrorists use the mistreatment and torture of suspects as a recruiting tool. The same held true in Northern Ireland, when in 1971 internment without trial was introduced for terrorist suspects. That action was said to be the best “recruiting sergeant” ever for terrorist groups.
President Trump’s use of executive orders during his first week in office has shown that he is determined to implement his campaign promises, no matter how controversial they might be.
[Featured Image by Evan Vucci/AP Images]
