Amazon The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals

The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals

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Editorial Review:

A dramatic and damning narrative account of how America has fought the
"War on Terror"

In the days immediately following September 11th, the most powerful people in the country were panic-stricken. The radical decisions about how to combat terrorists and strengthen national security were made in a state of utter chaos and fear, but the key players, Vice President Dick Cheney and his powerful, secretive adviser David Addington, used the crisis to further a long held agenda to enhance Presidential powers to a degree never known in U.S. history, and obliterate Constitutional protections that define the very essence of the American experiment.
THE DARK SIDE is a dramatic, riveting, and definitive narrative account of how the United States made terrible decisions in the pursuit of terrorists around the world-- decisions that not only violated the Constitution to which White House officials took an oath to uphold, but also hampered the pursuit of Al Qaeda. In gripping detail, acclaimed New Yorker writer and bestselling author, Jane Mayer, relates the impact of these decisions--U.S.-held prisoners, some of them completely innocent, were subjected to treatment more reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition than the twenty-first century.
THE DARK SIDE will chronicle real, specific cases, shown in real time against the larger tableau of what was happening in Washington, looking at the intelligence gained--or not--and the price paid. In some instances, torture worked. In many more, it led to false information, sometimes with devastating results. For instance, there is the stunning admission of one of the detainees, Sheikh Ibn al-Libi, that the confession he gave under duress--which provided a key piece of evidence buttressing congressional support of going to war against Iraq--was in fact fabricated, to make the torture stop.
In all cases, whatever the short term gains, there were incalculable losses in terms of moral standing, and our country's place in the world, and its sense of itself. THE DARK SIDE chronicles one of the most disturbing chapters in American history, one that will serve as the lasting legacy of the George W. Bush presidency.

Customer Reviews:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

• The Dark Side of "Shock and Awe"
  It must be said that, the U.S. for all its many faults, generally throughout its history has had a sixth sense for knowing when it is approaching the "moral brink." And in all but a few instances in its history, has found ways to "pull back" before it plunged over the moral and legal cliffs. In fact, until the present administration, "pulling back" just before the plunge, had become a hallmark of our system of "rule by law." Even in politics, our motto could well be summarized as: Fight hard politically,... more info

• Truly Disturbing and Enlightening
  Jane Mayer's book "The Dark Side" took a while for me to finish. After reading a bit, I would get disturbed and really pissed off. To think that my government had descended to the depths that it had, and had done so with absurd legal interpretations behind it, I couldn't help but feel the earth rumble as Jefferson tossed about in his grave. What also disturbed me was the silence among most Americans, most of whom with the shrug of the shoulders somehow think this is "just liberals bashing conservatives" or... more info

• What is Right Morally or Legally?
  This was a hard book to read and review because it told a story that depicted an America that I fundamentally believed was different. It was upsetting to read about the legal shenanigans played at high government levels and the resulting distorted legal interpretations that allowed our government to authorize and pursue actions against prisoners (both foreign and American) that were supposedly taboo for most of U.S. history, or at least not generally known or openly authorized activities. Classified legal... more info

• A part of history we cannot undo.
  Military Prosecutor Darrel Vandeveld recognized the "stain of Guantanamo not simply on America's standing in the world, but as a part of history we cannot undo." (I'm not sure where I found this quote.)
  Mayer's book is the result of extensive research into records and interviews with persons who were present at various proceedings related to the Bush-Cheney torture of prisoners of war. It documents that the Abu Ghraib torture was a direct result of White House orders and not the actions of a few bad... more info

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