Torture and American Culture Part One

The photographs that revealed the torture and abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib shocked the world. American military personnel and civilian contractors are seen engaged in practices prohibited by the Geneva Conventions, the Army Field Manual, and U.S. and international law. Further revelations about CIA rendition policies, deaths in custody, Guantanamo detainees, and government secrecy raise critical questions about U.S. culture and the practices and conditions that have fostered the resort to torture.

This forum will examine two issues
1. What in U.S. culture predisposes us to torture or to a tolerance for torture?
2. What strengths and weaknesses have U.S. leadership groups (political, military, religious, medical, psychological, legal, etc.) exhibited in responding to the current controversies over torture?

Moderator: Margaret O’Brien Steinfels, Fordham Center on Religion and Culture; Panel:David Danzig, Human Rights First, Director, Primetime Torture Project; Richard Alleva, Film Critic, Commonweal; Dean William Treanor, Dean, Fordham University School of Law; Col. Patrick Lang (Ret.), President, Global Resources Group; Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J., Editor, America Magazine; Prof. Stephen Behnke, Ethics Office, American Psychological Association