Eichmann's Inglorious Idiots

Even Adolf Eichmann had bad days, and often the genocidal machinery under his maintenance ground to a halt. Sometimes the trains did not run on time. The Final Solution had its good days and bad days; it came with the territory.

The Guardian:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/18/james-mitchell-cia-torture-interview

James Mitchell: 'I'm just a guy who got asked to do something for his country'
Psychologist who designed CIA's post-9/11 torture program insists he has nothing to apologise for – and attacks 'people with a Jack Bauer mentality who don't understand how intel works'

Dr James Elmer Mitchell has been called a war criminal and a torturer. He has been the subject of an ethics complaint, and his methods have been criticized in reports by two congressional committees and by the CIA's internal watchdog.

But the retired air force psychologist insists he is not the monster many have portrayed him to be.

"The narrative that's out there is, I walked up to the gate of the CIA, knocked on the door and said: 'Let me in, I want to torture people, and I can show you how to do it.' Or someone put out an ad on Craigslist that said, 'Wanted: psychologist who is willing to design torture program.' It's a lot more complicated than that," Mitchell told the Guardian in his first public comments since he was linked to the CIA's enhanced interrogation program seven years ago.

"I'm just a guy who got asked to do something for his country by people at the highest level of government, and I did the best that I could."

Mitchell is featured prominently in a new report prepared by the Senate select committee on intelligence, which spent five years and more than $40m studying the CIA's detention and interrogation program.

The findings, according to a summary leaked to McClatchy, are damning: that the agency misled the White House, Congress and the American people; that unauthorised interrogation methods were used; that the legal opinions stating the techniques did not break US torture laws were flawed; and perhaps most significant, that the torture yielded no useful intelligence.

But Mitchell said the program's successes had been deliberately ignored.

"I'm sure there are people out there who believe that if the United States acknowledged that coercion worked, there is an increased probability that people would use coercion against our people," Mitchell said. "Never mind that they do anyway. In the fairyland they live in, all you have to do is give somebody some tea and a cookie, and everything will be OK."

[...]

"I would be happy to tell my entire story," Mitchell said. "But I have been told numerous times that if I violate the non-disclosure agreement there would be criminal and civil penalties. I am interested in having an active and honest debate, but only if the Justice Department and federal government release me from my agreement."

Mitchell, however, did talk about the torture program in general terms. He sees it as a huge success and is upset it has gotten such a bad rap.

"I don't get annoyed about the program," Mitchell said. "I get annoyed the way the good parts, and the bad parts, have been glossed over and some good parts have been vilified. That frustrates me. But I'm not going to talk about the program."

Interesting.

I admit now that the next quote is taken out of place, not, however, out of context - the context here is Eichmann's nouveaux idiots and Mitchell is their poster boy. It does give a preciousness to his total sense of madness:

He  [Mitchell]  also criticized Obama's healthcare policy – a "shit sandwich" – and his administration's approach to global warming. Mitchell believes it's a myth.

He identified himself politically as an independent. "I'm not a Republican or a Mormon or a gun nut or power hungry."

I am glad to hear Dr. "Mengele" Mitchell's political views. It fills some vague need.

 Eichmann On Trial

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