New CIA boss is an insult to civilised society

WHY do the governments of Britain and the United States encourage torture?

I ask this question because over recent weeks there has been disturbing evidence of such state-approved brutality.

Earlier this month, the British government had to apologise to Libyan dissident Abdul Hakim Belhadj after ministers in the Blair government gave permission for him and his pregnant wife to be flown to Tripoli to be tortured by Colonel Gaddafi’s soldiers.

And, on Thursday, U.S. Congress approved Gina Haspel as the new head of the CIA.

She has a very controversial track record. After the 9/11 terror attacks, she ran a CIA operation in Thailand where suspects were subject to waterboarding and other forms of ‘ enhanced interrogation techniques’ (a shocking euphemism for appalling treatment too disgusting to be described in a newspaper). She later ordered the destruction of 92 video tapes that were said to document some of this.

I believe Ms Haspel’s new appointment is an affront to civilised society.