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Summary:

"Why did it happen? Why did the United States begin to torture detainees during the War on Terror? Instead of an indictment, this book presents an explanation. Crises produce rare opportunities for overcoming the domestic and foreign logjams facing political leaders. But what if the projects used to address the crisis and provide cover for their actions come under serious threat from clandestine opponents? Then the restraints on interrogation can be overwhelmed, leading to informal institutions that allow the official establishment of torture. These ideas are tested using comparative historical narratives drawn from two cases where torture was adopted--the War on Terror and the Stalinist Terror--and one where it was not--the Mexican War. The book concludes with some thoughts about how the United States can avoid the legal establishment of torture in the future"-- c Provided by publisher.

Table of Contents:

• Cover; Halftitle; Title; Contents; List of Tables and Figure; Preface; List of Abbreviations; 1 Introduction; 2 Questions, Designs, and Mechanisms; 3 Crisis and Opportunity in the United States andthe Soviet Union; 4 Torture: From Informal Institution to Official Policy; 5 The Mechanism Fails: The United States andthe Mexican War; 6 Torture and Leadership Projects; 7 Conclusions; Notes; Bibliography; Index;

Author/Creator:

Lightcap, Tracy, 1946-

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

The politics of torture [by Lightcap, T.]

Subjects:

Mexican War, 1846-1848 — Prisoners and prisons, American

Political prisoners — Abuse of — Soviet Union

Prisoners of war — Abuse of — United States

Soviet Union — Politics and government — 1936-1953

Torture — Government policy — Soviet Union

Torture — Government policy — United States — History — 19th century

Torture — Government policy — United States

Torture — Political aspects — Case studies

War on Terrorism, 2001-2009

Mexican War (1846-1848)

War on Terrorism (2001-2009)

1800-2009

Prisoners of war — Abuse of

Prisoners of war

Politics and government

Torture — Government policy

Torture

Political prisoners — Abuse of

Political prisoners

Soviet Union

United States

Genres:

History

Case studies

General Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (245 pages)

Digital Characteristics:

text file

Call Numbers:

HV8693 .L54 2011eb

ISBNs:

9780230359475
0230359477

OCLC Numbers:

751696343

Other Control Numbers:

EBC770416 (source: MiAaPQ)