The Brutality, Indifference, and Degradation of Terror Suspects
The Alex Gibney film Taxi to the Dark Side depicts the brutality, indifference, and degradation of terror suspects. It is based on the experiences of Dilawar, a dedicated cab driver who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time (Lesage 210).
Forced Interrogation and Torture
Dilawar was ordered to stop while performing his routine task of transporting passengers for a search, and as a result, he and his passengers were both arrested. The U.S. military was looking for suspects in a terror attack on their army camp who were Afghan. Dilawar was forcedly interrogated using torture since the junior soldiers believed he was innocent (Neroni 247). He was chained with his face down to deprive him of sleep, underwent sexual humiliation that was perpetrated by high-ranking officials who got instructions from top military and civilian commands. Gibney sought to portray the bad apple theory whereby a few bad people do the wrong things and everything is said to be fine (Lesage 214).
The Ineffectiveness of Torture
This essay suggests that torture is always wrong and is an ineffective way of gathering intelligence information.
Dilawar's Innocence and the Violation of the Rule of Law
Dilawar's innocence, in my view, does not establish criminal responsibility because the perpetrators of torture were under instruction from the authorities. In fact, Jan Baz Khan, the commander of the militiamen who took Dilawar for detention, was not an American but an Afghan who sought to maintain good relations with the U.S. army (Neroni 249). Dilawar was arrested and detained for claims that he blew up the American army base, which in reality was the Afghan commander who turned to innocent travelers to defend himself. The junior officers at the detention camp knew Dilawar was innocent but could not do anything as they were instructed to torture him as an interrogation technique (Peters 103). The torture was indicative of the violation of the rule of law. Moreover, the charge of homicide following Dilawar's death was denied by the military who said he died of natural causes. Although the prison personnel were aware that Dilawar was innocent, they continued to strike his legs (Lesage 225). Clearly, when prohibitions for torture are removed, a human's dark side manifests itself. The film exposes the global policy of interrogation and detention that allows the abrogation of human rights and torture.
The Impunity of U.S. Courts
The criminal convictions of Dilawar's torturers are an inadequate response to the violations they committed. Having contributed to the murder of Dilawar, who died due to "blunt force of injuries," the perpetrators would have faced severe sentences in jail. The fact that they were jailed for five months shows the imbalanced justice system in dispensing fairness to human rights cases. The violations amount to the impunity of U.S. courts owing to the exemption from punishment of a person who has committed a criminal act (Neroni 251). The act of leaving unpunished the perpetrators of horrific crimes renders impunity highly detrimental in the eradication of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and torture. Moreover, impunity emerges from complex power relationships in the world, which contradicts the implementation of the Convention against torture. Taxi to the Dark Side shows that individuals who are guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes do not face legal prosecution unless they lose their political power (Lesage 228). Moreover, victims of torture find it difficult to forget the ordeal and focus on a humane society while agents of torture and war crimes walk freely without punishment. Therefore, the efforts by the U.S. government to address the issue of impunity against perpetrators of torture through a repressive regime will portray commitment to defending human rights.
The Need for Criminal Law Intervention
Willie Brand's subjective perception of the trial warrants the impact of criminal law. Since he had the powers to determine the guilt of those convicted such as Dilawar, he would exercise prudence and justice rather than paving the way for torture. Dilawar was never charged with any crime and was not informed of his connection to Taliban or Al-Qaeda, but he received harsh treatment under the watch of Willie Brand (Peters 106). Willie Brand was Dilawar's guard at Bagram and was prosecuted for abusing prisoners. During interviews, Brand said the knee strikes on Dilawar were meant to gain his compliance, although they were purposely meant for self-defense. Willie Brand's subjective perception, therefore, warrants the intervention of criminal law to ensure that military men, however powerful, cannot get away with crime as this may encourage ordinary criminals to proceed with their actions of crime (Lesage 226). Criminal law revokes the use of pardon in torture crimes as they make perpetrators repeat the same crime.
The Unjust Release of Damien Corssetti
The release of Damien Corssetti was unjust, even if he purported to be doing his job owing to his qualifications as perceived by his attorney, Cassara. Corssetti threatened the detainees using his attributes of being big, loud, and scary (Neroni 255). In criminal law, torture is intended to cause mental and physical suffering and pain by a person within his custody. Damien violated the Geneva Convention that prohibits torture and advocates for professional interrogation of terror suspects. His release meant that the U.S. courts do not realize that torture is not only illegal and immoral but also unnecessary and ineffective.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the U.S ought to appreciate and exercise the right to be free from torturing terror suspects as a fundamental human right. In fact, the use of torture interrogation is not helpful in extracting intelligence information. Therefore, the military should exercise professionalism in handling terror suspects without causing them harm, as this affects their well-being and eventually death.
Works Cited
Lesage, Julia. “Torture Documentaries and Taxi to the Dark Side (Alex Gibney, 2007).” Screening the Tortured Body. Palgrave Macmillan UK, 2016. 207-237.
Neroni, Hilary. “The nonsensical smile of the torturer: documentary form and the logic of enjoyment.” Studies in Documentary Film 3.3 (2009): 245-257.
Peters, Wm C. “Addendum for the War on Terror—Somewhere in Switzerland, Dilawar Remembered, and Why the Martens Clause Matters.” Social Justice 37.2/3 (120-121 (2010): 99-122.
