John Cook has a harrowing report about the zeal with which some military officials at Guantanamo took to torturing detainees for information. Recently released transcripts of an interview with one of the psychologists charged with overseeing the interrogations suggest now-retired Gen. Geoffrey D. Miller reveled in the cruelty with which they were conducted. He went as far as to reward the interrogators involved in the questioning of Mohammed al-Qhatani, who was tortured so badly that the Bush-era military commissions convening authority, Susan Crawford, refused to bring charges against him.
One other great detail from the interview: "At the end of [Qahtani's] intensive interrogation effort, the commanding general of the camp, Gen. Miller, came down to the interrogation site at [redacted] to present awards to individuals involved with the execution of this particular interrogation." Cruelty with a point.
Miller of course, went on to serve in Iraq, which was part of how the interrogation techniques approved by Donald Rumsfeld migrated to Abu Ghraib and ultimately resulted in two low-level soldiers being prosecuted.
As for Miller? He retired in 2006, receiving a Distinguished Service Medal.
