The Wire

A new book, American Torture traces the history of the use of torture by America’s Central Intelligence Agency the CIA to extract information from those deemed enemies. Torture techniques theories refined in theatres of war such as the Vietnam War and various conflicts in Latin America are now being used against inmates like David Hicks in Guantanamo Bay, despite evidence suggesting they do not provide reliable intelligence. Its author Michael Otterman is a visiting scholar with Sydney universities Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. Ahead of the books launch he spoke with The Wire about what he discovered when he started to delve into the history of American Torture.