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The Annihilation of Memory and Silent Suffering: Inhibiting Outrage at the Injustice of Torture in the War on Terror in Australia

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The Annihilation of Memory and Silent Suffering: Inhibiting Outrage at the Injustice of Torture in the War on Terror in Australia University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2016 The annihilation of memory and silent suffering: inhibiting outrage at the injustice of torture in the War on Terror in Australia Aloysia Brooks University of Wollongong, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses University of Wollongong Copyright Warning You may print or download ONE copy of this document for the purpose of your own research or study. The University does not authorise you to copy, communicate or otherwise make available electronically to any other person any copyright material contained on this site. You are reminded of the following: This work is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this work may be reproduced by any process, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of the author. Copyright owners are entitled to take legal action against persons who infringe their copyright. A reproduction of material that is protected by copyright may be a copyright infringement. A court may impose penalties and award damages in relation to offences and infringements relating to copyright material. Higher penalties may apply, and higher damages may be awarded, for offences and infringements involving the conversion of material into digital or electronic form. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong. Recommended Citation Brooks, Aloysia, The annihilation of memory and silent suffering: inhibiting outrage at the injustice of torture in the War on Terror in Australia, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Humanities and Social Enquiry, University of Wollongong, 2016. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/4865 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: [email protected] The Annihilation of Memory and Silent Suffering: Inhibiting Outrage at the Injustice of Torture in the War on Terror in Australia © Jeremy Saunders, 2014. Dr. Aloysia Brooks, D.S.W., M.H.R., B.S.W. This thesis is presented as required for the conferral of the degree: Doctor of Philosophy The University of Wollongong School of Humanities and Social Enquiry September 2016 2 Thesis Certification I, Aloysia Brooks, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the conferral of the degree Doctor of Philosophy, from the University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. This document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Aloysia Brooks 3 Abstract The War on Terror, initiated by the US Government under George W. Bush, reintroduced torture as an overt tool of the state. The Australian Government was heavily implicated in colluding and covering up the US torture program. Drawing on a model of outrage management, newspaper articles from 2002-2012 reveal extensive evidence that government officials, their agents, and the media, utilised methods that served to reduce outrage over the use of torture in the War on Terror. These tactics not only inhibited outrage, but promoted acceptance of torture as a legitimate security tool in the post 9/11 era. There is significant evidence that government officials, and a mostly compliant media, engaged in cover-up, either by omitting information, destroying evidence of torture, or failing to call into question statements made by US or Australian officials. There is extensive evidence of dehumanising or devaluing the survivors/victims and their experience including denigrating them as liars, casting them as unreliable sources, or, alternatively, attacking their personal character. Evidence extends to the reinterpretation of events and the way in which language was used to shift focus off torture to concerns about innocence or guilt. Rather than naming torture for what it is, terminology such as ‘abuse’ or ‘mistreatment’ was commonly used throughout the decade of analysis. The use of official channels to minimise outrage was apparent through the use of official spokespeople, or investigations that only gave the appearance of justice. There was also extensive evidence of the use of intimidation towards whistleblowers and torture survivors in order to prevent them from telling their stories. Those involved in torture were rewarded, commonly through promotion. These tactics were enabled by networks of individuals, organisations and institutions that carry out ideological, economic, practical or political functions to support the facilitation and cover-up of state-inflicted torture. These networks include shallow governments that deploy misleading political rhetoric related to torture and terrorism, the increased role of militarism and covert operations, and the expansion of the surveillance state. Therefore, challenging torture in the War on Terror requires 4 broader structural and societal change to eliminate the pillars of support for torture. Removing the structural support for torture may require the dismantling of the entire network through a process of nonviolent resistance. 5 Table of Contents List of Figures ........................................................................................................................................ 8 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................. 11 Foreword .............................................................................................................................................. 14 List of Acronyms.................................................................................................................................. 18 List of Australian and US Administrations .......................................................................................... 20 Chapter 1: Theoretical Framework & Definitions ................................................................................ 21 Research Question ................................................................................................................................ 26 Key Definitions & Terminology .......................................................................................................... 27 Victims and Survivors ................................................................................................................. 27 War on Terror .............................................................................................................................. 27 Defining Torture .......................................................................................................................... 28 Defining Terrorism ...................................................................................................................... 42 Theoretical Frameworks ....................................................................................................................... 45 Human Rights .............................................................................................................................. 45 Othering ....................................................................................................................................... 49 The Backfire Model ..................................................................................................................... 51 Social Constructions and the Media ............................................................................................ 56 The Propaganda Model ................................................................................................................ 59 Thesis Structure .................................................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 2: Background to the War on Terror ....................................................................................... 64 The Birth of the ‘War on Terror’.......................................................................................................... 64 The Military Response ................................................................................................................ 67 The Torture Memos and Treatment of ‘Detainees’ ..................................................................... 70 Guantanamo Bay .................................................................................................................................. 77 Interrogation ................................................................................................................................ 79 Torture Techniques ...................................................................................................................... 87 Military Commissions ................................................................................................................. 91 Private Military and Security Companies: Immunity and Contracted Torture ................................... 102 Joint Special Operations Command .......................................................................................... 109 The President’s Drone and Assassination Program ............................................................................ 113 Chapter 3: Australia’s role
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