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Another View of the Blowback of War

By possum

In an earlier diary the effect of detention on the detainees was discussed.  Today a review of the effect on an interrogator is the issue at hand.  In case you missed the article in Sunday's Washington Post, this is worth a read.  The author, Matthew Alexander, is a 14-year Air Force veteran who writes about his experience in Iraq as an interrogator.  He tells the truth as he saw the situation.  The tale is a stark and terrible story.Alexander was one member of a team seeking to locate Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, purported leader of Al-Qaeda in Iraq.  Alexander observed the course of interrogation on the ground.

These interrogations were based on fear and control; they often resulted in torture and abuse.

Alexander saw the result of American actions toward detainees.

Torture and abuse cost American lives.  I learned in Iraq that the No. 1 reason foreign fighters flocked there to fight were the abuses carried out at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.

Alexander refused to participate in the actions taken at the time.  Instead his group used alternative, unclassified actions.

We got to know our enemies, we learned to negotiate with them, and we adapted criminal investigative techniques to our work (something that the Field Manual permits, under the concept of "ruses and trickery"). It worked. Our efforts started a chain of successes that ultimately led to Zarqawi.

Today Alexander faces the personal questions of his past.  What will he tell his grandchildren?

The war after the war is a fight about who we are as Americans. Murderers like Zarqawi can kill us, but they can't force us to change who we are. We can only do that to ourselves. One day, when my grandkids sit on my knee and ask me about the war, I'll say to them, "Which one?"

In addition he poses issues all Americans must face in our future.

until we renounce the sorts of abuses that have stained our national honor, al-Qaeda will be winning. Zarqawi is dead, but he has still forced us to show the world that we do not adhere to the principles we say we cherish.  We're better than that. We're smarter, too.

Alexander's story illustrates one of the effects of war on the troops.  We hear ongoing stories of mental illness and various difficulties among our returning veterans.  No action taken in war by any soldier fails to effect the person once they come home.  Many talk of "coming home" as a long and difficult process.  Alexander is dealing with his issues by writing and taking a stand for morality and humanity.  

Many others join his effort.  The current book club discussion of Tony Lagouranis' story is one more example of the ongoing discussions and reality tales from our troops.  Let us hope there are more in time.

Peace.

Full post as published by Never In Our Names on December 02, 2008 (boomark / email).