Andrew Sullivan’s article “Karl Rove’s Definition of Torture,” uses a photo of a man between two litters as an example of torture. Well it appears Andrew Sullivan didn’t do any extensive research.
The photo is really an example of how a hostile combative military member is restrained in a situation where psychiatric drugs or 4 point restraints are not readily available to a medic or Behavioral Science Specialist.
This is not an example of torture at all. If it were, then this is a prime example of military members being tortured. Chemical CS gas is used in training as well on U.S. Soldiers. Many elite soldiers have been water boarded.
While the White House Correspondents Dinner comedian Sykes wishes Rush Limbaugh would die an awful death, but God forbid we use low level interrogation to gather vital information that would possibly save thousands of lives.
It is worth remembering given the current state of the debate. Karl Rove has been aggressively arguing that nothing that the Bush administration did could be construed as torture, not even the Khmer Rouge technique of water-boarding, let alone the long-term sleep deprivation, stress positions, hypothermia, forced nudity, hooding, dietary manipulation, sensory deprivation and all the other “EIT”s his president authorized.
Here is the Double Litter Method as described in Military Manuals
*Field Restraining Device–the Double Litter.
*Follow these steps to use the double litter with litter straps as restraints:
(1) Place the patient on the litter in the prone position with his head turned to one side to help prevent aspiration pneumonia.
(2) Put each of the patient’s hands along his thigh and secure each hand to the litter.
(3) Place the other litter, the carrying side down, on top of the patient.
(4) Bind the litters together with two or more litter straps.
(5) Record and report the action taken on DA form SF 600. Include the date and time the restraints were applied, the type of restraints applied, and the patient’s tolerance of the procedure.