The Politics of Prisoner Abuse: The United States and Enemy Prisoners after 9/11

When states are threatened by war and terrorism, can we really expect them to abide by human rights and humanitarian law? David P. Forsythe's bold analysis of US policies towards terror suspects after 9/11 addresses this issue directly. Covering moral, political, and legal aspects, he examines the abuse of enemy detainees at the hands of the United States. At the center of the debate is the Bush Administration, which Forsythe argues displayed disdain for international law, in contrast to the general public's support for humanitarian affairs. Forsythe explores the similarities and differences between Presidents Obama and Bush on the question of prisoner treatment in an age of terrorism and asks how the Administration should proceed. The book traces the Pentagon's and CIA's records in mistreating prisoners, providing an account which will be of interest to all those who value human rights and humanitarian law.

1. Prisoner abuse and political morality in historical perspective; 2. Political morality and the Bush Administration; 3. Bush lawyers: the politics of legal interpretation; 4. The military: Afghanistan, Guantanamo, Iraq; 5. The CIA: kidnapping, Black Sites, extraordinary rendition; 6. Due process: detention classification, Military Commissions; 7. Prisoner abuse and the politics of transnational justice.