Shin Bet At Abu Ghuraib Respected

Juan Cole 07/08/2004

Shin Bet at Abu Ghuraib

The respected journal of military affairs, Jane’s, is reporting that Israeli Shin Bet interrogators were used by the Americans at Abu Ghuraib. A twist: the article maintains that the US chose them because they were less likely to use heavy-handed torture techniques than secret police from US allies like Egypt and Jordan. Of course, it all depends on what you mean by torture. Sexual humiliation apparently does not count.

About the Author

Juan Cole is the founder and chief editor of Informed Comment and Richard P. Mitchell Professor of History at the University of Michigan. He is author of, among many other books, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires. Follow him at @jricole.