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Child Item

Songs The CIA used to Torture

Harold Weiss

Top 11 songs used by CIA to torture prisoners at Gitmo

”The Real Slim Shady” by Eminem
“Take Your Best Shot” by Dope
”Dirrty” by Christina Aguilera
”Zikrayati (My Memories)” by Mohamed el-Qasabgi
”Babylon” by David Gray
”I Love You” by The Barney Theme
”Saturday Night Fever” by the Bee Gees
“The Beautiful People” by Marilyn Manson
"The Meow Mix theme"
”F--- Your God” by Deicide
“We Are the Champions” by Queen

I would have expected more death metal in there but there you go.

The continuous cacophony of Aguilera's sexually charged pop anthem was one of several practices meant to make it impossible for him to be an observant Muslim man. Many inmates suffered humiliations like this: Female military personnel would go shirtless during interrogations, give forced lap dances and rub red liquids they identified as menstrual blood on detainees.

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Sir Arthur Daley

I would expect more U2.

The_Valeyard

Surely Beiber or one direction are on that list somewhere?

thelad95

Where is Daniel O'Donnell or Brian Kennedy?

wazky

Harold Weiss wrote: »

[*]”I Love You” by The Barney Theme

I would tell them my granny planted the bomb if it meant they would stop playing that.

Sir Arthur Daley

thelad95 wrote: »

Where is Daniel O'Donnell or Brian Kennedy?

The B side.

Doublelime

Murica baby

Mr Reese

A baby crying be hard to beat.

wazky

A few episodes of Fair City and they would have had Osama himself squealing.

Sir Arthur Daley

wazky wrote: »

A few episodes of Fair City and they would have had Osama himself squealing.

Lets not get carried away here, one episode would be quite sufficient.

RayM

thelad95 wrote: »

Where is Daniel O'Donnell or Brian Kennedy?

That would be barbaric. Ever heard of the Geneva Convention?

catallus

As legit as that website appears, OP :rolleyes:, the idea of using music to "break someone down" is historically cliched.

I'm sure there are a thousand rationales for using any song to abuse a person; and if one plays a song loud enough it would hurt anyone.

What is disconcerting is that the media (the popular media, at least) seems to be fascinated by this type of mistreatment.

RayM

catallus wrote: »

As legit as that website appears, OP :rolleyes:, the idea of using music to "break someone down" is historically cliched.

I don't know... if you forced me to listen to Brendan Shine's 'If you want your old Lobby washed down' on a loop, I'm pretty sure I'd eventually tell you whatever you want to hear. I'd confess to eating Shergar... anything at all... just make it stop.

Sir Arthur Daley

thelad95

I can think of a few songs that would make me confess to anything:

Anything by the high kings.
#selfie by the Chainsmokers
Vengaboys- boom boom boom
Aqua-Barbie Girl
Rick Astley- Never gonna give you up
James Blunt- You're beautiful

Gatling

Harold Weiss wrote: »

story

Hang on one second here ,

Forced lap dances ,

Shirtless female soldiers / Marines

While listening to Xtina Dirrrrty

Well Beat me ,Spank me and tie me to a chair because I've been a very naughty terrorist

jescart

Aphex Twin - Come To Daddy

Even the thought of the song scares me, I'm fairly sure there's some deep hidden subliminal messages involved also. But I cannot say for sure.

Leftyflip

That new Avril Lavigne one would do it...

catallus

Aphex Twin = Wallpaper Music. Without the visual weirdness it is nothing.

If the idea of torture is to get the victim to volunteer the truth, then the aggressive use of sound must only be a backdrop to that process. Along with the sexual humiliation which, if we are to believe the reports, was part and parcel of this democratically sanctioned malevolence, it must be seen as part of a program of erosion of a human being.

The legacy of the last century has proved beyond doubt that the end justifies the means. And I suppose it is easier to talk about pop songs than it is to talk about torture.

A strange turn: In sight, out of mind.

kumate_champ07

read about this a few weeks back, dont think they'll get any money from the CIA tho!

"We heard through a reliable grapevine that our music was being used in Guantanamo Bay prison camps to musically stun or torture people," founder cEvin Key explains by phone from his Los Angeles home. "We heard that our music was used on at least four occasions. So we thought it would be a good idea to make an invoice to the U.S. government for musical services, thus the concept of the record title, Weapons."

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2014/01/skinny_puppy_we_spent_an_unnec.php

osarusan

Blurred Lines is a war crime.

SamHarris

catallus wrote: »

Aphex Twin = Wallpaper Music. Without the visual weirdness it is nothing.

If the idea of torture is to get the victim to volunteer the truth, then the aggressive use of sound must only be a backdrop to that process. Along with the sexual humiliation which, if we are to believe the reports, was part and parcel of this democratically sanctioned malevolence, it must be seen as part of a program of erosion of a human being.

The legacy of the last century has proved beyond doubt that the end justifies the means. And I suppose it is easier to talk about pop songs than it is to talk about torture.

A strange turn: In sight, out of mind.

It wasn't so much "democratically sanctioned" that would imply a vote to allow it. More sanctioned by a democratically elected government. Actually more than that - by a bureaucrat. I get your point, just saying.

Also, I imagine pretty much anything would work after long enough and loud enough.

cloud493

Any song, at high enough volume, played endlessly over and over, with no sleep, probably no food or water, would torture anyone.

Sunglasses Ron

Gatling wrote: »

Hang on one second here ,

Forced lap dances ,

Shirtless female soldiers / Marines

While listening to Xtina Dirrrrty

Well Beat me ,Spank me and tie me to a chair because I've been a very naughty terrorist

Given that this unlikely contender for the Sports Illustrated girls of the military issue is the most infamous female interrogator in the war on terror

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynndie_England

Ii'll pass thanks.

stefan idiot jones

Now I'm a die hard Sabbath fan, but some of their early stuff can even drive a rock disciple to suicide.

Mariah (can't hold a note, warbling cnut) would push me over the edge.

Conall Cernach

cloud493 wrote: »

Any song, at high enough volume, played endlessly over and over, with no sleep, probably no food or water, would torture anyone.

My uncle was tortured for about a week in 1971 by British soldiers. One technique they used was playing white noise, like the sound of gas escaping, incredibly loud for hours on end. That and forced stress positions meant that he was unable to sleep and therefore think properly.

As this is After Hours there will surely be posters who will claim that no such thing happened but my uncle's case (and others) is very well documented and he even received some compensation years later.

Pat Mustard

Barney the Dinosaur would make anybody lose the will to live.

Yeah_Right

Everything described in the article isn't torture. Its enhanced interrogation and humiliation. Its screwing with their minds. Nothing wrong with that.

Ralf and Florian

Surprised not to see any Industrial music on the list.I listen to it all the time but I imagine it must be very disorienting and scary for someone not used to it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8klW9trVTQ

Edit:on a somewhat related note in the late 70s Throbbing Gristle were having hassle with a group of travellers who were camped near their studio in Hackney London.Their solution was to place speakers(hidden under mounds of rubbish) and bombard them day and night with white noise and high frequency sound waves.The travellers diden't know where it was coming from and were so freaked out that they soon left.

[Deleted User]

I vaguely remember reading something on this subject - but it is so long ago now I A) can not find it and

can not remember if it was real or a joke. Likely the latter - but I mention it here in the hope someone might know the citation to the thing I read as I would not mind reading it again.

But apperently one of the things they did against Al Queda was blare music at them and their caves to try and drive them a little potty. And one of the songs they had on loop to achieve this was a particular song by Mark E. Smith and "The Fall".

Has anyone got any idea what I am talking about - because right now it is one of those annoying little bells in the back of my head that is ringing having read the thread and I would like to know what it was.

Mr.McLovin

Gatling wrote: »

Hang on one second here ,

Forced lap dances ,

Shirtless female soldiers / Marines

While listening to Xtina Dirrrrty

Well Beat me ,Spank me and tie me to a chair because I've been a very naughty terrorist

the shirtless female soldiers probably resemble susan boyle more rather than xtina