This week, the Washington Post offered a grim overview of Iraq’s epidemic of mental disorders, produced by years of war, upheaval and neglect (“Iraq’s Crisis of Scarred Psyches,” March 6). Of course, much of this psychological damage is the fault of Saddam Hussein and the brutal regime he installed: militarism, tyranny and the gross deceit required to maintain them wreak serious havoc on the human mind, as Americans are coming to know too well. But there is a deeper history behind the unfolding nightmare in Iraq – a method to the induced madness – that is inextricably linked to the

From Cryytome.org SECRET ORCONINTERROGATION LOGDETAINEE 06323 November 20020225: The detainee arrives at the interrogation booth at Camp X-Ray. His hood isremoved and he is bolted to the floor. SGT A and SGT R are the interrogators. ADoD linguist and MAJ L (BSCT) are present.0235: Session begins. The detainee refuses to look at SGT A “due to his religion. Thisis a rapport building session.0240: Detainee states he’s on hunger strike. SGT A explains the affects of a hungerstrike on the body. SGT A runs “love of brothers in Cuba” approach.0320: The detainee refused to answer whether he wanted water. SGT R

*This piece has been edited (30 March) since its original posting to clarify the investments of the Ahmanson family in vote-machine companies.*

Two weeks ago, an obscure, unelected, Republican-appointed official in California decided the future of the world. That future – at least for the next several years – will be an accelerating nightmare of war, corruption, repression, breakdown, atrocity and terror.