The right wing continues to misconstrue Senator Richard Durbin's remarks about Guantanamo.

Sen. Durbin was not comparing American soldiers to Nazis or suggesting that Guantanamo is analogous to a gulag. What he said was that the interrogation techniques described by the FBI agent in his e-mail call to mind techniques used by repressive regimes, including the Nazis and Soviets. In fact, many of the techniques that were explicitly authorized by Secretary Rumsfeld and remain in use at Guantanamo actually were used in Nazi camps and Soviet gulags and are used by other repressive regimes. For example, the Nazis used food, sleep, and sensory deprivation, and the Soviets used forced standing and sleep deprivation. For more on this, go here and here.

In the past, the United States has always condemned the use of these techniques. The State Department's ``Country Reports on Human Rights Practices,'' which are submitted to Congress every year, have condemned as “Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment”: “threats to detainees or their family members,” “sleep deprivation,” “depriv[ation] of food and water,” “suspension for long periods in contorted positions,” “prolonged isolation,” “forced prolonged standing,” “tying of the hands and feet for extended periods of time,” “public humiliation,” and “sexual humiliation.”

Update: The FBI e-mail that Senator Durbin referred to can be viewed here. There are many more like it here.

Update: Dave Neiwert has an excellent take on this. And Fafblog sets everyone straight.